What a Long Strange Trip It's Been

 

December 30, 2020

The world of sports was completely shut down due the coronavirus pandemic.  Sports fans were watching reruns of old games and Netflix became a bigger part of our lives. While the surge of the virus seemed to be dying down, leagues were plotting how to restart their seasons. The first decision was that there would be no fans. Some owners were complaining they would lose money without gate receipts. This infuriates me because these teams are just a part of these multi- millionaire portfolios. The only revenue coming in would be from television. This year will be known for expanding the playoffs to get as many televised games as possible.

The NHL started the insanity by inviting 24 of 32 teams to two bubble sites in Canada. The four top teams would play each other for seeding positions while the others would play best of five then seven game series to face them. They were playing three games a night, or about 9 hours. The Blackhawks gave their fans something to cheer about but following their elimination the playoffs were hard to watch until the field was whittled down to eight.

The NBA had 22 out of 32 teams go to a bubble in Miami to finish an abbreviated season and the playoffs. They needn’t have bothered as followers knew all along that the LeBron Lakers would be crowned champions.

After much bickering, mostly about money, baseball owners imposed a 60 game schedule on the players. The playoffs would expand to 16 out of 32 teams. Despite strict protocols, there were many infections throughout the league. Teams infected had to postpone whole series and it was a struggle to reschedule.  Baseball also introduced you to the half-screen commercial and every inning having a sponsor. The post season did produce some exciting moments that kept me watching. However, the season ended on a sour note when Justin Turner of the Dodgers tested positive for COVID-19 and went on the field with no mask to join his teammates' celebration.

Football will expand to 14 teams making the playoffs. Their expansion is the only palatable one in professional sports. The NFL also had strict protocols yet infections spread throughout the league. With multiple games having to be rescheduled, there was at least one game on every day of the week. It has felt really strange to watch football on a Tuesday or Wednesday night.

As we flip the page to 2021 not much has changed. There are still no fans and infections and deaths are increasing daily. I suspect some athletes were disregarding the safety protocols. Here’s to hoping that they realize the stakes involved and we can enjoy watching future seasons without interruptions.  I’m also hoping a vaccine helps fans return.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Ah Ah Ah Ah Staying Alive

 

December 27, 2020

The Bears beat the worst team in the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars, 41-17.  Although this game was lopsided, there were many problems that have cause for concern moving forward. The first half was disastrous. The Bears led only 13-10 at halftime. They did not look like a playoff contending team.

Quarterback Mitch Trubisky seems to have taken a step forward as of late.  He can thank his lucky stars that he has faced some of the worst defenses in football. He was 24-36 for 265 yards. He would not have had this many receptions if his receivers didn’t catch errant throws. He continues to struggle trying to hit on long passes when his receivers beat coverage. Allen Robinson (13 catches,
103 yards) continues to bail him out of trouble. Once again he threw an awful end zone interception. After scrambling away from the pass rush, he was picked off, throwing a pass into coverage. It’s been four years and he still hasn’t figured out throwing the ball out of bounds.

David Montgomery’s overall numbers looked pretty good. He ran 23 times for 95 yards. However, he still has many more runs that go for little or no gain. Take away his 26 yard run and his average yards per carry is 3 yards.  Undrafted Artavis Pierce got in the game late. He had two carries for 26 yards and a touchdown. These runs looked crisper than any Montgomery has run all year.

Of course you had bad play calling. After a pass interference and an off-sides penalty, the Bears had first and goal from six inches. They didn’t even try the traditional Montgomery up the middle for no gain. They called an outside run that lost four yards. On second down, they ran Montgomery for no gain and threw an incomplete pass, coming away with only a field goal. I don’t know who is calling plays. If it is Offensive Coordinator Bill Lazor, why do they need Coach Matt Nagy?  Either way, it seems neither is familiar with a quarterback sneak.

The defense made Jaguar’s QB Mike Glennon look like Aaron Rodgers in the first half. They took over in the second half, limiting the Jaguars to eight total yards in the third quarter. This is the defense that has to show up if they want to have any chance to win in a possible playoff game. Sometimes the defense looks uninspired and players are in wrong formations. Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano’s job should be in jeopardy.

It’s hard to believe that a team that lost six in a row has a good chance to make the playoffs. The Bears control their own destiny. A win next week over the Packers would clinch a spot. This becomes a possibility if the Packers have already clinched the number one seed and they rest their starters. An even more likely way is Arizona losing to the L.A. Rams. Problem is this current streak could cloud their vision regarding the changes that need to make.

 

It Ain't Over Till It's Over

 December 21, 2020

The Bears kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a scintillating 33-27 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears sealed the win on the last play of the game. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins’ Hail Mary pass was tipped by Eddie Jackson to Sherrick McManis for an interception. If this pass is completed, the Bears lose. This was the only time that Coach Matt Nagy’s offense deserves more credit for the victory than the defense. It doesn’t get much better than under achiever Robert Quinn, getting his second sack of the season.

David Montgomery had the best game of his career. He had 146 yards on 32 carries and punched in two touchdowns. He had very few carries for short yardage, side stepping closed lanes instead of bowling into the Vikings’ defensive line. The Bears totaled 199 yards on the ground, way more than any other game during Nagy’s tenure. The running game lent itself to great play action passes for QB Mitch Trubisky. He was 15/21 passing for 202 yards. His only mistake was an interception in the end zone on the Bears’ second to the last possession. He also looked good on roll-outs, which I’ve wondered why the Bears haven’t employed more often. His first touchdown was on a roll-out pass to Darnell Mooney, who continues to shine in his rookie season. After four consecutive games together, the offensive line is opening running lanes and providing great pass protection. Allen Robinson had only four receptions but totaled 83 yards. And Cairo Santos is making people forget about Robbie Gould. He converted of 4 FG’s and has now made 20 in a row.

The defense surrendered 27 points, however, they did have their moments. On the Vikings’ first play, the Bears had the first of 4 sacks, pinning the Vikings deep in their zone. This set up a short field leading to the Bears first touchdown. They stopped the Vikings twice on fourth and one. One of which was at the Vikings 38 yard line, leading to a touchdown. They continued to keep teams out of the end zone making them settle for field goals. They contained Vikings star running back
Dalvin Cook, early but he came alive and rushed for 132 yards on 24 carries. The
problems occurred as the Vikings converted a field goal on their last possession of the first half and scored a touchdown on their first possession of the second half. This cut the Bears lead to three points. The Bears kicked a field goal for a six point lead with a little less than one minute left in the game. The Vikings were out of time-outs, but Cousins was able to complete 4 passes for 40 yards before the final play.

The only negative is the Bears need an Arizona Cardinals loss to tie for last seed in the playoffs. They also have the tall task of beating Green Bay in the season finale. If they finish 8-8 Nagy comes back. If Trubisky continues to play well, he may save GM Ryan Pace’s job. This could be a problem as they may be forced to sign Trubisky, who is a free agent. By the way, it would be nice if Pace would lock up Robinson with a long term contract before he too becomes a free agent. 

Is the Bears Victory a Good Thing?

 December 14, 2020

The Houston Texans came to Soldier Field as slight favorites to beat the Bears. While it is not hard to believe the Bears won, it’s how they did it that was jaw dropping. The Bears crushed the Texans 36-7. Both the offense and defense may have played perhaps their most complete game. The Bears have faced many teams with defensive deficiencies, but with the exception of a bad Detroit Lions team and the hapless Atlanta Falcons, the offense has been non-existent. The defense has to remain consistent.

The much maligned offensive line was the best it has been all year. On the Bears first play, they opened up a hole you could drive a Mack truck through. The result was an 80 yard touchdown run by David Montgomery.  I can’t recall any other time the Bears had an 80 yard rushing touchdown. The pass protection kept Mitch Trubisky upright, allowing him to put up huge
numbers. He completed 24 of 33 passes for 267 yards. He had three touchdown passes and zero turnovers. All world wide receiver Allen Robinson had nine receptions, some acrobatic, for 123 yards. And though I hate to temper any enthusiasm, David Montgomery in his other 10 carries gained only 33 yards.  On the other hand, he is a very good receiver out of the backfield.

After being humbled in the past two weeks, the Bears’ defense returned with a vengeance. They held the Texans to 263 total yards. They recorded seven sacks. Khalil Mack had his best game since the 2018 season. He had a sack that produced a safety, caused one fumble, recovered another and also batted down a pass.

At this point the loss to the Lions is critical. The Bears are tied with the Minnesota Vikings at 6-7, one game out of the playoffs. There’s a possibility they beat the Vikings next week and a probability of beating the Jacksonville Jaguars the following week. The Bears would be 8-7. However, the Packers are next. Unless the Packers are locked in a playoff position and rest their starters, the Bears have no chance. Finishing 9-7, probably puts you in the watered down playoffs. The only thing 8-8 does is lower your draft position where there are no good quarterbacks left to choose from. It also increases the possibility of Coach Matt Nagy getting another year.

You Can Kiss the Playoffs Good-Bye

 December 7, 2020

The Bears played the lowly Detroit Lions in what was a must win to keep their playoff aspirations alive. The Bears were upset by the Lions, losing their sixth straight game 34-30. In the first meeting, if a Lions receiver hadn’t dropped an end zone pass as time expired, the Lions would have swept the season series. It’s amazing how a team can hit new lows week after week. The only positive is, this should cost Coach Matt Nagy his job. I’m hoping GM Ryan Pace is not far behind.

Mitch Trubisky continued to play well against Detroit. This is not saying much considering most teams score at least 30 points against this injury riddled defense. He completed 26 passes for 296 yards. Detroit QB Mathew Stafford completed 27 passes for 400 yards. I also saw Mitch throw a couple balls away when there was no one to throw to. Gee, it only took him three years to learn this. Mobile Mitch had only one run play called and he gained only 3 yards. Mitch is not very mobile in the pocket, as he hasn’t learned to step up to avoid pass rushers. This was especially evident when he fumbled late to cost the Bears the win. It wasn’t some blind side hit. He saw the pass rusher and didn’t step up and fumbled. When deep in your territory, your main task is not to turn the ball over.

Nagy’s fingerprints are all over this loss. Passing on second and third down were not the right calls. The proper calls were to run the ball and make Detroit use their timeouts. If you don’t get a first down, you punt and give them a longer field. He said after the game he was being aggressive. Passing deep your zone when trying to use up the clock is just plain stupid as you also risk an interception. The way the defense played it may not have mattered. For the second game in a row, the defense was atrocious. The only thing that stopped Stafford was Stafford. He completed a number of passes on third down with seven yards or more needed for a first down. Aside from two sacks, Stafford had all the time in the world to throw. The Bears also had blown coverages which led to deep connections. Maybe defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano could have made some adjustments as Detroit was having no problems getting big chunks of yardage. On Detroit’s final drive it might have made sense to call a timeout to slow things down. Detroit went 96 yards with the Bears never putting them in a third down situation.

So Nagy should be gone and you only have to look at this last off-season to see that Pace has to go as well. He signed Eddie Jackson for five years and big money for his ball hawking ability. He has zero interceptions and is a bad tackler. Pace signed Ted Ginn Jr. who’s only success has been as a kick returner, something the Bears don’t need. With rookie receiver Darnell Mooney having a breakout season, Ginn couldn’t crack the receiver rotation. The Bears tried him as a punt returner with disastrous results and he is no longer with the team. Pace signed over the hill tight end Jimmy Graham.  He had some touchdowns early but has worn down and is not able to separate from defenders. Rookie tight end Cole Kmet is now getting more playing time than Graham. Pace also signed outside linebacker Robert Quinn. This sack specialist has one and has made no impact in any games. Currently, Pace is dicking around Allen Robinson, the Bears best offensive player. He should be signed pronto before he gets disgruntled. There should be no need to put a franchise tag on him.

Like Tom Petty Bears Free Falling Farther down in Playoff Chase

 

 November 30, 2020

Before yet another national television audience, the Bears were abysmal losing to the Green Bay Packers 41-25. This wasn’t as close as the final score may indicate. At one point in the first half, the Bears were losing 27-3. In the fourth quarter, GB ahead 41-10, the Bears were able to put 15 points against a soft Packer defense.  A bad Nagy decision came before the game started by deciding to kick-off rather than receive.. This sometimes is a good decision, however, against a high flying offense you try to score some points before they get the ball. So like in most games the Packers score a touchdown to open the game. They missed the extra point. The Packers would get two more possessions and score touchdowns on each. On the Bears first possession, David Montgomery had a 57 yard run inside the 10 yard line. A touchdown puts the Bears ahead and they can take the lead. Instead, the Bears have one of the worst red zone offenses and come away with only three points. The Packers then put up 21 unanswered points. A Bear touchdown made it  27-10 at halftime.

The Bears got the kick-off to open the second half and went nowhere. The Packers would score touchdowns on their first two possessions in the  third quarter. It was at this point, even the bettors went to sleep as the Bears' offense continued to sputter.

Mitchell Trubisky started in place of injured Nick Foles .Apparently the time watching from the bench didn’t help. He was simply atrocious. He has been around for four years showing no improvement. He threw two interceptions, one in the Packers' end zone. He fumbled twice, one being returned for a touchdown. He still doesn’t recognize what defenses are scheming. He still locks down on one receiver and throws into multiple coverage. He doesn’t know how to step up in the pocket to avoid sacks. He has no touch and is inaccurate on most of his passes. In other words, he sucks.

Without Akiem Hicks the defense had many problems. The Packers ran for 187 yards, attacking the spot where Hicks would normally occupy. The Packers game plan may have been altered if they weren’t getting 8 yards per carry. The Bears also didn’t have any pass rush. Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback in football. With no pressure, he’s doubly deadly and will pick your defense apart. He threw for over 300 yards with 4 touchdowns.

Bear fans, if the offense doesn't improve, this will turn into a much longer season than it already is. This is a big if

Chicago Sports Bits & Pieces

 November 19, 2020

Recent changes in the Bulls organization have the arrow pointing up. John Paxson is now in an advisory position. His confidant, Gar Forman, was let go. The Bulls then went outside the organization to hire Arturas Karnisovas as V.P. of basketball operations. Make no mistake, he is the lead decision maker of this team. His first move was hiring former Senior V.P. of Player Personnel of the 76ers, Marc Eversley, as his general manager. The second order of business was getting rid of the coach, Jim Boylen. He was probably the worst coach in the Bulls' history. The new hierarchy also hired their first head coach with previous experience, Billy Donovan.

I’m hoping that Patrick Williams can turn into another Scottie Pippen. I have to have faith in Karnisovas' eye for talent. However, as he was projected to be a middle first round pick, they might have been able to trade down to obtain him along with a better number two pick. Aside from Williams' development, Donovan’s main focus is unlocking the key to Laurie Markkanan‘s talent. This is a young team with tons of potential. They won’t win a championship but should be vastly improved.

With offensive coordinator Bill Lazor calling the plays, the Bears had their worst offensive game of the year. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that coach Matt Nagy announced he’ll be calling plays in their next game against the Packers. Lazor’s biggest problem is he has Nagy’s playbook of bad schemes and plays that don’t work (think wide receiver screen). I think this is Nagy’s way of deflecting criticism for the job he is doing. Last year’s bad offense was not his fault-it was the coaches. With the exception of Dave Ragone, he fired everyone else.

Tony LaRussa is the new White Sox manager. Many fans are upset with a choice which should have been made by GM Rick Hahn, not Reinsdorf. However don’t fret, his DUIs won’t impair his decisions on the field. The Sox have the American League MVP and Silver Slugger Award winner Jose Abreu. Eloy Jimenez and Tim Anderson were also Silver Slugger Award winners. Luis Robert won the Gold Glove and will be a star in the near future. A couple good moves by Hahn and they could be in the World Series.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, Theo Epstein resigned. Cub fans should always have a soft spot in their hearts for a man who built a World Series Championship team. He will pass the reins to his long-time assistant, Jed Hoyer. Hoyer has the unenviable task of dealing with impending free agency of the team’s core. He also has to acquire players to bolster the Cubs starting rotation. He will be under severe scrutiny to keep the Cubs competitive and have success in the postseason. 

Bears Playoff Hopes Vanish

 November 17, 2020

I guess it doesn’t really matter who’s calling the plays. The Bears death spiral continued with a 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They have now lost four in a row. Unbelievably, the Bears continue to reach new
lows as the season progresses. The offense gained a total of only 150 yards, running 50 plays to Minnesota’s 70. The Bears reached the Vikings' red zone twice (one was a first and goal from the seven yard line) and came away with two field goals. This was another embarrassing performance in front of a national television audience. With a bye week, instead of recapping the game, let’s talk sports about why the Bears are where they are.

The problem starts at the top with GM Ryan Pace. With the exception of Roquan Smith, Pace has missed on all his other first round picks. Although he has drafted some good players in later rounds, it’s the first round where you find playmakers. His biggest blunder was trading up from the number three pick to number two to select Mitch Trubisky. Prior to this, he bid against himself to sign QB Mike Glennon. The plan was for Trubisky to be mentored and learn by watching. However, Glennon was so bad that former coach John Fox started Trubisky in game four. He had typical rookie struggles. In his second year, he didn’t show much improvement. He regressed in year three and lost his job this year. Instead of Trubisky, Pace should have made a pick to fill a need. In the next draft there were five quarterbacks picked in the first round.

This past year, instead of trying to improve the running game, the mistakes continued. He signed Robert Quinn to replace former first round pick Leonard Floyd. Floyd was picked up by the Rams and had two sacks against the Bears. This is more than Quinn has all year. Ted Ginn Jr. was signed as a receiver. He spent most of his career as a kick-off returner, where the Bears are covered. He couldn’t crack the receiver rotation so they gave him a job as a punt returner. After many critical mistakes, he is no longer with the team. They signed over-the-hill tight end Jimmy Graham. When he is in the game, opposing defenses can take running the ball out of the equation. Then they used their first pick in the draft on another tight end. They paid a lot of money to sign QB Nick Foles. He replaced Trubisky in game 3 and led the Bears to a victory. As a starter, he is 2-4. When at his best he is erratic and as mobile as the Willis Tower.

Pace' other colossal mistake was hiring Matt Nagy as coach. He must have bowled the Bears brass over with visions of a high flying passing attack. His other major responsibility was to develop Trubisky. He failed on both accounts. When the Bears won the division in 2018, an elite defense overshadowed Nagy’s offense deficiencies. He continues to make baffling play calls. He has had problems with clock management. The offense is at the bottom of the league in all statistical categories. They are wasting a very good defense by
not being able to score 20 points.

The defense is and has always been the Bears' calling card. However, I have questions about defensive coach Chuck Pagano. The personnel is not much different than the group he inherited from Vic Fangio, yet it doesn’t compare. The turnovers and sacks are down. He couldn’t even figure out a scheme to stop Vikings QB, Kirk Cousins.

