The “Black and Blue” division, a title that Bears fans have worn with pride for decades. My dad used to love to talk about how tough and gritty a team needed to be to win in the former NFC Central division, and that shit’s goofy. Sure, toughness is important in a physically demanding and violent sport, but the “three yards and a cloud of dust” adage is kind of tired in 2019.
Needless to say, our dads are gonna LOVE the Bears/Vikings game this Sunday, because the trenches will be a war. Minnesota comes to Soldier Field planning on running the ball. They’ve rushed the ball 103 times in three games thus far, and average 193.7 yards a game. Holy shit. That sort of commitment to the run is something the suburban dads who listen to The Score salivate over, so I hope they enjoy it. Minnesota has opened some almost unbelievably wide lanes for Dalvin Cook, and as the NFL’s leading rusher this season, he’s got the juice to take the ball all the way damn near every time he touches it. Needless to say, the matchups between Minnesota’s rushing attack and Chicago’s run defense look like the most likely factor in the outcome of Sunday’s tilt, so let’s get into it. For the dads.
Minnesota Run Offense: A kickass running attack needs two things: a killer line and a running back who can make people miss at the second level. Minnesota has both. Their line has the 4th best Adjusted Line Yards on the season thus far (a Football Outsiders metric attempting to quantify how much of a runner’s success is due to good blocking), and Dalvin Cook has the highest yards per carry average for any runs broken at least 11 yards from the line of scrimmage. These dudes can ball. Right Guard Josh Kline is in concussion protocol, and though it would make the Bears’ task easier on Sunday, it would be a bummer if the Hoffman Estates kid missed his chance to play in Chicago. Also, I’m sure he told everyone he grew up in the city when he made it to the NFL. Look for Minnesota to run left frequently, since they rank second in the NFL in success rate for runs to the left (also a Football Outsiders metric).
Chicago Run Defense: So much of what the Bears are trying to do up front is reliant on Akiem Hicks being an actual bear and wrecking plays in the backfield, so it’s with great anxiety that Bears fans wait to see if he’ll suit up on Sunday (as of this writing, he’s expected to be a game-time decision). The run defense with Hicks in so far has been dominant through three games: the defense has literally allowed a 0% success rate on runs that take place on 3rd/4th down with two yards to go or less, and they allow a measly 0.11 yards in the open field, a testament to the fast, swarming linebackers the Bears employ. If Hicks is indeed out, and since the thought is that the Bears will also potentially be missing Bilal Nichols, the defensive line will need to demonstrate their depth. Nick Williams, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Eddie Goldman will have a mammoth task ahead of them.
I fear the Bears defensive line might be too banged up to keep this Minnesota rushing attack to around the 69 yards a game they’re currently allowing (nice), but expect Chuck Pagano to load up the box to contain Dalvin Cook. Start Roquan Smith in fantasy if you play an IDP league, since I expect him to be around the ball early and often. Look for the Bears to drop HaHa into the box to hopefully stifle those big play opportunities before they get started, because if Cook gets a lane, it’s really just a matter of what angle Eddie Jackson takes to see if he goes to the house or not.
I’ll close this piece by speaking directly to the suburban dads in the audience. Dads, this game was made for you. It’s got everything that will remind you of the football of your childhood:
-Inept QB play
-Playcalling that YOU would do if given the chance (Payton left, Payton right, Payton middle, Punt)
-Hard nosed, smash-mouth football
-Most likely a lot of punts
-Grit
-A “glory boy” wide receiver on the other team for you to root against
-A white, small-school wide receiver on the other team for you to wish the Bears signed
-An early fall game where you can toggle the thermostat once or twice without any wise talk from the wife or kids
Final Prediction:
Dalvin Cook puts up a good fantasy football day, going for 121 and a touchdown, but Kirk Cousins is sacked five times and turns the ball over twice en route to a Bears win.
Bears win, 17-13.
For the 3rd week in a row, your Chicago Bears will face a quarterback that doesn’t necessarily inspire fear in opposing defensive coordinators. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has long been considered one of leagues biggest question marks. Dating back to 2015, you never knew what to expect from Cousins on a game to game basis. His career record (36-38-2) and stats compare very close to everyone’s favorite E! realty star, Bruce Jenner Jay Cutler Cavalerri. So far this season, Cousins is doing what Cousins does; which is managing games, completing a great percentage of his passes, and staying healthy. On the other hand, he is turning the ball over far too much in addition to not throwing for big yards (98 yards Week 1). The latter two reasons as somewhat surprising because Cousins was very good last year, and I thought he was poised for an even bigger year this time around. Cousins’ very respectable 2018 stats are the type of numbers that Bears fans would cream themselves for:
• QBR 100.9
• Comp % 70.7%
• Yards 4,166
• TD/Int 29/10
To take this a step further, last season, Cousins was at the league average or above in 11 of 12 passer rating yardages, including a ridiculous 139.2 rating on passes over 20 yards to the right side. If the Vikings run game gets stuffed early, look for him to attack this area on Sunday:
Now that you’ve seen how good Kirk Cousins can be and why the Vikings paid him $84M over three years, let’s dive deeper into his play this season, which could generously be described as a shit-show. Take a quick look at his current 2019 numbers when projected over the entire season:
• Comp % 58.7%
• Yards 2,677
• TD/Int 16/11
Additionally, Cousins has put the ball on the carpet four times thus far this season. Now, I am not a quarterback coach or a GM or a team president, but even I know that fumbling the ball 1.3 times per game isn’t going to make too many people in the Vikings organization happy when you are making $28M per season (AAV) or $1.75M per game.
One would think that Cousins’ numbers will continue to trend downward when he faces the Bears, but don’t be so sure. The Bears are ranked in the middle of the pack in passing yards against with just over 245 yards per game. Keep in mind that of the 735 total yards given up in the passing game, 532 of those yards came against two guys named Joe Flacco and Case Keenum – that’s not exactly the ’27 Yankees of quarterback talent right there. On Sunday, I fully expect the Bears to limit the Vikings running game, which may open up some chances for Cousins to hit on some one-on-ones down the field – if he has time. If.
Where Will Cousins Attack the Bears?
I once had a good buddy who would call the “Bears” “Beers”, like, “Hey dude, how annoying are the ’85 Beers?” I’m not sure what this has to do with anything but I just thought of it, so….Any who, like the Bush family, Cousins has made a living on the right side this season, throwing the ball to left only 18 times as opposed to 33 throws to the right. Don’t be surprised if you see Eddie Jackson and Prince Amukamara solely on that side of the field.
And With What Soldiers Will He Attack?
The Vikings have one of the more talented receiving corps in the league; they just don’t have the quarterback to get them the ball on a consistent basis. Adam Thielen is Cousins favorite target, but don’t sleep on Stefon Diggs. Both guys are averaging over 15 yards per catch and have game breaking speed; if Cousins is to have a big day, one or both guys will have to get off.
Outside of the wide receivers, Cousins looks to Dalvin Cook often; in fact, more than TE Kyle Rudolph at this point in the season. Cook has nine catches for 79 yards thus far and has earned the trust of Cousins to the point that he is getting the second most targets on the team. With the amount of attention that will be paid to Cook in the running game, don’t be surprised to see him on more than one chip screens.
So, What Does All This Mean?
As I said, the Bears will make stopping the run game priority #1. This will give Cousins the opportunity to take a few shots downfield and ultimately, become the reason why the Vikings win or lose.
Vikings 14. Bears 6
Welcome back to The Vault, a weekly series where I dust the THC cobwebs off my brain and try my best to remember how to spell player names, information that is surely replacing things like “how to change a flat tire” or “my home address” in my limited memory bank. Catch me on the shoulder of the Eisenhower at 5pm looking at a flat and mentally spelling out “Brandon Manumaleuna” over and over again whilst in tears.
Let’s set the scene for this throwback recap: it’s late 2009, the 11-3 Vikings arrive in Soldier Field for a Monday Night Football tilt against our beloved 5-9 squad. The Bears sucked that year. This was year one of the Jay Cutler experience, and the acid hadn’t kicked in yet. Their first pick was Jarron freaking Gilbert, a player I had to look up on Monday night when a friend and I were trying to remember the guy the Bears drafted because there was a Youtube video of him jumping out of a pool and landing on his feet. He had 1 career tackle, and is cousins with NBA ICON Javale McGee. That pool video is cool as fuck though, not gonna lie to you. You can’t coach those kind of pool-jumping skills.
I watched this game at a local restaurant/bar, which is rare for me. I hate going to bars to watch games, mainly because you can’t smoke pot there and food is way cheaper at home. This bar, however, had one of those free halftime buffet deals and I was going back to college, so I took my Rodney Dangerfield lookin-ass down to this bar in the dead of winter to watch the 2009 Chicago Bears. Woof.
The game itself was a classic: a 36-30 overtime shootout that found the local boys victorious. The Bears jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead behind the leg of Robbie Gould and a Jay Cutler to Greg Olsen TD pass.The free halftime buffet was destroyed before I even got up there, but hey no big deal, as long as the game is good, right? (about here is when I started going outside to chainsmoke instead of paying for bar food)
Even with a two score lead, any Bears fan could’ve told you Brett Favre was going to make the game uncomfortable. He left his training crocs in the locker room (probably to creep out any female staff members), and mounted a comeback that turned the fourth quarter into a legendary shootout. Each team scored a touchdown in the final 5 minutes. Look at some of the names of the players that drew pistols in this duel: Favre. Cutler. Peterson. Shiancoe. Bennett.
Side Note: Earl Bennett never got the recognition he was due. Not only was he a starting-caliber punt returner that didn’t get to do it since Devin Hester was there, but he was the best Bears possession WR of the last 10 years. His stats don’t do him justice, and if Jay stayed healthy all those years he might have made a Pro Bowl as a slot WR.
…okay maybe Pro Bowl is a bit of a stretch.
Despite these heavy hitters, it was Devin Aromashodu that truly drew first blood, in the sense that he won the game in overtime after a clutch Adrian Peterson fumble gave the Bears the ball with a chance to win it. Win it, he did.
Being a Bears fan means holding permanent grudges towards people you’ll never meet, for things that happened so long ago that they don’t even matter anymore. Brett Favre is one of those people that I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS resent. Yes, he was a creep and was sending the most awkward dick pics to team staff when he was in New York. Acts like that are unequivocally gross and should condemn anyone’s reputation. Yet any Bears fan could’ve told you he was suspect as fuck judging by the way he always dismantled the local boys. It always seemed like he took perverse pleasure in ruining my childhood Sundays. Beating Brett that night was great, and gave me a completely unearned sense of smug self-satisfaction the entire solo walk home back to my apartment with a margarita buzz on.
Fuck Brett Favre.
Our boys have gathered to go over Week 3’s win and look ahead to Week 4’s divisional showdown with Minnehaha.
Comfortable win against a terrible team, but that’s what good teams do, right? Or is there more to this?
Brian Schmitz (@_BrianSchmitz): I hate to answer it this way, but I have no idea what we can take from the win at Washington. A win is a win is win, but let’s not re-ignite the Super Bowl talk just yet. The Vikings game, however hard it will be to watch, will give us a far better idea as to where this offense is at.
Wes French (@WFrenchman): Was it really that comfortable? Sure, it was a dominant half and final few minutes of the 4th, but without Case Keenum thinking he could goal line leap a first down this one was far more nervy than it needed to be.
Mitch was good but still inaccurate on throws that Nagy gifted him. He could have easily been perfect through the half and wasn’t, and the great TD pass to go up 28-0 is easily forgotten when you stand it up against the awful “fade” throw intercepted at the 1-yard-line. A touchdown there and you step on the throat, seal the game with 20+ minutes to play. Take out starters, run clock, all the fun victory stuff while ESPN fills air space.
We didn’t get that, and it’s concerning given the level of competition. I said it halfway through the 2nd quarters while Mitch was dinking and dunking his way to 14-0…a real NFL defense like Minnesota is going to be the real measuring stick.
Tony Martin (@MrMartinBruh): I also found myself sweating out the entire third quarter/second half until Keenum’s boneheaded play. I feel like Pagano took his foot off Washington’s throat and that, combined with some anemic play calling gave them a chance. My biggest issue so far with Matt Nagy’s offense is that his designed run plays lack the creativity of his designed passes; they’re either the zone read or something zany. They invested so much money in the interior of the line, why is it they can’t line up and run it up the middle with any success?
