Matt Nagy: Bears New Head Coach

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Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Matt Nagy: Bears New Head Coach

January 9, 2018

The Chicago Bulls, though getting better, are basically a bad team. The Blackhawks, who usually provide Chicago with championship hopes are sputtering. With their most important player Corey Crawford out, making the playoffs is the one goal. Leave it to the Bears to grab the headlines and take our eyes off the winter warriors of the United Center.

The Bears search for the 16^th coach in history ended after one week of what was to be an extensive search. They did connect with 6 candidates, although only four were truly under consideration. They were all offensive coordinators whose main focus should be to develop Mitchell Trubisky.

Let’s look at the candidates. The Vikings' Pat Shurmur developed an unknown quarterback, Casey Keenum, to lead a very good offense. His hiring would also take something away from a division rival. Patriots' Josh McDaniels has previous coaching experience and oversaw the explosive Patriots offense. Eagles coordinator John DeFilippo developed second year quarterback Chris Wentz into one of the best in the NFL. He is in the picture when it comes to MVP voting.

If any of these three wanted the job, they were all better choices than Matt Nagy. Two of the other candidates developed a quarterback and the third grew with Tom Brady. There is no evidence to show Nagy can do this. His quarterback Alex Smith has been around since 2005, so no development was needed. His experience is limited to calling plays for a total of five games. Although they did average 28 points in those games, he was inept in his last game. He couldn’t put together any plays to score one point in the second half loss to Tennessee. Granted, he lost a key player, the team he is coming to loses multiple players.

In the long run, the coach doesn’t matter. In his introduction Nagy said he’s going to evaluate his players. What he’ll find is a lack of talent. They can’t catch passes or play on the offensive line, both of which are greatly needed for Tru

Na Na Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye

December 16, 2019

There are two meaningless games left in the Bears disappointing 2019 season. Losing 21-13 to the Green Bay Packers has ended their playoff quest. However, the Bears were essentially eliminated after back to back losses to the lowly L.A. Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. Think how much better you would feel if the Bears record was 9-5 not 7-7. For good measure, you can also look back to a costly loss against the Oakland Raiders.

The anguish from the Packers game came in the first quarter. The Bears had a fumble recovery on a punt at midfield. In one of the worst calls I’ve seen the Bears were penalized with a personal foul for interference. This gave the ball back to the Packers at the Bear 35 and from there they easily scored to take a 7-0 lead. Instant replay was installed to make sure the calls made on the field were correct. A personal foul is not reviewable. The refs have made a plethora of egregious calls over the past few years.  Here’s hoping at the next owners meeting they look at making more questionable calls reviewable.  I’m sure the networks televising the games wouldn’t mind the extra ad revenue for the delays.

The main reason for this disastrous season has been the offense. Sunday’s game was no different. Once again offensive guru Coach Matt Nagy’s offense failed to score 20 points. In seven games they have scored 16 or less points. In the two games against the Packers they have scored only one touchdown. Sunday the Bears had their highest yard output of the season but failed to score after drives that stalled in the Packers red zone, resulting in field goals. QB Mitch Trubisky had 29 completions in 53 attempts for 348 yards. Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller each had over 100 receiving yards.  The running game is pathetic. All year long I’ve watched David Montgomery have positive yardage in the “I” formation. Not once were the Bears lined up that way. Montgomery had 14 carries for a measly 39 yards. On one possession with four yards needed, Nagy inexplicably called two Montgomery runs for no gain. Trubisky has a knack for being good and prefers a moving pocket. Nagy rarely called a roll-out play although they worked. Play calling wasn’t the only problem. Nagy challenged a play; Packer running back Demonte Jones running out of bounds on his touchdown run. It wasn’t even close. So after burning one time-out, he couldn’t afford to challenge a close call when Robinson was ruled out of bounds at the one-yard line

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Overall, the defense was pretty good. After allowing a score on a brief drive they fell apart on two long touchdown drives. It seems the Packers always get receivers wide open. With no pressure, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has no problem completing passes. By the way, there’s an APB out for Khalil Mack.  They ended up giving up only 21 points. They also completely stopped the Packer offense in the fourth quarter. The offense got the ball back a couple of times, once at the Bears 40-yard line. However, in a microcosm of the season, the Bears offense couldn’t capitalize on these opportunities.

I never thought the Bears would win their last three games to reach the playoffs. Even if they did win all three, they were going to need some help. One thing needed was the Rams losing two games. The Rams were upset by the Dallas Cowboys. There is a good chance they will lose again against the San Francisco Forty-Niners. The other was the Minnesota Vikings losing one game, which could happen against the Packers. Alas, if the Bears were only 9-5 it would a much different scenario.       

Will this win start a streak that will get the Bears tn the playoffs? Nah

December 6, 2019

The Dallas Cowboys received the opening kick-off and promptly went 75 yards for a touchdown. On the Bears first possession, quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw an errant pass that was intercepted by the Cowboys at their one-yard line. My first feeling was this would be another embarrassing Bears performance before a national television audience. However, in what perhaps was their best game of the season, the Bears pulled off a stunning 31-24 upset. This game was not as close as the final score indicates. The Bears totally dominated this game.

I have to give credit where credit is due. Bears coach Matt Nagy installed a perfect game plan as the Bears racked up the second most points in a game this year. Trubisky had an even better game than last week when he threw for over 300 yards. With Nagy getting him out of the pocket, he completed 23 of 31 passes for 244 yards with 3 touchdowns. What is more remarkable is the Bear tight ends combined for 7 catches.  Receivers were gaining multiple yards after the catch. This was partially due to the Cowboys bad tackling.

The first touchdown drive ended in a 5 yard touchdown pass to Allen Robinson, who had another excellent game. The drive was highlighted by the best call play I’ve seen this year. A screen pass to tight end J.P. Holtz for 30 yards. The second touchdown was an 8 yard pass to Robinson, making another great catch in the end zone. This drive was highlighted by a 21 completion to Anthony Miller. Miller would later score a touchdown on a 14 yard completion with 10 yards coming after the catch. Sandwiched between these scores was an Eddy Pineiro field goal. The Bears scored 24 straight points after falling behind 7-0.