Sorry Bear fans, this isn’t going to get any better. There are no sure wins left on the schedule, but there are many sure losses. If Foles and Trubisky can’t play, who starts against Green Bay? Tyler Bray is next up unless the Bears find another QB on the scrap heap. 

Bad News Bears

 November 9, 2020

While watching the Bears game, my mind wandered to one of my favorite movies, Animal House. The analogy to this game is the scene where Katie asks Boone, "How was your party?" His response was, "We reached a new low." This summed up my feelings after Tennessee Titans cornerback, Desmond King scored a 63 yard touchdown after a David Montgomery fumble. The flip side of this was the mysterious play call of Coach Matt Nagy. The Bears were only a few yards from moving into field goal range. It was third down and 13 yards for a first. The Bears didn’t need a first down, they just needed to gain a few yards. Inexplicably, the play was a short sideline pass to Montgomery. Even if he doesn’t fumble, the play is a three yard loss. The Bears did end up scoring in what is typically known, as garbage time. Titans 24 Bears 17. Maybe you can take solace in Pat O’Donnell having a great day punting the football.

Against one of the worst defenses in the NFL, Nagy’s offense once again fell short of twenty points. With the fumble they gave away seven. The depletion of the offensive line negated the downfield passing game. On their first possession, with quick short throws, the Bears moved the ball to the Titans 41 yard line.  On fourth and 1, instead of a quarterback sneak, Nagy couldn’t resist running David Montgomery up the middle. The play lost two yards and the Bears turned the ball over on downs. Will Nagy ever learn? This play never works.

Statistically, Nick Foles had his best game. He completed 26 of 52 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns. However, most of this was against the soft prevent defense of the Titans after they took a 17-0 lead. His only problem was getting sacked. In his defense, few QBs can avoid rushers who are in the backfield in less than 3 seconds. The Titans are the worst team allowing third down conversions. The Bears were 2 of 15. The running game continued to be non-existent. The Bears longest running play was linebacker Barkevioyus Mingo’s 11 yards on a fake punt. Montgomery had 14 carries for only 30 yards before leaving the game with a concussion. When it comes to installing a running game, I think Nagy is concussed. The only time I’ve seen Montgomery have a modicum of success is in the I-Formation, where he can follow the lead block by his backfield partner. This is especially prudent when the offensive line isn’t getting the job done. Unfortunately, Nagy rarely uses this formation.

On their first possession in the third quarter the Bears encountered a fourth down with inches to go for a first down. In their version of the Keystone Kops, they committed back to back illegal motion penalties to make it fourth and 10, forcing a punt. Another one of my favorite moments was first and goal from the Titans 5 yard line. The first play was what looked like a failed college option. Second down was obligatory Montgomery up the middle for two yards. The next was a batted down pass. None of these plays would have resulted in a touchdown. This is all on Nagy’s play calling.

The only bright spot was the defense, surrendering only17 points. They held Derrick Henry, the league's rushing leader to 68 yards on 21 carries. Take away his 25-yard run and he barely averages over two yards per carry. Titans QB Ryan Tannehill was ordinary.  He made a couple of big plays when needed. The Bears had tackling issues on some big Titan gains. However, the biggest problem is if the Bear defense doesn’t force takeaways, they lose. They have gone two games in a row without one.

Earlier I predicted the Bears would be lucky to win four games. I was wrong, as they have won five. I had hopes that they would have a good year. However, the playoffs are now a long shot and I see only two possible wins left on the schedule. By the way, the Cincinnati Bengals were without four starting offensive linemen and scored 31 points last week against the Titans.

Bears Miss Chance at Another Upset

 November 2, 2020

Last year the New Orleans Saints came to Soldier Field. The Bears were coming off a bye week. The Saints were playing without Hall-of Fame quarterback Drew Brees and elite running back Alvin Kamara. For all intents and purposes the game was over by halftime. The Saints crushed the Bears in what may have been the most devastating loss in the 2019 season. Therefore, when the Saints returned with Brees and Kamara, I thought there was no way the Bears would make it a competitive game. However, the Bears got off to a quick start. But they blew a ten point lead. The Bears made a valiant comeback from ten points down in the fourth quarter. A Cairo Santos 51 yard field goal sent the game into overtime. The Saints finally prevailed 26-23.

I’m not going to come down too hard on the offense. After all, the Bears scored more than 20 points and gained more than 300 yards, which they don’t often do. What makes this somewhat more impressive is that they did this with a decimated offensive line. The Bears had six scoring drives not aided with an assist from the defense.  With the score tied at three, Nick Foles directed the first Bears touchdown drive. This included a 50 yard bomb to Darnell Mooney, who has become Foles' favorite receiver behind Allen Robinson. He then connected with the aforementioned Robinson for a 24 yard touchdown. A Santos field goal upped the lead to10. With three seconds left, the Saints scored a touchdown, making it 13-10. I believe coach Matt Nagy called a timeout, thinking the Bears could get the ball back and try to add to their lead. What it did lead to was giving Brees more time to work with.

The Bears continued their trend of not scoring in the third period.  This quarter included one of the dumbest pays in Bear history, and I have seen a multitude of them. After a completed pass to Robinson, back-up receiver Javon Wims threw punches at the Saints' C.J. Gardner. Instead of second down and five for a first down it became second and twenty. Also in the quarter, Mitch Trubisky’s name was being floated around. Foles then went 12- 15 on a long drive ending with a pass interference in the end zone. This put the Bears in a precarious situation, first and goal from the one yard line. After much mind numbing play calling all game, Nagy calls Montgomery up the middle and he loses 2 yards. Foles follows with a nifty 3 yard touchdown pass to Mooney. Montgomery had a 39 yard run and ended with 89 yards .This caused Nagy to call more plays than usual for Montgomery. To put things in perspective, if you take away that 39 yard run, he gained only 50 yards on twenty carries. That’s just pathetic.

The defense was pretty good. They held the Saints out of the end zone on four of six drives in the red zone. The biggest mistake was at the end of the first half, when Jarod Cook was wide open on a 16 yard touchdown to make the score 13-10. They also came up with numerous stops. However, you’re not going to constrain Kamara for a whole game. He got yards in chunks and made key plays when the Saints needed them. His long run set up a short field goal that won the game.

Not Ready For Prime Time

 October 27, 2020

The Bears were abysmal before a national television audience, losing to the L.A. Rams 24-10. This game was excruciatingly painful to watch as the Bears were awful in all facets of the game. The Rams were not so much as good as the Bears were bad. With their next three games against the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers it looks as if 5-1 will turn into 5-5.

Even the Bear defense was partially to blame.  The Bears tackling was atrocious. Rams receivers and running backs who seemed to be stopped got away for multiple yards. Rams QB Jared Goff was not spectacular, but he was able to complete passes to wide open receivers. The Rams were able to move the ball to midfield before the defense would make a stop. However, the Rams special team got down the field fast and put the Bears in deep holes. The key play of the game came late in the first half. Rookie Trevis Gipson had a chance for an interception that might have resulted in a touchdown. Instead he used one hand to knock the ball down. He has been pretty good most of the year and hopefully, he can learn from this.

You can’t have much of an offense with a second-string QB and an addled minded coach calling the plays. Every week Matt Nagy tells the media that he will incorporate the running game. Since he has no clue, all he does is run David Montgomery up the middle.  He usually gets no more than three yards a carry. He was a good collegiate player against lower tier competition but has yet to prove he is an NFL running back. The banged up offensive-line shares the blame for this problem.

When Nagy puts tight end Jimmy Graham in, he is telling opposing defenses it’s a pass play. Rookie Cole Kmet disguises the play better, as he can both block and catch passes. He had a couple of nice receptions in the first half but was not targeted the rest of the game. Foles was under constant pressure but made a couple of nice passes to get the Bears in the red zone. However, the drive stalled with a bad interception on a ball Foles should have thrown out of bounds. First and goal at the 8 yard line. Graham is in the game so the Rams know a pass is coming. Instead of being in the end zone, he catches a 3 yard pass. Inexplicably, Nagy calls a Montgomery run up the middle for maybe a yard gain. Foles is pressured and throws two incompletions and the Bears come away with no points. By the way, Montgomery did have one run that went for 8-9 yards. However, short yardage situations for the Bears are a death knell.

Bad decisions by the special teams also played a part. Cordarrelle Patterson may be a great kick returner. But it may be prudent not try to return kicks deep in the end zone. Most of the time he did reach the 25 yard where the Bears would already get the ball if he didn’t bring it out of the end zone. Most times I’m not a fan of fair catching a punt at the 10 yard line. Last night with the Rams punting near midfield it made it easier for them to cover the punts. Not once did Ted Ginn Jr, run up to make a fair catch. There is a big difference starting at your ten yard line, opposed to the five yard line.

Nothing Like the Fall Classic

 

October 20, 2020

Despite the White Sox and Cubs early elimination, the playoffs have been quite entertaining. I think back in time to when there were two 10 team leagues. This ensured that the two best teams met in the World Series. With expansion and tiered playoffs this doesn’t happen quite as often. That’s why it’s nice to see the two best teams, the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers, in this year’s series.

To this point the playoffs have had plenty of surprises and drama. The first surprise was the Yankees barrage against Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, this year’s Cy Young award winner, to win game one. Cleveland manager Sandy Alomar Jr. decided to start Carlos Corrasco over Zach Plesac in game 2 and the Yankees won 10-8. Next up were the Rays. This was an intense back and forth series that went to a fifth and deciding game. The Rays prevailed when little known Mike Brosseau homered in the eighth inning for a 2-1 Rays victory. In a best of seven series against the Houston Astros, the Rays jumped out to a three game lead. Instead of folding, the Astros won the next three. The Rays finally won the series winning game 7, 4-2. It was poetic justice as Houston was only 29-31 during the regular season.

The National League played true to form. The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds, who didn’t belong in the playoffs, were swept by the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. The Braves swept the Marlins and it took the Dodgers four games to beat the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers were down three games to one in their best of seven series against the Braves. They would win two in a row to extend the series to 7 games. In the deciding game, the Braves made several mistakes running the bases. Cody Belinger’s homer in the seventh broke a 3-3 tie that gave the Dodgers a 4-3 victory.

Both the Dodgers and Rays are very good defensively. They also have excellent starters and equally effective bullpens.  The Dodgers seem to have a better line-up. This includes Mookie Betts, whom Chicago Tribune writer Paul Sullivan called the best player in baseball (I think it’s the Angels Mike Trout). Betts is the catalyst of their offense. The Rays have a no name line-up but it seems a different player comes through when they win.  However, keep your eye on rookie Randy Arozarena, who is hitting .382 with 7 home runs and 10 RBI this postseason. Predicting a winner is not easy. The Dodgers are the favorite, but I am rooting for the Rays.

Bears Tied For First Place

 

October 18, 2020

If anyone had told me that after six games the Bears would be 5-1 and the Vikings 1-5, I would asked what you were smoking? With the sputtering offense tied to the railroad tracks, the defense came to the rescue. The Bears are epitomizing what winning ugly means, beating the Carolina Panthers 23-16. 

For the third consecutive week, the defense surrendered only one touchdown. That came after a questionable pass interference at the goal line. All other Panther scoring drives resulted in field goals. The defense reminded me of 2018. They had a fumble recovery and two interceptions. The first interception occurred on the Panthers first possession. The Bears scored on a touchdown pass from Nick Foles to rookie tight end Cole Kmet. This was probably Foles best pass of the game. The second interception happened on the Panthers last possession, sealing a Bears win. The defense put consistent pressure on Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater. It’s also amazing to see how much better Khalil Mack is with Akiem Hicks in the line-up. On the Bears first sack, Hicks got a hand on Bridgewater and Mack cleaned up.

If not for the defense, offensive guru Coach Matt Nagy’s offense once again doesn’t score 20 points. Last week Nagy spoke about the two good defenses the Bears played, rushing for only 63 yards. He said against the Panthers he would get the running game on track. The Bears gained 63 yards. Well at least they are consistent. David Montgomery had 19 carries for an unimpressive 58 yards. Take away his longest run of 12 yards and you get the real Montgomery. He had 18 carries for 46 yards, well under three yards per carry. A perfect example of his ineffectiveness is when the Bears had a first and goal from the three yard line. The Bears gave the ball to Montgomery twice and he didn’t reach the end zone. QB Nick Foles was supposed to have better command of the offense after having a long week of practice. Although he completed 22of 39 passes, many were that wide receiver screen that Nagy kept calling, even if it never resulted in more than a couple yards.

The Bears are winning games by the skin of their teeth. Matt Nagy’s offense is in tatters. What this shows me is the Bears need to draft a quarterback and a bruising running back. However, the personnel may not matter as long as Nagy remains the coach.

