NEWSLETTER
Wrapping up some loose ends from the Bears’ Week 3 loss before flipping the page to their Week 4 game vs. the Rams.
- Some free and friendly advice: If you feel as if the discourse surrounding Chicago’s football team, its quarterback, or any number of other things is too much, I’d advise you to step away from it for a moment. Go on a walk around the block. Turn on a video game console. Watch your favorite movie. Play your favorite album from front to back. It is OK to hit the reset button between game days. Do I want you here reading BN Bears stuff? Of course! But I also want you in a clear headspace while doing so. Be kind to yourself.
- Before we get into this set of Bullets, let’s have a laugh:
- The Chicago Bears were busy on Tuesday. They had a bunch of players in for tryouts (including a few offensive linemen) but ultimately decided to sign a tight end and a cornerback to their practice squad. I’ll give them this: Ameer Speed (practice squad signing reporting via Aaron Wilson) is an awesome name for a cornerback. But still … I’m miffed about the lack of an offensive lineman addition. Because while I don’t think this unit is as bad as it has performed to this point, it hasn’t been good. And while I’ll fall short of asking to make change for change’s sake, maybe the Bears should try that because they’ve tried everything else.
- Meanwhile, I’m seeing this report from Nick Underhill on the New Orleans Saints working out five different offensive linemen on Tuesday — including one-time Bears free-agent target Brian Allen. Considering Coleman Shelton’s struggles, I don’t understand why there hasn’t been much buzz about this team considering a switch-up at that position.
- While I’m blowing off steam, here is a thread you might’ve missed if you’re not on Twitter:
- The Bears and Packers running a play with similar concepts but with wildly different results because of the coaching, design, and execution perfectly sums up the difference between these two franchises. I hate that the inescapable feeling of the Bears having a play collector instead of a play caller is back in my brain.
- On a brighter note, this tweet (and quote tweet) made me smile:
- Fun With Small Samples Pt. I — Rome Odunze’s 17-game pace looks like this: 51 catches, 884 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns. You’d take that had I given it to you before Week 1. We’ll check in on these numbers in a few weeks when we have a bigger sample to draw from.
- The Road to 51 Percent continues! Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin says there is “no need” to name Justin Fields QB1. Well, of course! You don’t have to say what is already known. The Steelers are smart enough to ride the hot hand. After a 3-0 start, Fields isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. That franchise is comfortable enough to play a quarterback who is playing well and the team is rallying around. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. (ESPN)
- Ya think Steelers Nation has embraced JF1 or what?
.@justnfields is taking his game to another level 📈@Steelers pic.twitter.com/NarvqxBh58
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) September 24, 2024
- Fun With Small Samples Pt. II — Justin Fields’ 17-game pace looks like this: 312/425 (73%), 2,935 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 95.3 passer rating; 159 rushes, 510 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns. I think boiling his game down to Game Manager status would be an oversimplification of what is happening in Pittsburgh. Fields is making splash plays. But he is playing good complementary football, which is something I wish he could’ve done while in Chicago. Then again, the complementary pieces simply weren’t there for him when he was the Bears’ QB.
- Now that I’ve let it settle in for a few days, I must say I have mixed feelings about the Lucas Oil Stadium experience. This was quite the view, even if it felt like I had to climb a mountain to get to row 15 of section 645:
- The biggest takeaway from my time in Indy is that the Bears’ next stadium project should be a reflection of Chicago, its history, and where it wants to be in the future. To that end, I felt as if the Lucas Oil Stadium facility captured Indy to its core. With that being said, the Bears’ stadium project better have enough bathrooms and concessions so that long lines don’t build up and clog the concourse. Also, why isn’t there enough room for fans to walk in rows comfortably? It’s 2024 and the paying customer deserves better.
- I keep coming back to the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome as a shining example of what modern pro sports stadiums should be:
- One last thing about the Indianapolis experience: There is definitely a Midwest Nice™️ thing going on with the Colts fans and Lucas Oil Stadium employees. I could tell that they wanted to give Bears fans like me a hard time on our way out the door, but were way too friendly to act on it. Plus, there were some fun (and honest) conversations between fans about each team’s direction. Hearing Colts fans squirm despite having the game in hand because they didn’t believe it was over until the clock hit triple-zeros was a reminder that other fanbases can be laughably broken, too.
- One more last thing: It was a treat to hear JJ Stankevitz on the PA at Lucas Oil Stadium. If that name (or voice, for those of you who were at the game) has a familiar ring, it is because JJ was on the Bears beat for NBC Sports Chicago. He was one of my favorite writers and reporters whose stuff I loved linking and sharing here in Bullets. Anyone who can have an appreciation of my long-standing Duncan The Wonderhorse bit is alright with me. I’m glad JJ has landed on his feet in Indy after layoffs. And if you get the time, you should read this about his journey over at The Athletic.
- While testifying in a Congressional hearing amid allegations that he misused Mississippi welfare funds, former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. ESPN’s Adam Schefter shares video:
Hall-of-Fame QB Brett Favre announced that he recently was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. pic.twitter.com/dU0RL0nmsH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2024
MORE BLEACHER NATION: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter
- Training camp notes from our friends at BN Blackhawks.
- WHOA! It sounds like Zach LaVine is surprisingly cool with the Chicago Bulls’ new direction. It is a surprise, to be sure. But is it a welcome one? (BN Bulls)
- One of the best bets in sports is to fade a division clincher on the day after they pop bottles:
