WrigleyField 22

Nah, PFF can look goofy sometimes, but no chance in a game like this.

I have approximately zero worry about a surprise week 18 win after this game. But I guess on the very unlikely chance, that breathing room is nice and they could potentially go into next week with 2 locked up and still a chance at 1.

I'm full shut him down mode now. Don't need to see him next week either.

Lol wtf

Houston not doing their part for the #1 seed, but Zona and Denver both keeping it close for some possible top 3 protection. Not overly worried about Bears winning this week or next, especially with an increasing chance the Bye is still up for grabs next week.

Okay, take Fields out.

It was pretty good in 05-06. That’s the last time I can remember it being considered good It was good that first Trestman year too. Pretty good in 2018 too (was very healthy). They've rarely been as bad as this year though.

Saints up early against Philly. A win there is a first necessary step to having Minny still in play for the bye next week.

I was just thinking I can't figure out if their Pass D or Run D is worse and it's a real race to the bottom to decide.

At this rate, he'll break it today Do it today or it doesn't count.

Came to say exactly this lol 4th and 4th and Goff takes a double cover endzone shot and Bears bail them lol

Looks like there's a very slight impact, per 538s prediction model. But perhaps more indirectly, a Lions loss basically tanks their chances leaving almost nothing or nothing to play for the following week against GB. Do you have a link to that I love playing around with that stuff https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-nfl-predictions/

Pretty certain the outcome of the Bears/Lions game is meaningless to the Packers’ playoff odds. Looks like there's a very slight impact, per 538s prediction model. But perhaps more indirectly, a Lions loss basically tanks their chances leaving almost nothing or nothing to play for the following week against GB.

How so? He's got Sam Mustipher as his current C, Mustiphers shape can only be described as round. Poles must be able to justify it somehow Mustipher only forced on him cuz he thinks the cap is real *niche sarcasm post*

320. Poles doesn't like the fatties. Probably a pass for the Bears.

Yeah, Schmitz seems like he'll go anywhere from mid 2nd to mid 3rd. He's interesting because he doesn't seem very athletic. Not a guy that's going to wow at the combine, but he plays way more athletically than he looks. Has a lot of plays where he makes fantastic reach blocks, which are key for this offense. Not sure how good he would handle elite interior pass rushers or DEs on stunts, but run blocking looks like a clear fit. But overall, I'm not in love with the guy as a prospect. Definitely not big on handing him the job as a rookie, and where he will get drafted you basically would have to hand him the job to make the pick worth it. But if the Bears do sign a really good LG and a starting RT, then he becomes a much more viable option. I'm coming back to this because I've been busy the last few days and haven't had a chance to reply, but Schmitz is more than capable w/ pass rushers and stunts. He's off the charts on run blocking and pretty damn good on passing downs https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/JohnMichael-Schmitz-OL-Minnesota even if Patrick somehow held on the C position, Schmitz has the size, talent, and athleticism to play G. He'd be a better bet than Mustipher and probably most of the top G's in the draft eta: plus, he's from the south suburbs and very likely a Bears fan. HOMER UP If he's a versatile IOL guy, then that may be slightly different than a C only guy. So he could be the "make a decision on Whitehair later" guy then. I *may* still just have a little Hrosniss Grasu trauma, but the mid round C only scares me.

Looks like Ben Gordon's personal struggles and legal issues continue

The floor to like a back end top 10 defense is a lot more attainable with Fields. If they can clean up the line, I think they can *get by* elsewhere. Of course I want a Bills/Chiefs top 3 offense, but I don't think mediocre to good is dependent on that first pick, luckily

I don't think getting that Adams type receiver is the only path to them competeting around Fields in the near term, either. They can be a division winner and serious contender without it. Even if you were recognizing it might be a short term play there may be other short term play WRs who may become available at a much lesser cost than Adams. Don't know for sure, but I'm guessing his price isn't significantly different than a year ago. So yea, while the Bears shouldn't have some 3 year building window, I don't think they can focus on any one method and I think it's fair to question whether Adams would be worth the cost to acquire. Probably all moot. I don't think he's going anywhere.

