Did you enjoy your Bears-free Sunday? I know I did. It helps a ton that they won on Thursday. But having NFL games as background noise while I did other stuff around the house was a refreshing alternative to spending the afternoon yelling at the television because I disagreed with a play call, referee decision, dropped pass, missed block, or broken tackle.
The Bears didn’t play yesterday, but there were a bunch of Bears-adjacent things happening during the Week 5 Sunday slate. Patrick covers them (and more!) in the Sunday 7. Among the most notable events was Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson suffering a hamstring injury that caused him to miss a chunk of time late in Minnesota’s loss to the Chiefs. After the game, Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell said it was too early to tell how severe the injury was and how long it could impact him. We’ll continue to monitor this for obvious reasons since Minnesota is next up on Chicago’s schedule.
Even if Jefferson can’t give it a go in Week 6, don’t expect the Bears to have it easy. You can’t sleep on rookie Jordan Addison (6 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD vs. Chiefs). Tight end T.J. Hockenson is no slouch either. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is on pace for a 5,093-yard, 44-touchdown season that my fantasy football team appreciates. The Vikings put up points. They also do a bunch of goofy stuff, which explains how they can hang tight with the defending Chiefs in a one-score loss just one week after riding the struggle bus in a one-score win against a Panthers team looking destined to deliver the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Bears.
The Bears have the worst point differential in the NFC North. But they have also scored more points (115) than the Vikings (110) and Packers (100). Of course, that could change tonight when the Packers play the Raiders. Nevertheless, folks gush about the Vikings offense (and in fairness, I get it — they’ve got a ton of weapons) but they’ve played the same number of games as the Bears and have scored fewer points. I wonder if we’ll be in for a shootout at Soldier Field between two teams trying to figure stuff out.
For those of you who care, Brad Biggs (Tribune) tweets the Vikings were installed as 3.5-point road favorites against the Bears this week. Whatever. I like it better when the Bears are underdogs anyway.
There are four teams on ESPN writer Bill Barnwell’s list of teams vying to be the NFL’s worst in 2023 that rank lower than the Bears. Sure, the Broncos won the head-to-head battle between the two. But that is irrelevant. It is also tremendously frustrating. How differently would we look at the Bears if they were 2-3 and not 1-4? Would we view this team’s trajectory differently? How would we see Justin Fields’ last two performances if they were both in winning efforts? This serves as a timely reminder that this team’s margin of error is razor-thin.
I wouldn’t say I like saying nice things about division rivals, but shout out to the Lions for knocking off the Panthers. Keeping Carolina winless gives the Bears a better chance to land the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. My pops was curious why I was begrudgingly rooting on Detroit. It was definitely one of those “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” kind of days.
This tweet sent me down a rabbit hole:
Sean Payton gave McGlinchey all that money yet he can’t block a soul in pass pro. Was a terrible contract in March…..only gets worse by the week. What happens when coaches have nobody in personnel they respect to say this is an AWFUL idea— John Middlekauff (@JohnMiddlekauff) October 8, 2023
Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey’s 56.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus puts him 49th among the 68 qualifiers for PFF’s leaderboard. It is early. And McGlinchey can still turn it around. But this isn’t the type of performance Denver was hoping to see from a big-ticket free-agent signing. And it makes me thankful (in hindsight) that the Bears didn’t out-bid the Broncos. Plus, it was a domino that fell en route to Chicago drafting Darnell Wright, who is PFF’s 25th-highest-graded offensive tackle. Wright’s pass-blocking can use some fine-tuning, but the 79.1 run-block grade is PFF’s eighth-best among tackles. Let the kid play!
The bottom half of PFF’s grade sheet features some notable free agents who signed in the offseason. That group includes Jawaan Taylor (67th of 68) and Orlando Brown Jr. (47/68).
Would you rather have Mike McGlinchey and Jalen Carter? Or Darnell Wright and the cap savings that come with not paying McGlinchey? Watching this clip and seeing these notes makes this tough for me to answer:
The Bears are shuffling the deck at running back as injuries pile up at the position. Old friend Darrynton Evans is back. But Khalil Herbert could land on IR and Roschon Johnson is in concussion protocol. Hey, maybe we’ll get to see D’Onta Foreman for the first time since Week 1. Foreman has been a healthy scratch in each of the team’s last four games.
How Travis Kelce’s afternoon started…
Travis Kelce hurt his right foot/leg on this play, a non-contact injury, and then headed to the locker room: pic.twitter.com/ogfEu6iIOB— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 8, 2023
I’ve been in this space for months trying to tell you folks about the healing powers of Taylor Alison Swift. Because if she can help heal my soul with the written word put to musical production, then a non-contact injury after a slip is nothing more than a walk in the park.
Over at BN’s Cubs wing, Michael explores the Kyle Hendricks decision that is on the horizon and its many nuances. There is plenty to discuss regarding the Cubs’ offseason. And it is just getting started, so I hope you’re in a comfy chair if you’re a Cubs fan reading this. Just know that I need to see Kyle in a Cubs uniform in 2024. If I have to see him in another uniform, I’m going to be highly irritated.