Wes: To the point about the running game, they also investing in the backfield – three new players in Patterson, Davis, Montgomery – and outside of a handful of plays there is no real plan. The diamond formation feels like it could become a real weapon, given that the four backs, those three and Cohen, could interchange roles out of that formation and give defensive fronts some real confusion to deal with. But the plays they call, when Patterson is in the backfield you know he’s getting the ball. Cohen is the guy getting carries between the tackles? Montgomery is doing it all, and Davis is basically a guaranteed pass blocker. Is that the best they can draw up?
Tony: All we can go by is what they’re showing us, so I’m gonna say yes, this is all Nagy has. I understand the ideological concept of using the screen game as an extension of the running game, but in all three games so far the Bears have had a very quick three-and-out in a key drive. Good teams don’t always run the ball super consistently, but they can when they need to, and a stronger devotion to the run game will give Mitch opportunities downfield.
Brian: That’s true, but what if you have an O-Line that can’t run block? The underlying issue with the teams offensive inconsistency is the five guys up front. Until this gets figured out, the run offense will continue struggle.
Wes: I think it’s a little lazy to just say the team can’t run block so why try? Mike Davis signed to rave reviews about how well he fit and that he would be a part of this offense and he’s got all of 28 snaps in three weeks.
I just feel like there is something there in that backfield to be unlocked, and if Nagy and his coaches can figure it out this offense climbs out of mediocrity and open things up for everyone.
Looking ahead to Sunday, what do you want to see on either side of the ball, and what do you think we’re going to see?
Brian: What I think we are going to see is a very boring, low scoring, close game. The Vikings are probably are probably the closest comp to the Bears that we will see this season; a team that will defend first, and hope their offense does just enough to win the game. It will be very interesting to see if the Bears can build on the offensive momentum they started against Washington.
This is a feature I used to do at FanSided last season. But it’s not something I want to waste on those evil fucks, so I give it to you, the people, every week.
Khalil Mack Is The Most Enjoyable Athlete To Watch In Chicago
Oh sure, maybe one say this will be Eloy Jimenez. You could make a case for Lucas Giolito this year. Or Javy Baez every year. Patrick Kane would have an argument, except the best years of his career (statistically) have come as empty calories for useless Hawks teams.
But none of them have redefined a team the way Mack’s arrival has for the Bears, and none of them are consistently making the opposition look like they’re simply not there as Mack. When Mack showed up, the Bears went from an interesting team to the best defense in football. Hope became expectation instantly. And whenever he faces a team that hasn’t made any or all specific plans for him, he simply runs the show.
Note: You should know that this post pretty much is just Mack adulation every week, because he’s just so much fun. You’ve been warned.
Look at this shit:
Case Keenum running the Statue of Liberty with Khalil Mack pic.twitter.com/9YR1fHN7T3
— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) September 24, 2019
Yeah, I know that Washington’s normal left tackle is still holding and out and refusing to play for them (and why shouldn’t he, really?). Still, much better tackles than this don’t even get a hand on Mack. He alters every game he plays, even if it’s offenses shifting three blockers that way and opening up the other side of the field. And yet when you watch games he’s always there, either scaring the piss out of the quarterback or being held on his way to scaring the piss out of the quarterback. It’s real live video game shit. We really are lucky.
It’s Never Enough With Mitch
I think my favorite part of last night’s game was checking on Twitter during the Bears first scoring drive on offense, watching everyone bitch about Mitch’s inaccuracy as he didn’t actually throw an incompletion and the Bears scored. I was sure that was the point of the exercise. Maybe I’m wrong.
Yeah, there were some throws that maybe cost his receivers a few yards after the catch. He also had a rating of 116.5 for the game. Yeah, maybe they didn’t push the ball down the field as much as you would have liked…until he hit Taylor Gabriel on the run in the corner for the killer score. This offense was never going to go from 0-to-60 in one week. They ran the ball a ton in Denver, partly because of the altitude and temperature. The next week they’re going to turn into the Fun-n-Gun? I don’t think it works that way.
All of this felt like it was undone by the simply awful “fade” route throw in the third that was somewhere in the same stadium as Allen Robinson but much closer to the seemingly toast Josh Norman. There’s no way to explain that one. There’s just going to be one or two of those per game, and we can only hope they’re either dropped or so bad they’re not near everyone. But that’s what every QB below the three or four best do. Live with it, because there were other dimes on the night that everyone is neglecting to mention.