In Front Office turnover rumors: (the Big Ten fans in the comments seem ready to pack his bags, for whatever that is worth lol) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Warren Has plenty of NFL exec experience (Rams, Lions, Vikings), most recently as Vikings COO from 2015-19 before becoming Big Ten commissioner. Wonder if he was involved at all with the Vikings Stadium deal before becoming COO.

I would not risk that units success on the availability of the right OC prospect just sitting there in the mid rounds. That would be more of a "wait and see on Whitehair and LG" proposition than a "Wait and see on Mustipher/Patrick at C" proposition to me. risk? what risk? you're looking at replacing Sam Mustispher for crying out loud! I keep saying his name because 1) I'm a total homer but 2) - and more importantly, he's the best coming out, but Schmitz from Minnesota would be a huge upgrade If the only bar is improving Mustipher that's still a wide and left for "bad OL" Mid round rookies are never that safe of propositions. Fields getting his pocket collapsed because Poles tried to get cute when he had all the money he could possibly need is something I want zero to do with.

This is how I would itemize the roster of 22 starters and 4 key rotation pieces. I've assigned partial credit for guys who are tossups or longshots. Column 3 is where there is a certain or possible in house replacement who wasn't a week 1 starter (Claypool at WR-X, Patrick at C, Sanborn at Mike, Jones at NB) Pos Wk1 22 Ply Back Other New QB Fields 1.00 0.00 0.00 RB Montgomery 0.25 0.75 0.00 WR-X St Brown 0.00 1.00 0.00 WR-Y Mooney 1.00 0.00 0.00 WR-S Pettis 0.00 0.00 1.00 TE Kmet 1.00 0.00 0.00 LT Jones 1.00 0.00 0.00 LG Whitehair 0.50 0.00 0.50 C Mustipher 0.00 0.25 0.75 RG Jenkins 1.00 0.00 0.00 RT Borom 0.00 0.00 1.00 DT Jones 0.50 0.00 0.50 DE Muhammad 0.00 0.00 1.00 DE Quinn 0.00 0.00 1.00 NT Blackson 0.00 0.00 1.00 MK Morrow 0.25 0.75 0.00 WL Smith 0.00 0.00 1.00 CB Johnson 1.00 0.00 0.00 CB Gordon 1.00 0.00 0.00 NB Vildor 0.25 0.25 0.50 SS Brisker 1.00 0.00 0.00 FS Jackson 1.00 0.00 0.00 DL Robinson 0.50 0.00 0.50 DL Gibson 0.50 0.00 0.50 RB2 Herbert 0.25 0.00 0.75 WR/TE Griffin 0.00 0.00 1.00 26 Total 12.0 3.00 11.0 So basically. 1 New WR and 1 New WR/TE weapon (maybe slight chance Velus is internal fill-in for the latter) 1 New RB with a outside chance of a resigned Montgomery 2 New OL with a possibility of 3 3 new DL, maybe all 4 new, but with a few bodies back at least as rotation guys in that case 1 new LB with either Sanborn or a resigned Morrow back at one spot 1 New CB likely, but some chance they fill internally (lots of young bodies there) Blended that's 15 spots returning as starters or filled internally and 11 new spots to fill. That's a majority of your expected O/D snaps (before injury). And then I'd presume you're probably 50/50 in resigning verse new FA and draft picks that fill out the rest of the roster spots 27-50 (then 3 specialists who should all be back)

Yea those are really low odds though. Per 538, a win bumps their odds up 2% and a loss bumps down 5%. So a 7% swing for the WC. While not nothing, when paired with the week 18 being a 100% win and in prop, it's just a game where you should be fine being in a hedge mode. Every decision is "is this worth the 7% WC increase, when the the division is the main prize."

The cap hits of Patrick or Whitehair are pretty meaningless to me at this point for the Bears. They'll be in a good cap position moving forward no matter what.

To me I think C is a position where you could draft a quality player in the 3or 4th round that could start right away assuming you have some talent around them. I would not risk that units success on the availability of the right OC prospect just sitting there in the mid rounds. That would be more of a "wait and see on Whitehair and LG" proposition than a "Wait and see on Mustipher/Patrick at C" proposition to me.