NEWSLETTER
What do I get my girlfriend’s dog for Christmas? is a thing I’ve been asking myself for the better part of two weeks. And yet, I still have no clue. Help?
- I’m digging the energy Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus is bringing after the bye:
- You and I can talk tank all we want. And we will. Heck, we’ll talk tank later in today’s Bullets. But players (and coaches) don’t do tanking. It is unsurprising that Coach Flus sees the final four games of the year as a challenge and opportunity for this team to prove itself against stiff competition. Frankly, I’m here for it. This is a good time to do late-season player evaluation and self-scouting. Think of these last four games as an extension of next season’s preseason slate. Go get ’em, guys! There are jobs to win.
- The Bears will be a bit more watchable on the defensive side of the ball now that Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon are out of the NFL’s concussion protocol. Chicago’s two rookie second-round picks both missed each of the last two games due to concussions. But with Brisker and Gordon back in the fold, the Bears have pieces of a representative starting secondary. Of course, they’re still missing Eddie Jackson. However, having Brisker, Gordon, and Jaylon Johnson is an upgrade over what the Bears were throwing out the last time we saw them play.
- AHEM! That’s Captain Jaylon Johnson to you, pal.
- Let’s be honest with each other and admit that the matchup we all have eyes on this coming Sunday is Justin Fields vs. Jalen Hurts:
- It is wild to think about how Hurts has gone from someone Philly fans were wanting to see Gardner Minshew II replace in the starting lineup to MVP favorite in a year. I guess that is what happens when your front office invests in an offensive line, adding pass-catching playmakers over multiple offseason (Dallas Goedert, DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown), and signing defensive studs (Darius Slay comes to mind here) to round out the group. (Hint, hint…)
- Jason Lieser (Sun-Times) describes the Eagles as a monumental test for Fields. Opposing quarterbacks have thrown 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions against Philly’s defense. And they’ve allowed just one rushing touchdown (to Daniel Jones in Week 14). But surely, Fields can do better than Kirk Cousins (1 TD, 3 INT), Cooper Rush (1 TD, 3 INT), Kenny Pickett (0 TD, 1 INT), Davis Mills (2 TD, 2 INT), and Taylor Heinecke (0 TD, 1 INT) … right?
- Fields has his work cut out for him. But so do the Eagles. Let’s not foget that:
- Because you care: I was looking at my future fantasy lineups and noticed that Yahoo! has Philadelphia giving up the fewest fantasy points to the QB position. Eek!
- Gah! I hate that we won’t get a Fields-Trevor Lawrence matchup until 2024:
- I guess, technically, they could meet in the Super Bowl in February 2024. But a more likely matchup will come during the 2024 regular season. Then again, I won’t say no to a Bears-Jaguars Super Bowl showdown.
- Well, this is an interesting perspective:
- Also interesting? The teams with the most talent have an accelerated path to learning how to win. Weird how that works.
- Obsessive tank watch:
- We got shades of when Jay Cutler told Mike Martz “fudge you” (but he didn’t use the word fudge) out of Mac Jones last night:
- Yeah, sure, cool. I saw the Pats put up 27 points against the Cards last night. But the disdain that Jones has for Matt Patricia (who is calling plays for New England because lol) is palpable. Holy cow!
- On a more serious note, this was a failure on the NFL’s part — from top to bottom:
- And as Michael Hurley (CBS Boston) writes, Nelson Agholor’s efforts aren’t even what stopped the next play from happening. It was Kliff Kingsbury throwing a challenge flag that ultimately stopped the play. The NFL talks the talk when it comes to player safety, but struggles in major moments to walk the walk.
- It might be time to keep tabs on the Cardinals on tank watch. Not only did their loss to the Patriots on Monday Night Football drop them to 4-9 and slot them in the sixth spot, but it also put them a game behind the Bears for the No. 3 slot. And with Kyler Murray presumably out for the year with what was reportedly an ACL injury, it is tough to imagine seeing Arizona winning any more games this year.
- Speaking of the NFL Draft, this guy needs to be a Bears pick based solely on his name:
- If ever there was someone meant to play running back in the NFL (and for the Chicago Bears, a franchise steeped in elite running back history) it is someone named Tank Bigsby. And I guess his production (2,903 rushing yards, 25 touchdowns, 5.4 yards/carry over the last three years) is pretty good, too.
- Congrats to a Super Bowl XX champ:
Richard Dent, the Sack Man who was notably dubbed Sack Machine on an episode of CSN trivia show Beer Money, is celebrating a birthday today:
- Any and all G.O.A.T. debates are OVER:
- The Blackhawks will have representation at the World Junior Championships:
- For the record, I like the Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon signings. And not just for the meme potential Bellinger provides. Or because I dig the post-hype sleeper vibes Taillon can bring to the table. But since the early signings, the Cubs’ offseason has been fizzling out at an alarming rate:
