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I think we should figure out a way to play tOSU like BYU & Coastal Carolina did. Either way someone will likely earn a playoff berth with a win. It would be good for Ohio State, too. There’s no rule that says they have to win the Big Ten championship to go to the playoff. A 6-0 O$U with wins over Indiana and TAMU is a playoff caliber team. A 5-0 Ohio State team is a playoff caliber team.

They’ve both been a lot better lately. 2nd and 3rd longest current winning streaks in the league after the Saints.

Right now, I'm feeling: Rick Smith- President of Football Operations (former Texans GM before O'Brien) Ed Dodds (Colts asst GM) or Joe Hortiz (Ravens asst GM)- GM Brandon Staley - HC (Rams DC, former Bears asst under Fangio) Shane Waldron- OC (Rams QB coach, passing game coordinator) Jay Rodgers- DC (Current Bears DL coach, former asst under Fangio) Dodds seemingly was a package deal with Robert Saleh last year when Cleveland was interested, but Cleveland went with another HC. So, he may be of a lot of interest to Detroit. If that's still the case, give me Hortiz. But yes, I went with a defensive head coach. He has Bears ties and his name is Staley! But the ideal pairing is a Fangio disciple led defense with an offensive coach from the Shanahan tree. Best of both worlds. Waldron could bring in a veteran consultant since all these guys are young. But Rodgers and Staley overlapped under Fangio, and allows the Bears to keep and promote maybe their only good position coach.

Brian Daboll is a pretty interesting candidate. He has worked wonders with Josh Allen who looked like Trubisky 2.0 after his rookie year. From mid 60s QB rating, to mid 80s, to over 100 this year. Allen looking really good tonight.

I don't think borrowing from the future will be a thing you have to worry about. Ryan Pace did that because he was desperately trying to win to save him and his coach's jobs. Assuming he's fired, I don't know of too many situations (maybe some past Cleveland GMs) where a guy comes in and starts throwing tons of money around.

Going to finish with the best record for the regular season (10-3). It's the 6th year in a row I've finished with either the best (2020, 2018, 2015) or worst (2019, 2017, 2016) regular season record in the league. Of course, I have not won the championship since 2012 and the best 2 records get a bye. So inevitably, my team will put up about 180 points this week and follow up a semifinal game with a 78 or something. I'm middle of the pack in scoring for the season, but 9-3 without my #1 pick for all but 2 3/4 weeks works for me. I've been very lucky with my waiver pick ups all year (big games from Kalen Ballage, Curtis Samuel, Jimmy Graham, and got 25 from TY Hilton this week) and add McCaffery to a team that has performed pretty consistently all season.

Yeah, I get that. But there's also Garoppolo, Daniel Jones, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray run good offenses without great throwing ability, Jared Goff (another #1 pick that hasn't lived up to billing), Bridgewater, Tannehill, etc. Even guys like Brees, Brady and Rivers aren't great anymore. Like 3 of these teams have more talent around them, but most of these guys are borderline average QBs who are leading offenses that run circles around the Bears. how many of those teams have offensive lines that are built with talent better then 7th rd picks? my point is this (and why I hate trading up for a QB): you an either draft a once in a lifetime QB (good luck) or you can surround a QB with talent with even better or equal talent. I just don't think the Bears can afford to trade up. The Bears OL to start the season was a 1st rounder, 2 2nd rounders, a 4th rounder, and a 7th. Granted that 1st rounder was a failed pick playing a new position, but they paid both their tackles good money, paid their C, and used a 2nd round pick on a guard. Also, what you say isn't really true. SF doesn't have receiver weapons (outside of Kittle, who was a 5th round pick), they had a UDFA RB leading them to the SB. Ravens probably have the worst WR group in the league. Arizona's weapons were pretty bad until they traded for Drake and Hopkins and they still were the 16th offense. OL isn't great either. Goff doesn't have amazing weapons or OL. Titans lost their best 2 OL (both tackles) to injury early on and free agency before the season. Only the Saints and Browns really fit into a team surrounding their QB with great talent. What these teams have is a great scheme that plays to their strengths. I'm not even completely unconvinced a good enough coach couldn't scheme to Trubisky and Foles' strengths. It looked like Nagy was doing that with Trubisky and a coach actually won a SB with Foles. And they can afford to trade up for a QB. What they can't afford to do is pick the wrong QB.

Mayfield has 1st round talent all around him, as does Hill. Smith was a #1 pick Yeah, I get that. But there's also Garoppolo, Daniel Jones, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray run good offenses without great throwing ability, Jared Goff (another #1 pick that hasn't lived up to billing), Bridgewater, Tannehill, etc. Even guys like Brees, Brady and Rivers aren't great anymore. Like 3 of these teams have more talent around them, but most of these guys are borderline average QBs who are leading offenses that run circles around the Bears.

To add on to the HC/QB making a difference point.....man, the bar for competent QB play is so low. It's really ridiculous the Bears perpetually fail to get there. Sure it would have been ideal to just pick Watson or Mahomes, but having a QB that great isn't even necessary to have a decent offense. Half the league has mediocrity at QB and are doing just fine. You can't convince me the Bears can't figure out a way to get QB play like Baker Mayfield, prime Alex Smith, or hell, even Taysom Hill is running a respectable offense right now. This horsefeathers shouldn't be so hard.