 Despite his fumble, David Montgomery had his best game. He rushed 20 times for 86 yards, more than the entire Dallas team. The Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott gained only 81 yards. Trubisky ran for 63 yards including a nifty 23 yard touchdown. Kudos to the offensive line for their run blocking and pass protection.

 After allowing an opening touchdown, the Bear defense kept Dallas off the scoreboard until a third quarter fumble gave them good field position. There were about 5-6 minutes left in the third quarter. Dallas used up a lot of time and didn’t score until the beginning of the fourth quarter. This cut the Bears lead to ten before Trubisky’s touchdown restored the Bears 17 point lead. Elliott had gained 56 yards on the first drive and the Bears shut him down the rest of the game. Dallas had to discard their running game making life difficult for Dallas QB Dak Prescott. The Cowboys struggled, using up time before scoring with a little over 4 minutes left. Then the Cowboys used two timeouts as the Bears were trying to run out the clock. After gaining only 3 yards on two runs, Nagy called for a roll-out for Trubisky. He completed a pass to tight end Jesper Horsted for a first down. This pretty much sealed the Cowboys’ fate.I thought the Cowboys were good but I guess I was wrong. They were supposed to have a really good defense and one the best offenses. Is it possible that the Bears are that much better?

 Nothing is impossible, although it’s highly unlikely the Bears will make the playoffs. What will be interesting to see the rest of this season, is if Trubisky continues to grow. Akiem Hicks returns to bolster the defense, which will be needed against the Packers, Chiefs and Vikings. However, the defense lost their best tackler, Roquan Smith, for the remainder of the season.

Another Meaningless Win

November 30, 2019

 

Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and string bean casseroles are all parts of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Another Thanksgiving tradition is watching the Chicago Bears play the Detroit Lions. The Bears disappointing season has made this game lose some of its luster though it was still entertaining. The Bears came back to beat the Lions 24-20 and reach .500 with a 6-6 record. If anyone is thinking about the Bears winning out, finishing 10-6 and making the playoffs, let me assure you, it’s not going to happen. Of the 6 Bear victories, 5 have come against last place teams. I don’t see any left on the schedule.

The game had an auspicious start. I have never seen offsetting penalties on the opening kick-off. The game officially started when Cordarrelle Patterson fielded the ball 7 yards deep in the end zone. Most returners would take a knee for a touchback. However, the Bears offense has been so inept it is better for Patterson to run it out. He ended up returning the kick to midfield. From there it took the Bears less than 4 minutes to score a touchdown, a 10 yard pass to Allen Robinson. Robinson has been the Bears best player on offense this year. It was the Bears first touchdown of the year in the opening quarter. Of course from then on they could only manage a measly field goal at the end of the half.

Injuries on the Lions forced them to start third-string rookie quarterback David Blough. He and the Lions carved up the Bears defense. The Lions third play was a 75 yard touchdown pass to Kenny Golladay. On their next possession, the Lions drove 75 yards and scored on an 8 yard pass from Blough to Marvin Jones. The Lions added a 25 yard field goal by Matt Prater.

The Bears were down 17-10 at halftime. It seemed liked they had reached a new low. Unbelievably, Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky engineered a comeback. After several pitiful starts, this was one of the best games in his brief career. He completed 29 of 38 passes for 338 yards.* One was a beautiful 18 yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Jasper Horsted to tie the game. The Lions went ahead by 3 points on another Prater field goal.

Bears second year wide receiver Anthony Miller was invisible the first 10 games of the year. He was another player in whom Coach Matt Nagy had lost faith. Last game against the Giants he had 7 catches for 77 yards. Being the beneficiary of double coverage on Allen Robinson, he had a career best game Thursday. He had 9 catches for 140 yards. On the winning drive he caught a 35 yard pass on a third and four at the Bears 16-yard line. Four plays later, third and 5 at the Lions 34, he caught a 32 yard pass at the two yard line. On first down Matt Nagy called a run up the middle for David Montgomery.  The Bears committed a penalty negating his net rush of zero yards. When is idiot coach Nagy going to learn this play never works? When is Nagy going to learn that Montgomery’s best runs come in the I-formation with a fullback blocking in front of him? In a single back formation, he goes nowhere. However, on the next play had a huge 5-yard run and caught a two yard touchdown pass to give the Bears the lead.

After getting torched in the first half, the defense only allowed 3 second half points. They made a couple of clutch plays that contributed to the win. With the Lions having a third and one inside the Bears 10 yard line, Kyle Fuller made an ankle tackle on running back J.D. McKissie to force a field goal.  After the Bears go-ahead score, the Lions got the ball back with a little over two minutes left. At the Bear 27 yard line, linebacker Roquan Smith had 13 yard sack. On the next play under pressure, Blough threw a desperation pass that was easily intercepted by Eddie Jackson. Game over.

*This is only one game against the 30^th-ranked pass defense.

Bears Find a Team That's Worse

November 25, 2019

One of my followers feels reading my posts on Chicago sports teams is depressing. He suggested I write about a global climate catastrophe. Since this may be a hoax, I will stick to the Bears. Last week I posted the Bears are a bad team. However, there are teams that are even worse. The New York Giants is one of these teams. In a game with low entertainment value, the Bears won 19-14. If you thought the Bears should have had an easier time, you haven’t been watching. The Bears have won 5 games. Four of those wins came against teams with a combined record of 10-33-1 record. The only victory against a winning team was game 4 against the Minnesota Vikings. Maybe Bear fans can take solace in the San Francisco Forty-Niners 37-8 drubbing of the Green Bay Packers Sunday night.

Many coaches have scripted the first 15-20 plays. This allows them to foresee what calls to make later. Bears coach, offensive guru Matt Nagy, has a script of 3 plays. The usual results are the Bears league leading three and outs. The Bears had only 3 first half points. With seconds remaining, the Bears kicker, Eddy Pineiro, reacted like he had made a Super Bowl winning kick from a whopping 26 yards out. The Bears trailed 7-3 at the half.

Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky was both good and bad. He completed 25 of 41 passes for 278 yards. He had some completions gaining over 20 yards. The Bears got a break when the Giants kick-off went out of bounds to start the second half. With the ball at their 40 yard line, the Bears quickly scored on a 32 yard pass to Allen Robinson (6 catches, 131 yards). Khalil Mack forced a fumble, giving the ball to the Bears offense at the Giants 3-yard line. Nagy calls two runs up the middle for David Montgomery, netting one yard. When is this idiot coach going to learn? This hasn’t worked all year. Trubisky runs the ball in from two yards on a pass option play.

Next on the funniest thing since Curly of the Three Stooges running while dropping banana peels, was the Bears extra point. Lining up for a two point conversion, a completion was negated by a penalty.  Lining up for the extra point kick, the coaching staff sends a 12^th man on the field costing them another five yards. This made the extra point try coming from 48 yards. Being way out his range, Pineiro misses the try. The Bears would return to normal, scoring no points the rest of the game.

The defense gave up a 92 yard scoring drive, keeping the Giants hopes alive. The Giants scored a touchdown on a 23 yard pass on 4^th and 16.  Inexplicably, the receiver was uncovered in the end zone. This points to another coaching problem. If the pass rush isn’t working, why not blitz, especially a rookie QB?

The Bears would eventually win thanks to the Giants having a worse field goal kicker than Pineiro. Aldrick Rosas missed 2 field goals. The Giants would have scored 20 points. Matt Nagy’s offense,for the 17^th time in 28 games, failed to score 20 points.

Up next is the Detroit Lions. The Bears may win this one, but after that it will get ugly.

Bears Worse Than Mediocre

November 18, 2019

Came home from a Blackhawks game for a late night viewing of a recorded Bears game. I would have  been better off going to bed, as the script remained the same. The Bears lost to the L.A. Rams 17-7. The Bears continue to lose to mediocre teams. This can only mean that they are just plain bad.  The players and more so coaches shoulder the blame.

We’ll start with the offense. Even if Eddy Pineiro hits his field goals, guru coach Matt Nagy’s offense failed to reach 20 points for the 16th time in 27 games. Problems in running the football are partially due to the coaching.  In past games, David Montgomery has looked good with a fullback leading the way. I may have been blurry eyed but I don’t recall seeing this formation once. Montgomery is not in the weak Big 12 college football conference anymore. He seems to have no vision and isn’t quick to the line. He averaged less than three yards per carry. Contrast this to Tarik Cohen who averaged over 4. It didn’t help that Nagy called a run on almost every first down.

QB Mitch Trubisky didn’t look too bad. He also had his usual struggles. Nagy’s first down calls were setting up 2nd and long for first downs. Trubisky was able overcame this to put the Bears in field goal position. Pineiro missed badly on a 47 yard attempt. Nagy, who weekly loses more trust in his players, eschewed the field goal from the same spot on the next possession. He later let Pineiro try from 48 yards. While the first one was wide left, this was way off to the right.  This led to the Bears being shut out in the first half.

Trubisky looked really good and directed an 80-yard touchdown drive on the Bears first second half possession. After that, the Bears reverted to their three and outs. Nagy, who had no trouble calling first down runs, lost faith in his running game and was sending in pass plays in short yardage situations.  My favorite was the pitch option that Trubisky completely botched.

Last year the defense was scoring on takeaways or setting up short scoring drives. The 17 points they gave up Sunday were good. However, this year’s team needs to limit opponent offenses to 12 points.  There were a couple of unexpected glaring weaknesses. Cornerback Kyle Fuller let a pick- 6 interception go right through his hands. He also made a bad decision in coverage that led to the decisive touchdown. Making matters worse, Khalil Mack is akin to finding Waldo.  He has been invisible as of late. The Bears figured out how to stop running back Todd Gurley. Rams erratic QB, Jarrod Goff, was forced to pass and had no pressure on any of his throws. I’m not sure if the absence of Akiem Hicks is the problem. It is inexcusable for Mack and Leonard Floyd not to have any tackles.

The Bears Harry Hiestand is supposed to an excellent offensive line coach. If so, why can’t he teach them how to block on a running play? Maybe they need to reconstruct the offensive line. Eddy Pineiro has joined the likes of Cody Parkey, Connor Barth and Cairo Santos. Since Robbie Gould’s departure the Bears have missed 19 field goals. In that same time span Gould has missed only 3.  Bears have no first round pick to draft a quarterback. Therefore, with their second pick they should choose the best college kicker. Availability will not be a problem.        

A Hollow Victory

November 11, 2019

The Chicago sports scene is dire. Despite the dismal starts of the Bulls and Blackhawks, I find them more entertaining to watch than the disappointing Chicago Bears. Don’t get me wrong, I’m overjoyed they found a team worse than them, beating the Detroit Lions 20-13. However, even in victory, the problems that have plagued the Bears continue to persist.

If the Lions starting quarterback, Matt Stafford, wasn’t injured, the Lions would have won this game. While also missing their two best running backs, Stafford was replaced by Jeff Driskel. Driskel was drafted in the sixth round in 2016 and had started only 5 games. The Bears defense seems to have lost their mojo.  On their first possession the Lions easily moved the ball downfield to the Bears 10 yard line. The Bears held them to a field goal. For the remainder of the game, Driskel continued to make plays. Without Akiem Hicks, the running defense has suffered. The Lions were getting 4-5 yards on first down running plays. Luckily for the Bears, inexperienced quarterbacks have trouble with consistency and Driskel wasn’t able to always come up with first downs. On another possession in the first half the Bears stymied the Lions in Bear territory. On a third down, the Lions committed a 5 yard penalty. Coach Matt Nagy, who has lost confidence in his team, declined the penalty. The Lions Matt Prater kicked a 54 yard field goal to put the Lions up 6-0. For the most part Driskel eluded the Bears pass rush and completed 27 of 46 passes for 269 yards, more than the Bears total offense. Even with a 14 point lead the Bears defense wasn’t applying pressure.

The Bears offense continued to struggle. The Lions are ranked 31st in total defense and 31st against the pass. Until the final drive of the second half, the Bears had a total of 29 yards with a plethora of three and outs resulting in punts. The offense finally clicked on an 80 yard drive, capped by a 27 yard touchdown pass to tight end Ben Braunecker. On their first possession of the second half, passes to Allen Robinson and a pass interference at the 10 yard line set up a Mitch Trubisky touchdown pass to Tarik Cohen. An interception by linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, replacing injured Danny Trevathan, put the ball on the Lions 25 yard line. Trubisky connected with Taylor Gabriel for a 24 yard touchdown pass. That was it for the Bears offense, as it reverted to the three and outs. The Bears scored only a lowly 20 points. The only team they scored over 21 points against was the Washington Redskins, who like the Lions, are a bad defensive team

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The Bears had a chance to ice the game running out the clock out with two minutes left. Good luck with that. The hand-offs to Montgomery were as usual, unsuccessful. (I don’t know why Nagy hasn’t figured out they can run the ball with a fullback in the backfield with Montgomery). Nagy has lost so much confidence in his offense; on third down with the Lions having nine people on the line, he chose not to pass. Another punt gave the Lions a chance and they came up just short at the Bears 25 yard line when an incomplete pass in the end zone ended the game.

For those of you who think the Bears can turn things around, there are some swamp lands in Florida you may be interested in. After Sunday night’s game in Los Angeles against the Rams, you can turn off the lights on the Bears’ season. So come on Bulls and Blackhawks, make me feel better.

P.S. Baseball starts March 26th

Just One More Thing

November 5, 2019

I inadvertently deleted this juicy takeaway from Bears Eagles game. Rather than edit the column, here is the juicy take away I missed.

The defense should have gotten some rest at halftime. However, the Eagles took the second half kickoff 75 yards. The drive was capped off with former Bear running back, Jordan Howard, running 13 yards untouched for a touchdown. On the day, Howard had 19 carries for 82 yards. Howard’s downturn last year was due to Nagy not knowing how to install a running game into hiss pass happy offense. He still hasn’t figured it out. The return on the Howard trade was an inconsequential sixth round pick. Unbelievable!

Speaking of former Chicago athletes, I recently watched the Detroit Pistons Derrick Rose. The Bulls did not pursue Rose and bring him back as a free agent. Rose at age 31 and healthy is better than any guard on the Bulls roster.  John Paxon and Gar Forman should leave town and take Nagy with them.

Bears Getting Tougher to Watch as Playoff Hopes Slip Away

November 4, 2019

The Chicago Bears were historically bad, losing their fourth straight game to the beatable Philadelphia Eagles, 22-14. In what was one of the most hyped seasons, the Bears have collapsed. I can’t see them winning many more games and they could finish 5-11. The two more wins ensure that beleaguered coach Matt Nagy will be back next year. This may sound like a broken record but General Manager Ryan Pace should take most of the blame.

The Bear defense has gone from great to good. As opposed to last year, you don’t see takeaways or wreaking havoc on quarterbacks. For most of the year I’ve blamed the bumbling offense keeping the defense on the field, to the point of exhaustion. However, the Eagles carved up the defense on their first possession with a long, time consuming drive. This was aided by stupid, off-sides penalties on the Bears. The Bears did hold them to a field goal as they would on another drive. Meanwhile, the offense was keeping the defense on the field with multiple three and outs. The Eagles lone, first half touchdown came when Eagle tight end Zach Ertz ran into cornerback Kyle Fuller getting open for a touchdown reception. Fuller argued for a penalty, but nine times out of ten this isn’t called.

David Montgomery has looked good with a fullback in front in a two back formation. Why does Nagy more often line up Montgomery as a single back where he gains one to three yards? Has Matt Nagy given up developing quarterback Mitch Trubisky? He shows no confidence in him or his offense. Not running another play prior to Eddy Pineiro’s missed field goal; not trying two point conversions; not going for a first down on a fourth down and six yards to go at the Eagles 44 yard line. Why can’t Nagy see that Trubisky is terrible from the pocket? He rolls out and completes a 53 yard pass to Taylor Gabriel and this play is never called again. The Bears did score twice in the red zone, albeit with the obligatory call of Tarik Cohen up the middle losing a yard. With a grand total of 14 points Nagy’s offense has now scored less than 20 points for the 14^th time in 25 games.

I think it’s safe to say Trubisky is a bust. Pace first round picks have been pathetic. 2015 Kevin White (out of football), Leonard Floyd who shows up once in a while, and 2018 regressing Roquan Smith. Add his hiring of Nagy and he should be launched, but it’ not going to happen. The only positive to all of this is the Bears will have a soft schedule next year.

Washington Nationals are World Champions

October 31, 2019

The Washington Nationals were only the sixth wild-card team to win the World Series. It doesn’t get better than a seven game series packed with drama and heroics. The Astros had the home field advantage although that didn’t matter because for the first time in history neither team won a home game.

The Nationals being champs shouldn’t be a big surprise. After starting out 19-31, the Nationals were one of the hottest teams in baseball going 74-38 the rest of the way. They were playing extremely well heading into the playoffs. How they got through to the World Series is worth taking a look at.

In the wild-card game against the Milwaukee Brewers they were trailing 3-1 heading to the eighth inning. The Brewers brought in their premier closer Josh Hader. Hader was having trouble and loaded the bases.  In what would be the first of many 2 out runs, Juan Soto singles home two runs. When the Brewers right fielder overruns the ball, the Nationals get the go-ahead run and win 4-3.,

The Dodgers were the overwhelming favorites to represent the National League in the World Series. Both teams have great starting pitching. The Nationals staved off elimination in game 4 behind Max Scherzer. In the decisive game five, the Nationals were down 3-1 in the eighth. Back to back home runs from Anthony Rendon and Soto tied the game. The Nationals won the game on Howie Kendrick’s grand slam in the 10^th inning.

The Astros Gerrit Cole hadn’t lost a game since May. Things were looking bright when Astros scored two runs in the first inning. Scherzer would grind through five scoreless innings while the Nationals went to work on Cole.  He gave a solo homer to Ryan Zimmerman and Soto took over. He would hit tying home run and a three run double. The Astros would score two runs but would fall short, losing 5-4 in the opener.

In game two, the Astros Justin Verlander gave up two runs in the first inning. The Astros responded with a 2-run homer from Alex Bregman. Stephen Strasburg would go on to pitch 5 more innings of no-run ball. Things turned bad for Verlander in the seventh inning.  Kurt Suzuki led off with a homer giving the Nationals a 3-2 lead. Verlander walked the next batter and was taken out. The floodgates opened with key hits and sloppy defense. Nationals win 12-3. Verlander would later lose game 6, making him 0-6 in World Series starts.

The Astros went to D.C. for the next three games. In game three, Zack Greinke pitches into the fifth inning allowing one run in an Astros 4-1 victory. With all the all-star pitchers, Astros game four starter, rookie Jose Urquidy. was the best pitcher in the series up to this point. With only seven previous starts, he pitched five scoreless innings. Bregman had a grand slam as the Astros won 8-1. In game five, Gerrit Cole pitches like his old self, keeping the National hitters at bay in a 7-1 Astros victory. They go back to Houston with the Astros up 3 games to 2.

In game six, Strasburg dominates going 8.2 innings allowing only 2 runs. Series standouts Soto and Rendon homer as the Nationals win 7-2 forcing a game seven. In game seven the pitching matchup is Scherzer for the Nationals and Greinke for the Astros. In one of his best performance of the year, Greinke takes a one-hitter into the seventh inning. Meanwhile, the Astros have only two runs leaving multiple runners on base. Once again the Nationals come back from a 2 run deficit. Rendon continued his hot hitting and led off the 7^th with a homer. When Greinke walks Soto he is lifted from the game. The next batter Howie Kendrick, hits one off the right foul pole for a 3-2 Nationals lead. Scherzer is relieved in the 6^th by Patrick Corbin who got pounded in game 3. He was near perfect in 3 innings. Due to timely hitting by Adam Eaton and Soto the Nationals extended their lead to 6-2. That is the way it ended.

The Nationals had some great performances from their stars who showed up big time. Free-agent third baseman Anthony Rendon will become one of the highest players in the game. He hit .319 with 34 homers and a major league leading 126 RBI. Juan Soto is only 21 and looks a little like Tony Oliva. Adam Eaton and Howie Kendrick made major contributions. But make no mistake, the pitching is what makes this team great. Scherzer and World Series MVP Strasburg went 9-0 in the post season

It's All Over

October 28, 2019

The Bears dominated the Los Angles Chargers yesterday. They outgained them in rushing and passing yardage, totaling over 300 yards for the first time this year. They also ran 77 plays to the Chargers 42 and controlled the ball for 38 minutes. However, the Bears lost in the most important category, points scored, and lost 17-16. It was the 13^th time in 24 games that offensive guru Matt Nagy’s team has failed to score 20 points. The fat lady is warmed up and ready to sing as the Bears death roll spiral continues, with their third consecutive loss

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General Manager Ryan Pace has made two colossal mistakes that will define his tenure. He hired Nagy to invigorate the offense and develop quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Nagy is 0 for 2. His play calling has been idiotic and on this past Sunday, perhaps cowardly.  It’s as annoying as fingernails on a chalkboard. The Bears were in the red zone 4 times without scoring a touchdown. The first time, they were settling for a field goal. With the ghost of Cody Parkey enveloping Soldier Field, Eddy Pineiro’s kick hit the upright.

The Bears had 12 plays inside the 10 yard line and didn’t score a touchdown. Contrary to prior play calling gaffes, Nagy tried to run the ball rather than pass.  David Montgomery had a good game, but if you take away the 55 yard run he averaged only 3 yards per carry. He and the Bears have never been good in short yard situations. I mentioned cowardice when I referenced Nagy’s play calling. In these situations he got scared and lost trust in Trubisky. With the ball at the six yard line he called two runs for little or no gain. Then an incomplete Trubisky pass that was poorly thrown and the Bears settled for 3 points. At the end of the half, with the ball at the four yard line, they ran the ball twice for no gain. The next play, Trubisky throws an uncatchable ball out of the end zone. The Bears luckily get a pass interference call and have the ball at the one yard with 29 seconds remaining and no timeouts. You can get 3 passes into the end zone with the time left. Against the Washington Redskins I saw Trubisky complete a one yard touchdown pass to Taylor Gabriel. I can’t believe in that billboard playbook Nagy carries he doesn’t have a play for this situation.  He calls a run for no gain and they have to scramble to get the clock stopped with one second left. They settle for another field goal.

Pace’s other colossal mistake was moving up in the draft to pick Mitch Trubisky as the second overall pick.  He had only 13 starts in his senior year at North Carolina. As a Junior, he couldn’t start over a quarterback who was not even drafted and was let go by a team in the Canadian League. He has played a part in Bear losses and Sunday was no different.  With the Bears clinging to a six point lead he makes a horrible read and throws an easy interception. Trubisky can’t seem to read the field. He only looks at the primary receiver. Many times he throws into multiple coverage when someone else has to be open. If Nagy is using the Kansas City Chiefs offense, he should also have a check down receiver who can gain yards after the catch. The Chargers miss the field goal and the Bears still lead 16-10. The Bears get the ball back and without being touched, Trubisky clumsily fumbles. I heard that before he went to the sideline he had to find his hand warmers on a 58-degree day. The Chargers capitalize on the turnover and take a 17-16 lead.

With less than 2 minutes left, the Bears had a chance for a game winning field goal. With 41 seconds left Nagy decides for Trubisky to take a knee and call a timeout with 4 seconds left. He would later lamely explain why they didn’t run another play. I guess he forgot about Parkey’s miss from the same distance last year. A gain of three yards moves Pineiro closer. If the kick is from 38 yards it goes between the uprights before veering wide to the left.

The honeymoon between Nagy and the Chicago media is over. In a contentious interview, Nagy barked at reporters who questioned his play calling.  He correctly pointed out that you don’t risk a pass. About not running for a few extra yards he replied you may fumble or lose a couple of yards. The coward had no faith the team could advance the ball couple of yards. He concluded by yelling “I did not consider a pass and I did not consider a run”. What a jerk. Problem is he and Trubisky are here to stay.