Akiem Hicks Is Probably As Important As Mack, Which We Probably Knew
We only have to pray that injury isn’t that serious. Because the one or two drives Washington put together in the third and fourth came without him on the field, and it was the only time Casey Kasum had any time to do anything. The whole thing is predicated on the Bears being able to get pressure with four, especially up the middle when they leave the QB nowhere to go or look. They can’t do that without Hicks, and far better QBs than Keenum will enjoy that more.
That’s what still gnaws about last year. You may never get that health and that level combined from both Hicks and Mack again. Perhaps if the game wasn’t already basically done Hicks could have kept playing. But you’ll notice if he’s hobbled against the Vikings next week, that’s for sure.
Sigh! For the next six days, Chicago can revel in the relaxation of knowing that the Bears are not as bad as we thought they were; the Washington Redskins on the other hand…ho-lee-shit are they terrible.
A victory on Monday Night Football saw a LOT more good than bad, but it was far from perfect. That said, a 31-15 (which didn’t feel nearly that close, until it did for a few minutes) win on national TV is exactly what this team needed for their own collective mental health.
What set the tone for the Bears offensive breakout was Matt Nagy’s decision to come out of the gate going up-tempo, no huddle. This change in philosophy got Mitch Trubisky and the entire offense into an early rhythm that they never got out of. Along with going up-tempo, Nagy got Trubisky out of the pocket far more than he had in the first two weeks. This change obviously caters to the QBs athleticism but also affords the Bears O-Line the chance to get away from their natural pass-pro sets, which have been lacking at various times this season.
Although the first Bears drive didn’t result in a score, the defense handled the points on the next possession as Ha Ha Clinton-Dix turned a Case Keenum overthrow into a 37-yard pick-6 up the Redskins sideline. At this point in the season, the Bears defense had as many TDs as the offense – sooooo, that kinda sucked – but who cares? The Bears were winning a football game and actually looking OK doing it.
After penalties, and more penalties, and a missed kick, and some unwatchable periods of football, the Bears were able to do something they haven’t done since last January 6th – throw a touchdown pass. What was even more encouraging about this play was that it wasn’t the Trubisky’s first, second, or maybe even third read. Mitch was given a lot time, stayed composed in the pocket, went through his progressions, and made the right throw to Taylor Gabriel. This drive, while still littered with some inaccurate throws, was certainly the most promising of the season.
Seconds later, Khalil Mack did some Khalil Mack shit – which is beat his man off the line (again), swipe at the ball on a fly by, and force a fumble. Danny Trevathian recovered the ball deep in Washington territory, which led quickly to another Trubisky TD throw to Taylor Gabriel on a well-designed play action pass. This was the moment you could feel a collective sigh in and around Chicago. The Bears were the better team tonight, and unless they would suffer a historic meltdown over the remaining 35 minutes, a 2-1 record heading into week 4 vs. Minnesota at Soldier Field was a given.
After yet another forced turnover by the best defense in the league, Trubisky & Gabriel continued their historic night as the duo connected on a 36-yard TD pass. Gabriel became the first player ever with three receiving touchdowns in the same quarter in the long history of Monday Night Football. The Bears were now up 28-0, which is 9 more points than they had in their first two games combined.
Aside from a seven-minute span where Washington decided to act like a real-life NFL team, the 2nd half was largely uneventful. The Redskins eventually returned to being the Redskins and this “get-well” for the Bears game was on ice – a 31-15 road win that could have not come at a better time.
Bear Scats
• There are extended periods of time when the only reason to watch this team is to see how dominant the Bears defense is. They are a unit, that with any sort of help from a competent offense, can win a Super Bowl. It’s a rare thing in sports these days to see a defense which is more entertaining to watch than an offense – but this what we are lucky enough to be witnessing in Chicago this season.
• My personal highlight of the Redskins 3rd drive was Adrian Peterson getting stuffed on yet another 1st down run attempt and showing his frustration with his horseshit O-Line. Fast forward then to the 3rd quarter where Peterson was visibly pissed about not getting any red zone carries. To be honest, I’m not sure how much longer we are going to see Peterson in a Redskins uniform. Even though he seems to think its 2009, he’s not a featured back at this point in his career – which means he’ll probably get released, sign with the Patriots, and average 100 yards per game.