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA HEY HEY HEY GOOD BYE

 October 14, 2020

In a stunning move, the White Sox let go of Manager Ricky Renteria. The party line from General Manager Rick Hahn was that they had a discussion and mutually accepted his release. However, I can’t imagine Renteria didn’t want to come back to manage what should be a World Series contender in 2021. In plain English, he was fired. I’ve said all along if the White Sox were going to win championships, Renteria needed to go.

Renteria made a myriad of bad moves that cost him his job. Foremost was his mishandling of the bullpen. What might have been the nail in his coffin was a must win game 4 in the last Cleveland series. Leading 4-1 in the seventh, rather than bring in Garrett Crochet, he puts in a struggling Jimmy Cordero who promptly loads the bases. After recording two outs, Renteria made the colossal mistake of bringing in Carlos Rodon. Freshly off the IL and never having pitched in this type of situation, he gives up two hits and the lead.

There are line-up issues as well. There is no justification for keeping Edwin Encarnacion in the run producing number 5 slot in the order. He was a rally killer who wound up with the worst average (.152) in the major leagues. Same could be said about Nomar Mazara. Renteria continued to start him in right field when Adam Engel was a much better option. I can’t explain why he had his best hitter batting fourth. Yasmani Grandal was out of position batting third and many times Jose Abreu had to lead off in the second inning.

The managerial position is a plum job taking over a team ready to win. A.J.Hinch, former manager of the cheating Astros, and Alex Cora, architect of the scheme are being named. Cora also managed the Red Sox under a cloud of suspicion that they were cheating. There is no way I would hire either. Sandy Alomar who has checked all the boxes and pretty much managed the Indians last year, is another candidate but doesn’t excite me.

I heard that Tony LaRussa may be interested in the job. He is a proven winner. Even at 76 years old he would be a great communicator with his players. If not LaRussa, Bruce Bochy who managed the San Francisco Giants and took them to two championships wants to manage again. I haven’t heard Mike Scioscia’s name come up however, he was/is an excellent manager who may want another shot.

The Blackhawks parted ways with two time Stanley Cup winning goaltender, Corey Crawford. Crawford was a player who came back from COVID-19 and was brilliant in the two playoff series. There were no talks or negotiations when Crawford was offered a take it or leave it offer. Crawford left it and was immediately signed by the Devils. The problem is you have no replacement. Like the Bears, you will have competition with second stringers to see who will get the bulk of the time in goal.

On offense you think about the terrific Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews.  Rookie Domonik Kubalik scored over 30 goals. In my opinion their next best offensive player was Brandon Saad. In a move motivated by money, Saad and Dennis Gilbert were traded to Colorado. The Hawks received two young mediocre defensemen. They are no better than Ollie Maata and Slater Koekkoek who are no longer with the team. General Manager Stan Bowman is excellent in handling the salary but must be held accountable for his moves that will once again keep the Hawks out of the playoffs.       

Bears Pull Upset and Beat a Good Team

 

October 9, 2020,

A couple of weeks ago I told you that the Bears would be lucky to win four games. After a stunning 20-19 upset of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bears are now 4-1. I guess I have to alter my prediction.  Once again the Bears were able to overcome a 13 point deficit. The Bear defense should get most of the credit for this victory. They looked like the 2018 team that made the playoffs.

As the first quarter came to a close, you may have been questioning if Nick Foles should remain the Bears QB. His accuracy was atrocious, consistently missing his receivers. The Buccaneers scored a field goal on their opening possession. On the Bears second possession Foles was intercepted on a pass that 90% of the time, Allen Robinson makes the catch. This led to a touchdown. The Buccaneers tacked on another field goal to make the score 13-0. Any doubts you had about Foles, should have evaporated by the end of the half. Foles completed seven passes in a row on a 75 yard touchdown drive ending when David Montgomery ran it in from three yards out. On the   Buccaneers next possession, Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller caused running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn to fumble at the Bucs 27 yard line. With a first down at the 12 yard line, Jimmy Graham made a one-handed catch in the end zone giving the Bears a 14-13 lead. Graham now has 4 touchdowns. Last year, Bear tight ends had only two touchdowns total.

The second half belonged to the defense. The Bears have given up one touchdown in each of the last two games. The Indianapolis Colts and Buccaneers had eight drives in Bears territory and were forced to settle for field goals. Khalil Mack had his best game since the 2018 season. The teams traded field goals in the second half. After three lead changes the Buccaneers led 19-17. This is when the defense took over. After forcing a three and out the Bears started at their own 47 yard line. Foles had been hitting on deftly thrown passes most of the night. The touch on his throws were something you never saw from back-up QB Mitch Trubisky. Foles passes moved the ball so the kick would be less than forty yards. Cairo Santos hit his second field goal of the game from 36 yards out to give the Bears a 20-19 lead. There was still 1minute and13 seconds left when the Buccaneers started a drive at their 25 yard. They got no further than their own 41 and the Bears held on for the win.

Nick Foles ended up his night completing 30-42 passes for 243 yards. Allen Robinson led receivers with ten catches for 90 yards. He was also hitting receivers in stride and the Bears looked excellent running after the catch. Brady was having trouble against a fierce pass rush. He is a great quarterback. However, the Buccaneers committed several penalties and I doubt that when with the New England Patriots he ever had a first down and 30 yard situation.  He also ended the game losing track of the downs. He thought he had another play after the Bears forced an incompletion on fourth down.. His stats didn’t differ much from Foles.

Finally…

Matt Nagy once again had some bad play calls and didn’t do good job of clock management at the end of the game. Once again the Bears running game faltered. Sort of like the chicken and the egg, I can’t tell if the running backs or the offensive line is the problem, Therefore, I will place the blame on both.

Cut Foles Some Slack

 

October 5, 2020

I’ve seen enough of Mitch Trubisky to know that Nick Foles should start Thursday night against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hard to believe, Trubisky would have been worse. Foles and Bears did not so much as to lose as the Indianapolis Colts defense did to win 19-11. The Colts defense if not the best in NFL it is in the upper echelon. The Colts defense will stop better offenses but, the Bears were a piece of cake.

There were a couple of key plays in the first quarter that set the tone for the game. A blocked punt led to a short touchdown drive for the Colts.  The next big play was when Khalil Mack dropped a deflected pass that was right in his hands. The Bears could have had the ball at the Colts 20-yard line.