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Bulls Preview

October 23, 2019

The Bulls open up their season tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. The loyalty the ownership has to management rubs me the wrong way. John Paxon was hired in 2003. He hired Gar Forman to be his General Manager, while his new title is President of Basketball Operations. In 16 years they haven’t won a damn thing. Aside from a couple of good years with a healthy Derrick Rose, they have been awful.

The only good coach they hired was Tom Thibodeau who was unceremoniously dumped over physiological differences.  His replacement, Fred Hoiberg didn’t tank well enough and was let go in mid- season last year. They hired pre-historic assistant Jim Boylen over Fred Flintstone. Instead of making him an interim coach they gave him a two-year contract. No proper search for a new coach was even considered.  Boylen proceeded to guide them to a 17-41 record. He is old school with his game planning. He says he wants his players to take the ball to the rim and get free throws. This is the antitheses of modern day basketball.  The trend is spreading the floor for open 3-pointers and playing good defense. In a recent interview he said “I don’t evaluate whether we won or lost. I evaluate how they play.” If you play well you win if not you lose, it’s that simple.

All is not doom and gloom. The Bulls have some talent and may compete despite their coach. Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine could be all-stars. Otto Porter is an upgrade at small forward. Wendall Carter Jr. needs to stay out of foul trouble and should be more productive. The new point guard is free-agent Tomas Satoransky, who I haven’t seen enough of to make any assessment.

I thought the Bulls were done with Kris Dunn. However, it looks like he’s in charge of what looks to be terrible bench. The most notable free-agent in that unit is middle of the road, Thaddeus Young whose name is a big contradiction to his age. Eventually, first round pick guard Coby White should move up to be a starter. What I’ve seen of him looks pretty good although, it’s only pre-season. When you have the seventh pick in the draft you don’t get game changers. Like Carter last year, the Bulls top pick is not in the opening night starting line-up.

 What the Bulls truly need is a player who makes everyone else better, someone who is a level above their best players. I’m wondering if the Bulls could have pulled off Khalil Mack type trade for second pick Ja Morant, by offering the first round pick this and next year. If that’s not good enough, sweeten the pot any way you can. Offer any player or two except Markkanen and LaVine.

I do expect the Bulls to be better. They should win 28-38 games, miss the playoffs and get a lousy draft pick. I hope I’m wrong but my gut tells me I’m not.

Bears Lay an Egg and Destroy Playoff Hopes

October 21, 2019

Sunday afternoon was a great day. I was sitting in a Soldier Field sky box to celebrate my godson/nephew’s 40^th birthday. Surrounded by family and friends, these are the days I live for. Not even the Bears sour play could diminish what a wonderful day this was. 

If I had watched this game at home, I would have gone berserk. It was a must win game against an undermanned New Orleans Saints team. This was the Bears worst performance in Coach Matt Nagy’s tenure. In one of my very first posts, I wrote that Nagy was a bad choice. He was hired because he was the first interviewee to say yes to a low ball offer. 

Never in the future do I want to read any reference to Nagy receiving Coach of the Year honors. Without the defense he's a .500 coach at best. He was supposed to develop quarterback Mitch Trubisky who has regressed from last year. He continues to run a pass happy offense with an inconsistent (or bad, take your pick) QB. Trubisky is a good passer for six or fewer yards, unless he needs that distance on third down. He woefully missed wide open receivers downfield. Trubisky threw a career high 54 passes against the Saints. He did pad his stats during garbage time against a second string defense. Take away the points the Bear score  without defensive help and you will see how anemic Nagy's offense has been.. 

Nagy has talked about improving the running game. He has had 23 games and still can’t figure it out. They ran the ball seven times for a measly 17 yards. There was a stretch in the first half where he called passes on 23 of 28 plays. The running game is very vanilla with no misdirection plays. The offensive line can't open any holes. When the game is close like the first half was, you can’t give up the running game. It didn’t help when Anthony Miller fumbled, leading to a Saints TD and a 9-0 Saints lead.

The lone highlight for the Bears was Cordarrelle Patterson’s 102 yard kickoff return to cut the lead to two points. With the offense so bad, I don’t care if kickoffs are in the end zone, he should return them. The teams traded field goals and things went downhill from there. On the Bears first possession of the second half, running back David Montgomery fumbled leading to a Saints touchdown. With the lead 19-10, that pretty much sealed the Bears fate. Thanks partially to a terrible offense, the defense caved in.

The Bears had multiple 3 and out possessions. By the end of the third quarter the Saints had the ball 30 minutes, the Bears 15. The pass rush was slowed down, recording only one sack. The secondary was exhausted, giving up huge pass receptions. Would they be better under former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio? New defensive coach Chuck Pagano is said to be more aggressive than Fangio. So, if the down lineman aren’t getting to the quarterback, why not send in another pass rusher? Things couldn’t have been worse. The Bears offense may waste a good defense even with Akiem Hicks injured.

There are ten games left and no answers for the offensive problems. In a season that began with Super Bowl expectations, the Bears probably miss out on the playoffs.  Nagy is signed for three more years and I see no evidence that he will ever be a good coach. The Bears traded away next year’s first round pick in the trade for Mack. Therefore, they can’t replace Trubisky until the 2021 draft. I think in my next post, we’ll get away from Chicago sports and look at the World Series, which should be very good viewing.

Here Come the Hawks

October 17, 2019

The Chicago Blackhawks opened their season with the same advertising slogan they have used in the past few years. “One Goal” was a reference to winning the Stanley Cup. This season the Hawks one goal should be to make the post season. This won’t be easy considering they play in the same division as the Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.

The Hawks offense returns mostly intact from last year. Hall-of-Famers Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews are still in their prime. Youngsters Alex Debrincat and Dylan Strome ae budding stars who can score goals. Andrew Shaw returns to round out the second line and there are a myriad of options to be the third winger with Kane and Debrincat. In a perfect world, it would be nice to see first round draft pick, 18-year old Kirby Dach, be that person.

The most pleasant surprise of the young season is the play of the third line. Brandon Saad, David Kampf and newcomer Dominik Kabalik have had many scoring chances and have scored some goals. More important is that they are excellent forecheckers and they also take pressure off the defense with puck possession. Led by Saad, they move the puck into the offensive zone which is a better scheme than the dump and run.