• Why was Booger McFarland incessantly calling for the firing of Jay Gruden? Say it once, fine. But to continue to say it over and over shows there is more to his comments than just his own professional opinion. I am a big Jay Gruden fan – I played for Jay and he’s a great dude. He hasn’t exactly been put in a position to succeed in Washington, and on top of that, his boss is a certified weirdo how still doesn’t know how to run a professional football franchise after all these years.
• Mitch Trubisky finished 25/31 for 231 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT – he was much better tonight against a very bad defense, but I still don’t trust his accuracy. Even a handful of his completions were poorly thrown balls, which gave his receivers no chance at any YAC numbers. Sunday afternoon vs. Minnesota will give us all a very good picture of where we are with Mitch Trubisky as the starting quarterback of a team that has very strong Super Bowl aspirations.
• Remember when Tarik Cohen & Anthony Miller were the offensive weapons of the future? How’s this working out? Cohen rushed four times for -2 yards. Miller had one catch. Matt Nagy needs to get these two guys involved if he not only wants to keep them happy, but also wants to see this offense flourish this year and beyond. Aside from QB play, the lack of production from Cohen and Miller is very disheartening.
So, What Does It All Mean?
The Bears won a game they had to win against an opponent that deserved to lose. I am not sure how much we learned this week, but it’s better than the alternative, which would be knowing for certain that Trubisky and Nagy and the O-Line all suck and this teams has no chance. Minnesota on Sunday will be a realty check for this team. I am excited to see how they respond.
Club Dub is open for business after the Bears outlasted the Racial Slurs of Washington in a true tale of two halves, 31-15. Mitchell Trubisky was more encouraging than not, but still had some WTF moments. The defense asserted itself early and often but left a lot to be desired in closing out the win. Matt Nagy had his best game in along time, but will need to overcome some injuries to key players to keep this win streak alive.
Trubs was as accurate as he’s been since before the shoulder injury last Winter, throwing for 3 TDs and capping a fantastic first half with an absolute dime to Taylor Gabriel for a long TD on 3rd and long. Mitch went into the half 20-23, 173 yards and those three scores with a 28-3 lead. The second half turned on Mitch, though, after he made an atrocious throw on an attempted fade route that landed well short of Allen Robinson and into the arms of Josh Norman for another Red Zone interception.
That turnover flipped the game, as Washington would close the gap to 28-15 early in the 4th quarter while the Bears offense stalled to a halt. The defense was there to bail out their Quarterback with a late fumble recovery to help ice the game, but it can’t be ignored that Mitch was not the one to put the emphatic exclamation point on this one. David Montgomery did what everyone has been saying he can do and iced the game with some very nice work on the ground, ensuring Washington no opportunity at a shock finish. Trubs finished just 25-31 for 231 yards and those three first half scores.
Khalil Mack was in the Washington backfield all night, accounting for two sacks including a sack fumble that set up a short TD drive early in the second quarter. That was just one of five turnovers created on the evening, with Kyle Fuller adding an interception on top of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix double and one for a score. Akiem Hicks added a fumble recovery but also aggravated his nagging knee injury and will be re-evaluated Tuesday at Halas Hall. The secondary is still a work in progress as well despite the INT binge, giving up massive chunks at times while sitting in Pagano’s favored zone scheme. Maybe that’s just the give to the take aways, but it looked real ugly as Case Keenum and Scary Terry McLaurin gouged the defense in the 2nd half.
Taylor Gabriel, who caught all three touchdowns, left in the second half with a concussion, and while the hit in question didn’t look all that bad you just never know how long those things will linger. Leonard Floyd was shaken up in the first half, but returned and closed out the game – still probably something to monitor as the Bears head home for a date with rivals Minnesota.
Everything you’ll need before tonight’s tilt in Maryland. Or Virginia. Or wherever the fuck they keep Daniel Snyder so they don’t have to listen to him whine. Which doesn’t work.
Opposing QB Study: Kirk Cousins
Bear Down.
Bears Offense vs. Washington Defense
Washington Offense vs. Bears Defense
