NEWSLETTER
It bothers me that I came about 150 steps short of my daily movement goal yesterday. Where could I have added some more steps? Bleh. I’ll work that out later. But first, a set of BN Bears Bullets.
- The Washington Commanders (and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels) had a history-making performance on Monday Night Football:
- If you think I’m going to do the Jayden vs. Caleb thing after three weeks, keep scrolling. This isn’t that kind of show.
- But I will say this: That Week 8 Bears-Commanders matchup after the bye looks like it will be a treat. I imagine Caleb Williams will have quite the chip on his shoulder going back to his hometown to take on the D.C. area’s new favorite signal caller.
- Yes, I saw the Caleb Williams vs. Justin Fields tweet from the folks at the NFL On CBS. No, I don’t understand why the tweet riled so many people up. Seeing the same people who would’ve been up in arms about the Bears rostering Fields as a game manager being the same ones miffed about his performance in Pittsburgh thus far blows my mind. Also, it is OK to feel good for Fields in his new settings — especially since every start and win gets the Bears a step closer to netting Pittsburgh’s fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. I hope there are some worthwhile offensive linemen to be chosen on Day 3.
- This is a far more interesting tweet about Chicago’s QB. And I hope it is something the Bears have bookmarked:
- Once in a while, you’ll catch me talking about wanting the Bears to “do simple better” as former Cubs Manager Joe Maddon would put it. Step One toward that would be truly investing in the offensive line. How should the Bears go about doing that? Well, I think that answer deserves its own post.
- Want something to feel good about going into Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams? Adam Amin will be on the call for the FOX broadcast of the Bears game, per the Trib’s Brad Biggs. The Bears are undefeated this season with Amin on the call, for those of you who care about such things.
- Old friend alert: Yannick Ngakoue is re-joining the Baltimore Ravens, according to reporting from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. And with that, we can officially put an end to any and all rumors connecting him to the Bears.
- Damar Hamlin had a moment in the other Monday Night Football game that took place last night:
- Do you like the two Monday Night Games going simultaneously? Would you rather have it in a double-header? Do you like having two MNF games in the first place? I am genuinely curious to hear some answers on this one.
- OOF. San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave has a partially torn right triceps. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reports it is likely to require the type of surgery that will make this a season-ending injury. For Bears fans, this means Hargrave won’t be available for the Week 14 showdown between Chicago and San Francisco. But for Niners fans, it means their favorite team needs to figure out how to patch together that defensive line.
- DOUBLE OOF. Detroit Lions stud center Frank Ragnow reportedly has a partially torn pectoral muscle that NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport hears will make him week-to-week on the injury report. It isn’t a season-ending injury for Ragnow, which is good news for the Lions. We’ll see how the interior of that offensive line holds up without the big anchor in the middle.
- TRIPLE WHAMMY: Rap Sheet also reports that Lions pass-rusher Marcus Davenport suffered a season-ending elbow injury. Some tough breaks for Detroit.
- There is a weird Travis Kelce narrative going around and I think this is a good explanation as to what is going on with the guy on the Chiefs:
- It felt like the Travis Kelce load management plan began last year. And for what it’s worth, it makes sense that Kansas City is doing this with a 34-year-old tight end who has logged a ton of miles over the years. Simply put: It is far more important to have Kelce ready for the stretch run and the NFL postseason than it is to have him firing on all cylinders in Week 3.
- Does this hurt my fantasy team? Absolutely. In hindsight, I failed in not drafting a better backup. Hopefully, that doesn’t come back to haunt me. In the meantime, I know I can look forward to another late-season heater for No. 87 when my team is in playoff position.
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- Michael explores desire paths and what has gone wrong with the Chicago Cubs. (BN Cubs)
- The Memphis Grizzlies have waived guard Derrick Rose, which will surely bring out some Chicago Bulls rumors. (BN Bulls)
- How about some Chicago Blackhawks training camp notes for your Tuesday perusal?