Last year’s defense was one of the worst in the NHL. Hawks General Manager Stan Bowman made some trades to correct this problem. The first defensive pairing is the Hawks best defenseman, Connor Murphy with their worst defenseman, Eric Gustafson. However, Gustafson can move the puck up ice and is an integral part of the power play. He has to improve his defense.  Former Carolina Panthers 28-year old veteran Calvin de Haan is paired with Duncan Keith. While Keith may not be the player he was two years ago, he’s still pretty good. He is still able to move the puck out of the Hawks zone.The third unit has former Pittsburgh Penguin, 22-year old Olli Maatta, with Walter Brennan a.k.a. Brent Seabrook. Seabrook is no better than a seventh defenseman or a healthy scratch. He has been an albatross for the last three years. I don’t understand why he hasn’t been replaced by top prospect Adam Boqvist.  The Hawks also added Vezina Cup finalist, goalie Robin Lehner. With Corey Crawford, this could be the best goalie tandem in hockey.

 The Hawks lost their first game in Prague, 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers.  They came home and traded goals with the San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately, the Sharks got the last goal to beat the Hawks, 5-4. Therefore, the improved defense let in 9 goals in two games. Problems resurfaced from early last season: horrendous penalty killing, losing puck possession time and not being able to clear the puck out of their zone. The next game, with Lehner in goal, the Hawks blew a 2-0 lead and lost in overtime 3-2. In what was reminiscent of the playoff run last year, the Hawks beat the high scoring Edmonton Oilers 3-1. The Oilers got their lone goal on a 6-on 4 power play with less than two minutes to play. This was one of the best games I’ve seen in years. The Hawks have now given up only 3 goals in the last 6 periods. This is a formula for success.  

The White Sox Bright Future

October 10, 2019


I am extremely excited and optimistic regarding the future of the Chicago White Sox. In the 2018 season, they were playing extremely well and were two games under .500 at the all-star break. Was it possible they could contend in the second half? Even reaching .500 would be a major improvement Alas, they lost the first seven games after the break to make those possibilities moot. They were inconsistent the rest of the year, including another seven game losing streak. Despite that, the Sox won 72 games, 10 more than the previous year. The won-loss record is immaterial. The season was all about the development of the core players in the White Sox future.

I had seen of flashes in 2018 that led me to believe Yoan Moncado would get better. What I didn’t foresee was that he would become an elite third baseman. He had 34 doubles, 25 homers and led the Sox with a .915 OPS. He had a strong second half and improved his average 90 points to finish at .315, third in the league A. major reason for his success was cutting his strikeout total from 217 to 154. He could be even better in 2020. He is 24 years old.

Tim Anderson was voted the best player in the March/April month of the season. He was having a fine year when he went on the disabled list and missed over a month of the season. When he returned, he caught fire. Having many multi-hit games he raised his average 95 points and led the league with .335 average. He no longer was swinging at pitches way out of the strike zone. He seldom walked (15) but was getting pitches to hit batting in front of Jose Abreu and Moncada. I know he may not hit for the same average as last year however, I see no reason why he can’t consistently hit .300, add power and steal bases. He is 26 years old.

Eloy Jimenez struggled early in the year. As the season progressed, he became the player the White Sox envisioned. He had 31 homers and 79 RBI in only 122 games and I believe he is’ just scratching the surface. If healthy he should hit 40 homers and drive in 100 runs. The way he was hitting the ball from August on, he should also have a .300 average. Jimenez homers are out of sight and will be fun to watch. He is 22 years old.

Lucas Giolito became the ace of the Sox pitching staff. He went 14-9 for a team that was 17 games under.500. In 2018 he had a 6.13 ERA, the worst in both leagues. This year he was fifth lowest in the American League at 3.41. He also ranked among the leaders with 228 strikeouts. He dominated the first half of the season but like the team he went into a lull. He finished strong and could have possibly won 17 games with better run support. His season included complete game shut-outs against two of the best hitting teams, the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins. The game I remember most  was when Giolito pitched four scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. With rain imminent, he needed one more inning to make it an official game. Speeding up his delivery he struck out the side. The rain came, and he was credited with a five inning complete game shut-out. He is 25 years old.

More future stars are coming. Five-tool player, Luis Robert has nothing left to prove and should be the opening day center fielder. General Manager Rick Hahn should have let him have some at-bats last year to ease any growing pains he may have. He is 22 years old. I believe they will let Yolmer Sanchez go and let Kyle Kendrick play second base to start the season. Once the Sox get one more year of contract control, they will call up 2018 first round draft pick Nick Madrigal. He is 22 years old.

The Sox can contend next year if Hahn does what he says. Upgrade right field and say sayonara to Adam Engel, Ryan Cordell and Jon Jay. The Sox haven’t had a good DH since Jim Thome. Rumor has it that Boston’s J.D. Martinez is available. They need to add starting pitching. Cy Young candidate, Houston’s Gerrit Cole is available but not realistic. He will probably be the highest paid pitcher in history. San Francisco Giants Matt Baumgartner and Atlanta Braves Dallas Keuchel should be on the Sox radar. If these moves are made, the window will become wide open for World Series appearances in the near future.

Bears Post Season Hopes Dwindle

October 7, 2019

For the Bears, Sunday’s contest was a trap game. The Bears got snared in an ugly loss to a middle of the road Oakland Raiders. This game may have turned out differently if not played in London. Supposedly, the NFL plays games there to increase the sport’s global appeal. I think it probably has more to do with money from sales of NFL merchandise. While I had trouble wrapping this loss around my head, I will try to tell you why they lost.

The Raiders went to London on Monday. They started the game with tons of energy. The Bears, who left on a red-eye Thursday flight, looked sloppy. It is only a theory but the Bears seemed to have jet-lag and were sluggish.

The Raiders rammed the run down the throat of the NFL’s top ranked rushing defense. When you run for eight yards on first down it makes it easy to pick up first downs. Many times the Raiders offensive line sent the Bear defenders sprawling to the ground.   After the game, the Bears complained about illegal blocks which is a lame excuse. Suffice to say the defense was not as good as it had been the previous four games. It was the first game without a sack. Chase Daniel was sacked three times in a scoreless first half.