Tab is keeping a watchful eye on three college stars who happen to be Blackhawks prospects. (BN Blackhawks)
I don’t care that it was just a preseason game. Anytime I get a chance to share someone nailing a half-court shot is going to result in me sharing it:
One thing I love about the bye week being as late as it was for the Chicago Bears is that it allows folks to clear their heads, and then come back with a plan of attack for the stretch run....
A collection of scatter-brained Bears thoughts as I attempt to turn the corner and leave the bye week in my dust. News of the Bears reportedly having an interest in Commanders Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy came across our timeline on...
The annual announcement of the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award came with a little twist this year. In a very cool moment captured on video, you can watch how Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus surprised Justin Jones...
This is a very interesting bit of reporting here from long-time NFL reporter Josina Anderson, who hears the Chicago Bears "are expected to have interest" in Washington Commanders assistant coach Eric Bieniemy. https://twitter.com/josinaanderson/status/1732061557880754598?s=46&t=U02QfOvkevNNl1wqUjnTzQ Bieniemy, 54, is in his first season...
Are you following Bleacher Nation Bears on Facebook? If not, then you should change that. We'll start Bullets with a nugget about someone who isn't even on the Bears. Well, not yet anyway. USC quarterback Caleb Williams won't play in...
The Chicago Bears are back from the bye and Head Coach Matt Eberflus just had his first press conference since taking the extended time off after the team's Week 12 Monday Night Football win against the Minnesota Vikings. Eberflus addressed...
We've come back to December. And for Chicago Bears fans, that means we're watching the 2024 NFL Draft positioning like it's a horse race. This is what it looks like for the Bears as we start December: https://twitter.com/BN_Bears/status/1731533028692836661 Don't get...
Just when you thought the Bears being off meant that your Sunday couldn't be ruined by football, here come the Packers to prove you wrong. Chicago's football team returns from the bye as 4-point underdogs against Detroit (h/t Brad Biggs)...
Thankfully, the Bears are on a bye this week. Bears-less Sunday allowed me to sleep in on Sunday. I felt as if I earned the right to sleep in after staying up late to watch my alma mater (SIU Carbondale)...
While ESPN's NFL FPI gives the Chicago Bears just a 2.3 percent chance of making the playoffs entering this Sunday's action, my favorite college football team (my alma mater, SIU Carbondale) returns to action TODAY for a second-round postseason battle....
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers (11-8) are 4.5-point underdogs against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks (15-6) Thursday, December 7, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena. The game tips off at 5:00 PM ET on ESPN. The matchup's over/under is set...
The New Orleans Pelicans (12-10) are only 2-point underdogs against the Los Angeles Lakers (13-9) at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, December 7, 2023. The game starts at 9:00 PM ET on TNT. The point total for the matchup is 230.Lakers...
To beat his 3-point prop, Cole Anthony must make two from downtown on Wednesday, when his Orlando Magic meet the Cleveland Cavaliers, starting at 7:00 PM ET.Cole Anthony's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the CavaliersCole Anthony's over/under for three-pointers in this...
The Los Angeles Kings are predicted by sportsbooks to top the Montreal Canadiens when they play on Thursday at 7:00 PM ET, with the visiting Kings at -218 on the moneyline, and the Canadiens big underdogs at +180.Kings vs. Canadiens...
The Colorado Avalanche are moderate favorites (-155) on home ice versus the Winnipeg Jets (+130) at Ball Arena on Thursday.Avalanche vs. Jets Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Avalanche (-155)Underdog: Jets (+130)Total: 6Best Avalanche vs. Jets Promo Codes[lasso type="table" id="1"]How to Watch Avalanche...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are moderate favorites (-130) on the road against the Ottawa Senators (+110) at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.Maple Leafs vs. Senators Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Maple Leafs (-130)Underdog: Senators (+110)Total: 6.5Best Maple Leafs vs. Senators Promo Codes[lasso...
The New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets face off on Thursday at UBS Arena in Elmont, and the oddsmakers like the home team (-198) over the visitor (+164).Islanders vs. Blue Jackets Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Islanders (-198)Underdog: Blue Jackets (+164)Total:...
The Arizona Coyotes meet the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and are -120 on the moneyline, with the latter at +100.Coyotes vs. Flyers Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Coyotes (-120)Underdog: Flyers (+100)Total: 6Best Coyotes vs. Flyers Promo Codes[lasso type="table" id="1"]How to Watch Coyotes...
The oddsmakers fancy the New Jersey Devils to defeat the Seattle Kraken in their meeting on Thursday, December 7, with the visiting Devils given moneyline odds of -142, and the Kraken at +120.Devils vs. Kraken Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Devils (-142)Underdog:...
The Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks play on Thursday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, and the oddsmakers give a big edge to the home team (-290) over the visitor (+235).Red Wings vs. Sharks Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Red...