Foles was not helped when the Bears offense became one-dimensional, due to the Bears ineffective running game. The Bears ran the ball 16 times for 28 yards.  I can’t recall any team averaging less than two yards per carry. This forced Coach Matt Nagy to call passing plays in short yardage situations on second and third down. Nagy should have utilized his tight ends on quick short passes. However, as best, as I can recall, Nagy only targeted his tight ends once. It was puzzling that on the Bears first possession in the fourth quarter he called a run for Cordarrelle Patterson needing one yard on third down. He ended up losing a yard, forcing a Bears punt.  Maybe they miss Tarik Cohen more I thought they would.

There were some positives. After allowing a touchdown on the Colts first possession, the Bears defense was superb. They applied pressure on Colts QB Phillip River and limited the Colts to field goals 4 times in the red zone. This performance was their best of the year.  Hopefully this continues, while Foles gets more in sync with his receivers..

May Be Time For a Rebuild as Cubs Future Looks Murky

 

October 3, 2020

There’s an adage: it’s not how you start, it is how you end. The Cubs started 13-3 and they went 21-21 the rest of the way to finish the season. The Cubs cruised the N.L. Central title. The crux of their problem was hitting. I thought the bats might have awoken when they crushed White Sox pitching in the final three games. They also had their two stud starters, Kyle Hendricks and Yu Darvish, to start a best two out of three series at Wrigley Field. However, to get two victories, the Cubs would have had to shut out the Miami Marlins. The Cubs anemic offense had 1 run on four hits in game 1 and 0 runs on 5 hits in game 2, as they were swept out of the playoffs. This could be a turbulent off season for the Cubs. No one can be sure what the roster will look like next year. The architect, Theo Epstein, has one year left on his contract. Will he want to return for another rebuild?

Usually when player is in a slump, other players will pick up the slack. The Cubs problem was the whole core team was in a funk. The experiment of Kris Bryant leading off was an unmitigated disaster, as he wasn’t able to get on base. He finished with 4 homers and a .206 average. As a free agent, the injury-prone Bryant was looking for a huge money contract. With his performance and more importantly the economics of baseball, this isn’t going to happen. As I pointed out in an earlier season blog, he should have re-signed with the Cubs. They may be able to sign him for less than their original offer.

Javier Baez, hit .203 with 8 home runs. Supposed reasons for this down year were there were no fans and no in game video. These are not good excuses for striking out 75 times in 235 at-bats. Anthony Rizzo hit .222 with 11 home runs. In watching Rizzo throughout his career, I have never seen him not being able to turn around a fast ball. I thought Kyle Schwarber would have a break out year. He turned out to be the Cubs version of Edwin Encarnacion, with a.188 average and 11 home runs.* Being fair, I didn’t list RBI totals because there were so few runners on base. Ian Happ turned out to be their best hitter, but he wilted at the end of the year. Jason Heyward had his best year since signing a multi-year contract.

If there was an upside with the Cubs this year, it was the pitching. The two at the top of the rotation, Kyle Hendricks and Yu Darvish, are as good as it gets. Darvish should get strong consideration for the Cy Young award. Jon Lester may have pitched his last game as a Cub. He had some decent starts, but his ERA ballooned to 5.16 and he had only 3 wins. After your top two starters, the rotation looks shaky. You can’t rely on Tyler Chatwood or Jose Quintana to contribute.  Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay look like your 3 and 4 starters. I have no idea at this time who would be the fifth starter.

What once seemed to be the weakest part of the team, the bullpen, did a pretty good job. The Cubs demoted Craig Kimbrel and inserted Jeremy Jeffress, who was great as their closer with 12 saves and a 1.64 ERA. The set-up men got better as the year progressed. Craig Kimbrel was also able to turn it around towards the end.

*Despite hitting only .188, Scwarber’s average was 36 points higher than Encarnacion.                    

Arrow Pointing Up For White Sox

 

October 2, 2020

Things may have been different for the White Sox with a healthy Eloy Jimenez or Garrett Crochet not coming out of game three of the playoffs with shoulder stiffness. However, despite bowing out in the first round of the playoffs 2020, year four of the rebuild was a success. After a slow start, the Sox became the most exciting team in recent memory. They were in first place with the best record in the American League, before a crash and burn in the last 10 games landed them as the seventh seed. Instead of being at home, they had to go to Oakland. The future looks bright, as year 5 of the rebuild was the goal for the Sox to be bona-fide World Series contenders. Here is a recap of the season with an eye towards 2021.

The Sox season got off to a bad start when last year’s best player Yoan Moncada, contracted COVID-19. Although he started the season, he was not the same player. It seemed throughout the course of the year his bat and feet were sluggish. He is a main cog in the line-up of one the best hitting teams. If Moncada returns to form, this offense can be much more potent.

The Sox hit more homers than any other team. MVP candidate Jose Abreu led the way with 19. He had the best 60 game stretch of his career. He was at the top of most offensive categories and had an amazing 60 RBI in 60 games. Eloy Jimenez provided power and flirted with a .300 batting average. Tim Anderson was competing for his second consecutive batting title. Rookie Nick Madrigal, who should have started the season at second, hit a whopping .340 and was the best two strike hitter in baseball.  Rookie phenom Luis Robert, was one of the Sox best hitters early in the season. But like Jimenez and Moncada, went into a typical rookie slump, striking out numerous times. He regained his stroke late in the season and played a gold glove centerfield. He showed enough, that with experience he will become one of the future stars in the game.

Lucas Giolito remained one of the league’s best pitchers. His season included a no-hitter and a dominant outing in the first game of the playoffs. If not for Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, newly acquired Dallas Keuchel would have been a Cy Young candidate. I thought Dylan Cease was going to have a breakout season. He was a major disappointment. The rest of the starters for the most part were awful. This should be one area that General Manager Rick Hahn should address. The Sox did have one of the best bullpens. Two newcomers, Codi Heuer and Matt Foster, were excellent set-up men. Alex Colome saved 12 of 13 opportunities with .084 ERA. Looking ahead, Aaron Bummer missed time on the IL. Next year he will provide a major boost as he is one of the league’s best left-handed relievers.

In the past season Rick Hahn traded and signed free agents to better the team in areas of need. With the exception of Keuchel, they were terrible. Edwin Encarnacion, was the worst DH in history with a .150 batting average. After returning from injury, Nomar Mazara hit.228 with only one homer. Yasmani Grandal hit .230. Grandal did lead the league with catcher interference calls.