 Once again it was the offense that was more responsible for the loss. The Raiders had possession for 20 minutes in the first half. The Bears might have only been losing 10-0 at half if not for quarterback, Chase Daniel, being intercepted at the Bear 25 yard line. This led to a Raiders touchdown.

Trailing 17-0 at halftime, the Bears started the second half with the ball. The Bears did nothing and punted back to the Raiders. They got a lucky break when a miss communication caused the Raiders quarterback to lateral to no one. The Bears recovered and scored quickly after, 17-7 Raiders. The operative word is quickly. The Bears finally put together an impressive drive to cut the deficit to three. A 71 yard punt return set the Bears up for another quick score for the lead, 21-17. When you score quickly, your defense gets no rest.

The Bears offense once again sputtered in the fourth quarter. Similar to the Denver Broncos game, the Raiders had the ball at the goal line when Sherrick McMannis caused a fumble. Pinned deep in their territory, receiver Allen Robinson made an excellent catch to get the Bears to their 37 yard line. The Bears gained another first down, then punted and downed the ball at the Raiders three yard line. Like the Broncos, the Raiders got a second chance. The Bears thought they got the ball back after a Raiders punt on 4^th and six. However, the Bears were penalized for running into the kicker. Bears special team linebacker, Kevin Pierre-Louis, thought this wasn’t a foul as he was blocked into the Raiders punter. However, if you play smart and set up for a return, you won’t come close to the kicker.  With fourth down and one, everyone but the Bears coaching staff knew it would be a fake punt. The Raiders made the first down to continue the drive. Later, David Carr completed a 23- yard pass to Foster Moreau deep into Bear territory on third and one. The Bears defense gassed and allowed the completion of a Raiders 97 yard drive when running back Josh Jacobs leaped into the end zone. The Bears had a chance to tie the game with a field goal. Daniel needed only two more completions to get in position. However, he badly overthrew his receiver and was picked off, ending the game.

Bears coach, offensive guru Matt Nagy, has been awful. He complained about the running game. He has a pass happy offensive game plan with no quarterback to run it. He was partially brought in to develop QB Mitch Trubisky. How has that worked out?  I’m not sure if they spend enough time in practice on the running game. You can’t blame running back David Montgomery when the offensive line doesn’t open any lanes to run through. Due to the inconsistency of the offense, your defense is always being taxed. No matter how good the defense is, without any offense you are an 8-8 team.

After a two week break, the schedule is brutal. Road Games against the Philadelphia Eagles, L.A. Rams, Detroit Lions (on Thanksgiving day), Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. It doesn’t get much easier at home with the New Orleans Saints, L.A. Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.

Bears Dominate Vikings

September 30, 2019

If you are a Chicago Bears fan you had to love the past weekend in football. It all started Thursday night, when the Green Bay Packers played the Philadelphia Eagles. With their revamped and vastly improved defense, the Packers gave up 34 points in a seven point loss. The Packers could have tied or won this game with better decisions. With first down and goal from the Eagles 1 yard line, they eschewed the run and threw four incomplete passes. How could they have so little faith in the running game and not to try it in four down territory? The Packers still had a chance to tie the game. With time expiring, quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a rare interception at the Eagles goal line to seal their fate.

On Sunday, The Kansas City Chiefs played the previously undefeated Detroit Lions. The Chiefs Achilles heel is their defense. The Lions put up 30 points. However, the Chiefs offense, probably the best in the NFL, scored 34. The Lions are now 2-1-1.

In a crucial game in the NFC Central Division, the Chicago Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6. This game was not as close as the score may indicate. The Bears dominated this game. The Bear defense is the best in football. The Vikings have boasted the best running game this year. In three games, Dalvin Cook has over 370 yards with a 6.6 average yard per carry. The Bears stopped him for little or no gain on multiple occasions. Cook ended up with only 35 yards on 14 carries. If the Vikings have to rely on quarterback Kirk Cousins, they are in big trouble. The Bears defense is so good, they did this with two starters out. Stalwart linebacker Roquan Smith was replaced by Nick Kwiatkoski who had eight tackles and a strip sack. Akiem Hicks’ replacement, Nick Williams, had two of the Bears six sacks and recovered a fumble. As usual, Khalil Mack was wreaking havoc in the Vikings backfield.  For improving the Bears depth with draft picks and shrewd talent evaluation, General Manager Ryan Pace and his staff deserve kudos.

The Bears started the game without lineman Kyle Long and receiver Taylor Gabriel. On the sixth play of the game, they lost quarterback Mitch Trubisky to injury. The Bears inserted back-up quarterback Chase Daniel.  Unlike Trubisky, Daniel (22 out of 30, 195 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers) was completing passes thrown more than 4 yards. His first drive was capped with a ten yard touchdown pass to Tarik Cohen. The Bears had a 7-0 lead. A second mini-drive led to an Eddy Pineiro field goal. At halftime, the Bears led 10-0.

The Vikings started the second half with the ball, desperately needing to score. The Bear defense created a turnover on their first play. A touchdown would have probably put the game out of reach. However, the Bears had to settle for a field goal and a 13-0 lead. The Vikings would need only 2 touchdowns to take the lead. With about five minutes left in the third quarter, the Bears converted a fourth and three to move Pineiro closer for his third field goal. The Bears led 16-0. This meant the Vikings would need 2 touchdowns with two point conversions to tie the game. For most of the fourth quarter the Bears turned back the Vikings offense. With 2:58 left, the Vikings finally scored. They botched the conversion and for all intents and purposes the game was over.

The only problem I had was the Bears trying to run out the clock. Sending running back David Montgomery up the middle was not working.  Running in space is his forte. One would think by now the Bears would try something different. Because of this, Minnesota got the ball back a couple of times. It didn’t matter because penalties and the Bear defense put them in fourth down and 23 yards plus fourth down and 15 yards for first downs.

Next up is the Oakland Raiders in London. Trubisky is out (which may be a good thing).  No word on the other players not in the last game. This is a game they should win. After that the Bears will have two weeks to get healthy for a Sunday game against New Orleans. Hopefully, quarterback Drew Brees won’t be able to play.