I think the cap is going to be relatively flat for 2021. The 175M number that's being thrown around is a worst case scenario number. I think the NFL will look at the possibility of a vaccine, ability to fill stadiums at least close to capacity, and the pending TV deal as reasons to not go worst case scenario with the cap. Also, there are a few teams that may literally not be able to get down to that number (Saints, Eagles, I believe are the main two), and that means a TON of veterans will either be out of the league or take massive pay cuts, which will lessen the competitiveness of the league. So, I think you're looking at 190-195M cap. I probably wouldn't blow anything up. I don't like the thought of moving more Mack money into the future. I probably keep Hicks (and his 12M cap hit). I'm not trading him for a 5th (maybe a mid-to-high 4th), but I'm also not big on extending him just to lower his cap hit for 2021. I probably franchise Robinson, without even looking to sign him long-term until I know how everything else will shake out. If he makes a big stink, then you trade him close to the season. Fuller has a 20M cap hit, with 11M dead. He's an easy restructure candidate. I'd probably sign him to the same deal as Darius Slay (same age, similar level player). Slay got a 3/50.5 extension. His cap number was lowered to 4.3 for this year (15.75, 19.75, 20.75 the next 3). You don't have to lower Fuller that much, but 3/50.5 extension would make his deal 4/59.5 (Slay 4/60.5). Could structure his cap hits 8M, 15M, 17M, 19M and the last year would be not be fully guaranteed. Would save you 12M in 2021 space. Fuller restructure, 6-8M carryover, Skrine, Graham and Massie cuts give you about 35M in space. Robinson franchise tag leaves you 19M or so. I'd also do the Leno paycut thing that they did to Kyle Long (and Minnesota did to Riley Reiff). Obviously, he's not willing....you cut him June 1 and save another 6Mil. Use the remaining FA money on veteran players on the OL and DL, and bringing back cheap depth guys like Bush, DHC, Urban, etc. Draft a QB with the first pick (I'd trade up if I had to, but not trading a future 1). Draft OT (deep draft) in the 2nd. More OL or WR in the 3rd if you don't have to use this pick to trade up.

Don't underestimate the difference a new coach (scheme) and QB can make. The Cards went from last to 16th in offense by adding just Kingsbury/Murray before the 2019 season. That was pretty much all they did offensively other than lateral moves with scrap heap guys at TE, RG, and RT. They added Hopkins this year and went to top 10. The Niners went from 30th in offense to 20th just by hiring Shanahan, and their QB went from Kaepernick/Gabbert to Hoyer/Beathard and 5 games of Jimmy G to end the year. When Shanahan had a healthy QB of his choosing, his offense was #2 last year and obviously went to the SB. Now granted, the Bears aren't going to hire an elite college play designer or the top NFL offensive mind on the market this offseason and won't have the #1 pick. But don't underestimate how far competence can go. Jimmy G is clearly just competent at best. Murray is a dynamic talent, but his numbers as a rookie were not world beating. And non-spectacular candidates like Brian Daboll (Buf) and Arthur Smith (Ten) are putting together strong offenses while developing/fixing QBs. One of those types + Wilson/Lance in this draft could put this offense near the middle of the pack. If the defense decides actually doesn't quit next year, they'll be in position to win a decent amount of games even with guys a year older.

At least you have IU football... (that sounds really strange to say) Yeah, and they should be good for at least the next couple years so bad news for the Bears if this trend continues

Because I can never have nice things......IU football is 6-1 and a top 10 team this year, but them and the Bears have not won on the same weekend this year.

Yeah, Pace was exactly the type of hire you want. Young, from a winning organization, former scout, worked his way up. His draft record is above average. His FA signings have mostly been above average. He was able to get comp picks for the first time in 10 years. Ultimately, he got 1 (maybe 2) decisions wrong. He got the QB wrong, which is the death knell for any GM. And depending on who you fault for this whole thing, he got the coach wrong.....though it's arguable if he got the QB right, the coach would be fine. I guess if the coach hire was right, maybe they develop Trubisky.

Up with mega threads. This is mostly born from the fact that I’m pretty sure this is week 12 but the Beats thread says week 13. Plus, the weekly NFL thread has maybe 9 posts. Nope. I'm right. You're wrong. Week 13. Every team is playing their 12th game this week + 1 bye week.

Pat Fitzgerald will fix this all.

Terrible coaching. Lol. How do you call a run with 11 seconds left? Sent from my SM-A115AZ using Tapatalk

This is for the best. Sent from my SM-A115AZ using Tapatalk

Thats what you get for calling 2 passes in that situation. Sent from my SM-A115AZ using Tapatalk

There's a lot of overlap with Coward in and out of the lineup with this too right? Little of column A. Little of column B. Yeah, I don't think he has played a snap in any of the Mitch games.

Over 100 yards rushing in each of Trubisky's starts. 0 100 yard games in Foles' starts.

So, does this show the Bears should have started Trubisky all season or that the Bears should have played the Lions every game this season?

Sorry, another post. But the worst part about the Fitzgerald rumors is that the ownership likes him. While it's fine for the ownership to like people, if they hire or try to push Fitzgerald on a new GM (and hopefully president of football operations) it's likely to end horribly. Like everything else does for this organization.

Nick Foles is active today and the backup QB. Robinson, Mooney, Hicks and Mack were all questionable and all are playing. Wims is active again, with Ridley watching again. And will finally get to see Trevis Gipson for the first time since Week 1, with James Vaughters hurt. Vaughters is the only injured scratch. Inactives: Vaughters, McCullers, Simmons, Pierce, and Ridley.

I think the Bears need a good coach. I don't care what his specialty is. While I think Fitzgerald is a good coach, I don't know if he's a good NFL coach, and he doesn't do anything scheme wise that is innovative or groundbreaking nor comes from that type of coaching tree. If he could pull in a good coordinators, I'd feel alot better about hiring him. But he's pretty meh on the surface.