The Chicago Bears had a pretty relaxing day this past Sunday. Having secured their victory for the week on Thursday night against the contending Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bears enjoyed a mini-bye sitting at 4-1.
Not bad. Here was my post-game reaction Thread the Thursday night win:
Thread: A few extra thoughts on Bucs-Bears…
1. You can question Matt Nagy, the play caller. He had some "yikes" moments again. But you can't question Nagy, the head coach. This team responded, AGAIN, from 13-0 down to beat a very good team. 4-1. 24-13. Nagy just wins.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 9, 2020
With this coming Sunday’s game against the surprising Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, the Bears need to ensure their offense is ready to go. The defensive test the Panthers administer won’t be nearly as tough as what Indianapolis and Tampa displayed, but the Bears have to get their details right.
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As Matt Nagy said on Friday after the win, “Darn it, when you play in this offense, you better be freaking detailed.”
And that was after a win…
With that, I reach into this week’s Bears Mailbag. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. Follow me on Twitter @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation.
Mailbag
I don’t honestly see this happening. The Bears believe their running game issues largely lie with the OL. And they adore David Montgomery. He’s RB1. Le’Veon Bell is good, but he might complain about usage if he comes to Chicago. Bears won’t want to deal with any fallout. https://t.co/HT9NScvDXh
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 14, 2020
The other thing to keep in mind is the Bears also like Lamar Miller. Miller was signed to the practice squad after Tarik Cohen’s ACL injury knocked him out for the season. He’s played for Bill Lazor in Miami and also has a relationship with RB coach Charles London, who spoke highly of him on Tuesday. The likeliest option is the Bears promoting Miller from the practice squad in the coming day(s) or week(s), assuming his knee is healthy.
I'd rather take a chance on Josh Rosen.
Sam Darnold's OL has wrecked him, and I'm not sure he can come out of such trauma on a new team. But even when he has a clean pocket, he's too inconsistent for my liking.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 14, 2020
The Bears may need to cut Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie to make the cap math work, too. So they may need three starters next year with Germain Ifedi only on a one-year deal.
Alex Bars could take one spot, but the Bears will actively target OL in the draft.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 14, 2020
Assuming strictly DL and not including EDGE:
Hicks
Nichols
Edwards Jr.
Jenkins
Robertson-Harris
UrbanThis might be more than they usually keep active, but they won't want to put Urban on the bench. He makes plays.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 14, 2020
Jimmy Graham leads the team with four touchdowns in five games. 🙂
It would be nice to see them produce a bit more outside the red zone, though. Unfortunately, the Bears' QBs keep looking at the receivers first.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 13, 2020
They'll give him the first shot. He's earned it. But they'll certainly be looking for outside help, just in case.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 14, 2020
When Nick Foles decides to target him. Right now, Kmet is holding his own as a blocker (and doing quite well). I know everyone wants to see more targets for him, and hopefully they will come soon. But he *is* contributing.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 13, 2020
Good question. Given they took him at #4 overall, my guess is they would've taken him regardless. It's tough to pass on elite talent, and RBs were crucial back then.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 14, 2020
Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles just haven't looked Kmet's way much in the passing game. He's been open a few times when he's run routes, but the QBs haven't gotten to him in their progressions.
But the Bears are pleased with his play and how he's blocking.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 13, 2020
I still have to watch more tape of Carolina. But the Bears are flat-out the better team. The Bears should be able to function much better on offense. Two areas I worry about:
Run defense
TacklingBridgewater gets the ball out quickly. Bears will have to tackle.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 14, 2020
They've already made one on the DL with Mario Edwards Jr.
They'll keep bringing in folks for workouts and keeping names ready in case of injury or performance. Alex Bars gets the first shot at replacing James Daniels.
You won't find better OTs this late in the game.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 14, 2020
They've already started mitigating the situation a bit by going to more Dime looks. But their best bet is to hope Trevathan gets back to form. They won't be able to trade him, given his contract, but they could bench him if he looks lost and slow too much longer.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 13, 2020
I think he will. The Bears aren't in a position to consider any team a trap game the way their offense is playing, but it is fair to wonder how they'll respond after a crazy prime time win, before another prime time appearance next week.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 13, 2020
He's playing well. He's had numerous pressures on QBs and I've counted a few instances where Quinn's pressure led the QB to move in the pocket and directly into a sack from someone else. He's having an impact for sure.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 13, 2020
If I had to guess, I'd say something along the lines of:
4 years, $72 million, with ~$50 million guaranteed.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) October 13, 2020
