I’m spending the weekend catching up with some friends. So far, so good. My M&M chocolate chip cookies were a hit, so let’s keep the good times rolling.
Tomorrow’s Sunday slate:
It’ll be another Bears-less Sunday for us. We’ll get to see last week’s opponents (Commanders) attempt to handle the Packers, next week’s opponent (Cowboys) face another Bears long-time rival (Lions), and that Niners/Chiefs game figures to be the best of the Sunday bunch. In other words, get your errands done today so you can enjoy the full boat of Sunday action.
But if you are already squared away, then you can watch college football all day. And if you want to keep an eye on some of the game’s top prospects, there are a bunch of games on today’s schedule worth watching. Go find the next Bears prospect obsession.
It is never too early to have eyes on top prospects:
Per ESPN’s calculations, the Bears are a near lock for a top-10 pick:
Will one of these linemen be worthy of a top-10 selection?
Data from Courtney Cronin (ESPN) further drives my desire to draft a stud lineman — even though Justin Fields takes a chunk of responsibility for the sacks he has taken:
Fields has been pressured on 46% of his dropbacks, the highest rate a quarterback has faced in the first six games of a season since ESPN began tracking the stat in 2009. He has also been sacked 23 times, tied for the most in the league.
Those stats usually draw focus to an ineffective offensive line, but according to ESPN Stats & Information, the Bears have the second-best pass block win rate this season, with their offensive linemen sustaining blocks through 2.5 seconds 68% of the time.
I don’t know how ESPN’s data churns out a conclusion that the Bears’ pass-blocking unit is a top-2 group after seeing this team with my own eyes, but that’s where the data falls.
To be clear, I’m open to all sorts of ideas on how to get the most out of Justin Fields. But I didn’t see this coming:
Is Marcus Mariota’s play redemption for Ryan Pace? Pace, now an exec in Atlanta, once had eyes for Mariota as a college prospect and was reportedly interested in bringing him in to compete for Bears quarterbacking competitions at some point in recent years. If Mitchell Trubisky wants a career path, Mariota’s is one worth following.
Love seeing DHC, who is an honorary captain this week, gets some more love:
We’re starting to see some more teams linked to failed Christian McCaffrey trade talks. And now I’m curious to see how teams pivot:
If you’re GM Ryan Poles, are you expecting teams to kick the tires on David Montgomery after missing out on CMC. And if you’re Poles, does the CMC trade give you perspective on dealing a popular player who doesn’t fit your team’s rebuilding timeline? The trade deadline comes on Nov. 1, so brace yourselves.
Healthiest team in the league:
Detroit punter Jack Fox signed an extension with the team. On the surface, there are few jobs that come with the type of security being the Lions punter provides. But the Lions are actually scoring points this year, so Fox isn’t as active as you’d expect him to be. Hopefully, that changes next month when the Bears host the Lions.
The Bears delivering a public service announcement:
Finally, Zach LaVine will make his regular-season return:
The Jurickson Profar strikeout reaction is engrained in my brain:
NEWSLETTER
