Like Mace Windu and Luke Skywalker before him, Drew Brees survived a “lightning strike.”
I’m not sure why PointsBet was shooting an ad on Exegol, but they probably should’ve known better.
Matt Nagy might not be cut out to be a head coach, that much we learned during his tenure in Chicago. But he seems to have an eye for quarterback talent. This story of how Nagy nudged Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs together is a fun one and I’d encourage you to give this video a watch:
This @PatrickMahomes story about how he ended up being drafted by the @Chiefs is WILD. 👀
I didn’t have Mahomes revealing on a podcast how significant of a role Nagy had in the Chiefs drafting him on my 2022 BINGO card. Mahomes telling the “New Heights” podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce that Nagy gave the then-Texas Tech QB the plays that Andy Reid would go over on the whiteboard during their pre-draft meeting the night before the meeting. In other words, Mahomes had the answers to the test before showing up to class. That’s certainly one way to make sure you get your guy.
OK, so I don’t want to spend too much time on Nagy because I can already hear the groveling and grinding of teeth. But I think it is evident that Nagy can spot college quarterback talent (Mahomes, Justin Fields) and has a knack for making sure they land on his team. Everything else? That is up-in-the-air and for further discussion. But should Fields continue on this track, I think we should be able to find it in us to be thankful for Nagy nudging Fields to being the guy Ryan Pace would go on and draft. But nothing more. We don’t need to throw him a parade for his efforts or anything of that nature. Just a head nod and maybe a pat on the back.
Food analogy alert! Let’s think of it this way: Nagy is your friend who knows a good butcher and can get you a great price on some quality steaks, but you want him nowhere near the grill when it comes time to throw those bad boys on the fire.
Speaking of Fields, he was a full-go at practice on Thursday. I can’t say I saw that coming. Especially when the belief was that FIelds would be limited at practice for the whole week. At least, that was the vibe that Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy was giving off when he met with the media:
"He's kind of in the same boat as last week." — Luke Getsy on Justin FIelds
If you don’t remember last week, it’s OK. Between the turkey, fever, and flu, I’m trying to forget it myself. But last week was one in which FIelds was limited all week. And while he threw some passes in pre-game warmups, he was ultimately made inactive. Fields getting a full practice in a pleasant surprise. One that puts him in the mix to make his return this coming Sunday. All of a sudden, Packers Week is a little spicier.
I’m torn. My gut says Fields shouldn’t play unless he is fully healthy. And I think my brain agrees. But I was of the mindset that three full practices would be the sign that Fields would be a full go for game day. That Fields followed a limited practice with a full one changes things. I’ll be curious to see if Fields can put back-to-back full practices. And I definitely want to hear from Head Coach Matt Eberflus. I’ll have my popcorn ready for sure.
In the end, I’ll say this: I can appreciate Fields being “That Guy” who is willing to gut it out because he is a gamer.
The mere thought of this potentially being Virginia McCaskey’s last Bears-Packers game blew my mind. This scenario wasn’t even playing in my head until I saw this tweet exchange:
Definitely means more to ownership. Could be Virginia's last Bears Packers game
Nicholas Moreano (CHGO) writes about pass rusher Trevis Gipson keeping an optimistic mindset despite his low sack numbers. ( explain struglles ). If it is any consolation, Gipson seems to step it up for Packers games. Perhaps the potential of sacking Aaron Rodgers will fuel another stellar performance. And maybe that is what will spark a strong run for Gipson to end the year. There figure to be plenty of changes along the defense this coming offseason. And the defensive line should get a major overhaul. With that in mind, Gipson should see the end of the year as an opportunity to put some good tape out there before this thing comes to a close.
Game recognize game:
I asked Jaylon Johnson about the juice he gets playing Aaron Rodgers.
“I mean, he’s a shit talker," Johnson said. "Honestly. Last time he came here, he was saying he owns us and talking to the fans a certain way. He’s just a really fierce competitor.”— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) December 1, 2022
Love it when a plan comes together. So … how about executing it?
#Bears DT Justin Jones asked, how do you 'frazzle' Aaron Rodgers:
"Hit him. Hit him hard and hit him often. You feel me? That's the plan."— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) December 1, 2022
“He’s a great one. He’s going to get better. And I can see it in him,” Slay said of Mitchell Trubisky, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “He’s got the drive to keep working, and he believes in himself and the team do, so if the team’s behind his back, he’ll be alright. But he needs to learn his lesson, though. Ain’t too many times he’s going to throw over to 23.”
Kudos to Darius Slay for trying to lull the football fans into a false sense of security. But fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? Well, I can’t get fooled again.
Jaylon Johnson talks swag, dad life, and what inspires his game day fit:
I just don’t understand how the Pats don’t have this logo and uniform combo in steady rotation. It rocks. And not just because the Bears whooped on the Pats while they wore these get-ups during Super Bowl XX. I mean, it helps. But these are clean.
Pro Bowl voting is still going on as you’re reading this sentence. Over at Bleacher Report, Tyler Conway has a rundown of the Pro Bowl Games schedule. The flag football games should be a treat, but there are some other events that have my eye. What are you looking forward to more: the full-field relay race between AFC and NFC players or the lineman strength-and-speed competition? Personally, I still think there is a missed opportunity in not having kickers have a pie-eating contest.
Dansby Swanson has skills, but he is fourth on the pecking order in terms of my favorite free agent shortstops:
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
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NEWSLETTER