When Robin Ventura resigned, rather than do a search Hahn signed assistant coach Ricky Renteria. Renteria has turned into baseball’s worst manager. There was no justification for keeping Encarnacion in the fourth or fifth spot in the line-up.  Adam Engel, who has learned to hit, was a much better option in right field than Mazara. Let me dispel any notion that Don Cooper was responsible for the choices made bringing in relievers. His job as a pitching coach is to work with pitchers. All the bad moves were made by Renteria. In the last week against Cleveland, he cost the Sox the division. In game 2 the Sox were leading 3-1 in the tenth inning. With two outs, the Indians cut the lead to one run. Renteria brings in seldom used Jose Ruiz, to face the hottest hitter in the league, Jose Ramirez. He hits a home run and the  Sox lose. The following night with the game tied, he brings in Gio Gonzalez. He has been awful most of the year. He gives a game winning home run to Ramirez and the Sox lose. The worst was yet to come. Going into the bottom of the seventh the Sox were leading 4-1.  For some unknown reason Renteria brings in Jimmy Cordero, who has been struggling.  At the time, his ERA was 5.00 (he ended up at 6.08) and this does not include inherited runners. He promptly loads the bases and then gets two outs. Renteria inexplicably replaces him with Carlos Rodon, who had just come off IL.  Even when healthy, he has been atrocious. Rodon gives a two run single. With men on first and third, Ramirez comes up. You could have given him nothing to hit. Even if he walks and you put the lead run into scoring position, you face a not as good Carlos Santana. Rodon coughs it up, throwing a get me over pitch, down in the count. Ramirez doubles off the wall, Sox lose. If the Sox really want to win Renteria must go.    

 

 

 

 

Foles Gets His Chance and Leads Bears to a Thrilling Victory

 

September 28, 2020

I was shocked as I watched the Bears overcome a 16 point deficit in the fourth quarter. The upset victory over the Atlanta Falcons wasn’t as shocking as the Bear offense tallying 30 points. I had to keep reading the final score to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. The offense was going nowhere and the Bears’ penchant for settling for field goals and not scoring touchdowns continued.

 With their first possession the Bears drove down the field. When the drive bogged down, kicker Cairo Santos missed the field goal. My first thought was wondering if Eddie Pineiro would be back next week. It only took the Falcons three plays to score a touchdown. The extra point missed and Atlanta led 6-0. The Bears next drive ended deep enough in Falcons territory setting up a makeable 35 yard field goal.

Following the field goal, the Bears defense surrendered another field goal and a touchdown and the Falcons were leading 16-3. QB Mitch Trubisky did lead the Bears to a touchdown before the half. It was with his legs, not his passing. He ran 45 yards to set up the touchdown. The Falcons led 16-10 at halftime.

Atlanta is a good offensive team and scored 10 unanswered points. Trubisky made another horrific pass that was intercepted. This led to an Atlanta field goal field and a 26-10 Atlanta lead. In what perhaps what the most shocking moment, Bear coach Matt Nagy replaced Trubsiky with Nick Foles.

Nick Foles went 16-29 for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was nice to see a passing game that averaged 11 yards per reception. Foles could have had 2 more touchdown passes. A reversal of a touchdown on a play in the end zone was ruled an interception. Anthony Miller dropped a pass in the end zone. But unlike Trubisky, Foles was reading the defenses and calling the right plays, not just what was sent in by Nagy. His first touchdown drive ended with a three yard pass to tight end Jimmy Graham for his second touchdown. The next touchdown was a 37 yard pass to Allen Robinson, who shook off two Atlanta defenders like a speck of dust on his uniform, making  the score 26-23 Falcons.

The defense was stepping up the pressure and coverage on Atlanta QB Matt Ryan. Atlanta was inexplicitly passing instead of taking time off the clock with running plays. On the Bears final possession, Foles pulled off some magic that has earmarked his career. On the winning touchdown pass he told receiver Anthony Miller to run to a specific spot in the end zone. Under pressure from a blitzing linebacker, Foles completed a 28 yard pass to the spot he told Miller to be in.

The Bears are 3-0 or better than I expected. I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but their opponents have combined for only 1 win in three weeks. However, the move to Foles should provide a boost. The offense masked what was a poor defense for three quarters. I can’t believe that Nagy said he hasn’t made a decision on next week’s starting QB. I doubt even he’s dumb enough to start Trubisky. The litmus test starts next Sunday against a good Indianapolis Colts team.  

Winning Ugly

 

September 20, 2020

The Bears have looked extremely bad, but not enough to lose to the Detroit Lions and N.Y. Giants. These are two of the worst teams in the NFC. The Bears have one more game against the Lions and I do not see another win on their schedule. This was so disgusting I’ll make this short.

 Matt Nagy’s offense scored less than 20 points. So much for the balanced attack as the Bears passed on 40 of 64 plays. Aside from only getting a field goal after a turnover, the first half offense was not so bad. It looked very promising as Mitch Trubisky threw for two touchdowns propelling the Bears to a 17-0 lead. Then they reverted to their bumbling selves in the second half. Mitch Trubisky and the play calling were brutal.  David Montgomery had some nice runs but shouldn’t lead the team in receiving. Nagy continues to have little faith in the running game. Rather than taking time off the clock, he called pass plays on third and fourth down needing one yard. This is vintage Nagy. If not for a deflection that luckily fell into guard Robert Massie’s hands, they would have turned the ball over on downs, ceding field position. Nagy should know by now his kickers have been dismal, especially when field goals are forty or more yards away. With 2 minutes left, rather than pin the Giants deep in their own territory with a punt, he goes for a field goal from 50 yards out. The miss gives the Giants the ball at their 40 yard line. They reached the 10 yard and, like the Lions missed, on their final pass attempt. The Bears came away with a nauseating 17-13 victory.

The Giants were without star running back Saquon Barkley which made their offense one dimensional. It was amazing that the Bears defense knew what was coming and still couldn’t prevent a 95-yard scoring drive. They also looked gassed at the end as the offense couldn’t keep them off the field. Nevertheless, giving up only 13 points is pretty good.

As long as Nagy is coach, it won’t matter if Trubisky or Nick Foles is the QB. The trend of scoring less than 20 points will continue. How can he complain about the lack of production by the tight ends when you don’t target them? The defense will have to get much better to have any chance of winning more than four games. Next up is the Atlanta Falcons. Although they are a middle of the road team, they should have no trouble with the woeful Bears.