I carved out some time to step away from my busy schedule of obsessing over a Montez Sweat Bears extension and listening to Taylor Swift re-releases to give my ear to this episode of Laurence Holmes’ podcast with Leila Rahimi. Laurence is one of my favorite personalities and Leila is one of my favorite people I’m lucky to know in this industry. I’m not a huge podcast guy, but this one is worth your time because it sprays to all fields on so many topics that you probably wouldn’t expect two Chicago sports media titans to touch upon.
We can approach next week’s Thursday Night Football game between the Panthers and Bears in one of two ways. We can embrace it head-on knowing that we only get 17 of these games in a given season or we can complain about it. I know which I’m choosing.
And don’t get it twisted. A team playing two TNF games on short rest in one year is pure silliness. I don’t want to hear anything from the NFL about how it prioritizes player health and safety when this exists on the schedule. There is a part of me that wants to chuckle quietly knowing that the Bears (who were against teams playing on TNF twice in a year) are the first team to play on the Amazon-hosted primetime game twice. It’s as if Roger Goodell and the schedule-makers have a sick sense of humor (and a weird punishment agenda).
As for the Week 9 Thursday game, the Steelers continue to win games in the most unexpected way possible:
The Steelers are the 34th team in NFL history to be out-gained by their opponent in each of their first 8 games of a season.
I’ll say this on behalf of the Titans: I admire their willingness to play to their quarterback’s strengths and scheme plays that put him in a position to be successful. Mike Vrabel is a heckuva coach. And even though he is a defensive-leaning thinker, his offenses have an identity. It is a shame that I can’t say the same about the Bears.
No, three hours of pain is not an offensive identity. Well, at least it’s not an offensive identity we should be OK living with as Bears fans.
If you’re wondering how the 32nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is doing, here is your update:
Joey Porter Jr. lined up against DeAndre Hopkins on 26 of 36 routes (72.2% shadow rate), aligning in press coverage on 20 routes (76.9%).
In an alternate universe in which the Bears don’t send that pick to the Steelers for Chase Claypool and use that pick on Joey Porter Jr., I’d probably still advocate for the Bears to extend Jaylon Johnson. I’m not a big math guy, but I am a numbers guy. And my analytics tell me that having two good cornerbacks is better than one.
There is a part of me that wants to justify the Montez Sweat trade by pointing out that he is better than any other edge defender the Bears would be in a position to pick with that second-rounder in 2024. It is a similar line of thinking I was using to process the Chase Claypool trade last year (but with wide receivers). HOWEVA, that line of thinking seems short-sighted because other positions have impact players worth drafting in that spot. With as many holes as the Bears have, I wouldn’t have been mad if they addressed a non-edge prospect.
This is what the Bears have used their second-round draft picks on under Ryan Poles: DL Gervon Dexter, CB Tyrique Stevenson, CB Kyler Gordon, S Jaquan Brisker, WR Chase Claypool, DE Montez Sweat. There is no excuse for the Matt Eberflus defensive scheme to not be thriving right now. GM Ryan Poles has made some heavy investments on that side of the ball.
There’s been plenty of turnover on both sides of the ball. But seeing how much prime capital they’ve put into the defense (Sweat, Ngakoue, Walker, Edmunds, Edwards, Kyler, Jaquan, Tyrique, Gervon, Pickens) makes me wish that more was done on offense. Don’t get me wrong. You know I love the DJ Moore trade. The running backdepth is nice. And Darnell Wright is an anchor along the offensive line. But the investments on defense appear to outweigh the additions on offense. A lack of balance was a problem with the last regime and I’d prefer history not to repeat itself.
For what it’s worth, Poles’ best investment on defense has been the bargain of snagging defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a one-year deal worth less than $3 million. And after eight games of superb play in the trenches, Billings was given a two-year extension. Billings has had a wild ride of a career. The Bears are his fourth different team in as many years, but he’ll finally get to settle in Chicago for a while. That is nice. Plus, it shows that this front office is willing to talk shop on an extension. Let’s get some more of these done, eh?
"He has to be part of their future for the next four or five years."
Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger won the players choice for 2023 NL Comeback Player of the Year. The Cubs should give him a contract extension as a reward for his efforts. (BN Cubs)
It’s time to let old things die. And for the Chicago Bulls, it means that Patrick Williams should be moved to a bench role. Eli explains:
If you’re a Blackhawks fan who loves college hockey (or a college hockey fan who loves the Blackhawks) then this is the weekend for YOU! (BN Blackhawks)
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