Friendsgiving was an absolute hit. And very much worth the drive from Chicago to St. Louis to make it happen. My chocolate chip cookies were absolutely gobbled up. Plus, The Girlfriend received rave reviews from some longtime friends. And now, we get to soak in the glory of another Bears Sunday.
Hooray! We get to watch Justin Fields play today and I am ecstatic. I’m at a point where I’m actively rooting for the defense to hurry up and get the heck off the field (by any means necessary) so we can watch Fields cook. The in-season progression has been remarkable to follow. And opposing GMs are taking notice:
The data backs up what we’re seeing. Check this out:
Some guys get bitter when their records get broken. So I found it refreshing when Mike Vick chimed in with the Tribune’s Brad Biggs after Fields broke the former NFL star’s single-game regular-season rushing yardage:
“It’s really cool, man,” Vick said, via the Tribune. “We’ve been using our legs for the last 20, 25 years, and that is quarterbacks coming in all shapes and sizes. Now we all are embracing it as a way to show toughness, as a way to continue to move the chains and a way to continue to help offenses evolve.
“It’s great to see quarterbacks getting into the mix. Every two or three possessions, you are seeing a designed quarterback run. I never thought the game would be this way. It’s a treat to watch these young guys go out there and do it and have success.”
We truly are witnessing an evolution of quarterback play. And I think we should enjoy it to the fullest. Especially since it appears as if the Bears have one of those guys under center.
While the Bears are out here successfully stealing plays, my guy Jon is right in thinking they should snatch this one Miami used against them last week. You’ll want the sound on for the full explanation:
Because you’re curious, FiveThirtyEight’s projections give the Bears a 7% chance of making the postseason going into today’s action. If they beat the Lions today, those odds jump to 9%. A loss? That’ll sink their chances to 1%.
In-season player development from Fields, Cole Kmet, Darnell Mooney, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, and a cast of others still holds more value to me than sneaking into the playoffs at this stage of the season. However, I wouldn’t be mad if the young Bears were able to power their way into a playoff spot. Seriously. If Fields goes full Skywalker-in-a-hallway mode and gets the Bears in the playoffs, that could be seen as a net win for his overall development. We’ve got a ways to go before we get to that bridge (let alone cross it). But I want to acknowledge there is a not zero percent chance that the bridge exists in the first place.
It’s absolutely wild that as many as three teams could conceivably make the playoffs despite having losing records. The Draft Network’s Justin Melo fills us in on the Browns, Falcons, and Commanders as they try to slide into contention.
If you’re playing DFS on the fantasy side, there is a good chance you’ll want Fields as your QB today. And there’s a good chance you already have him (based on these numbers):
Some pre-game housecleaning from a roster side:
Byron Pringle’s calf injury has kept him out since the early going of the Bears’ Week 3 win against the Texans. His return further crowds an already busy receiver’s room. It makes me think we might see Velus Jones Jr. as a healthy scratch (again). Maybe that isn’t a bad thing, though. It sounds like VJJ has a lot of work to do before the Bears give him a second chance.
Marvin Harrison Jr. isn’t draft-eligible until 2024. But there are some serious WR1 vibes emanating from the Ohio State standout:
Sorry, Pitbull. Tom Brady is the real Mr. Worldwide:
This will be fascinating to follow:
NEWSLETTER
