Morning after thoughts *WEEK 2 EDITION*

1) The bears won early in the season, and all of the clown fans are out when it comes to Mitch Trubisky. I think overall, he was better week 2 than against Green Bay. Feet settled in, and minor things that don't go on the stat sheet, like when he took off for the 17 yard run for a 1st down in the 1st half. His eyes stayed downfield. He looked like he still wanted to throw before flat out running. He progressed through his reads, although his first read he depended on a lot this week, and when it was there, he made a great play. When it wasn't, it was bad.

I'm not one to expect instant perfection, and his game was far from. He should have easily had 3 INTs, but also 3 TDs. Missing wide open Gabriel that would have broke the game open 14-0 was disappointing. He missed a wide open Jordan Howard on a swing pass with only 1 man in front of him, their back up CB.

He was accurate, 25 of 34. He has to finish and play a whole game. I think we incrementally saw that, and I think its reasonable to have that expectation that he incrementally gets better.

For those expecting instant perfection like Wentz, Goff, or Mahomes, fuck off. Its his 2nd game in a complex, modern NFL offense. Be reasonable and critical of the mistakes, sure; but don't be an idiot. Nagy adjusted week 1 to week 2, and I expect him to do so again with Mitch's gameplan going against the Cardinals.

2) If you haven't been watching other games, refs are flag happy this year. The bears have 12 penalties in 2 games, 5th lowest in the league behind the Patriots, Bucs, Dolphins, and Giants. The refs weren't spectacular either.

3) Khalil Mack. Fuck he's good, and he makes others around him better too. This defense without him, this team is 0-2 and they wouldn't . Easily. Jon Gruden is an idiot.

4) Props to the offensive line, highly underrated and I don't think are getting as much credit as they should. All 4 of Trubisky's sacks against the Packers weren't on the line, they were on his happy feet. The Massie play was bullshit, but they just aren't making many mistakes.

5) I know some people think Jordan Howard didn't get enough touches, but he looked slow to me. Even on his big gains. I hope he's not hurt. Seattle definitely gameplanned for him, but

6) Speaking of slow, what happened, Nick Kwiatkowski? Dude should be in a hot dog eating contest with Sebastian Janakowski. Sorry, pierogi. Forgot the 'ski' at the end of Nick's name......

7) Kyle Fuller looks so fundamentally solid one play and lost the next. That I'm concerned with. Prince I'm not. Brandon Marshall sure torched him for those 44 yards on 6 targets......

Which leads me to my next point, interceptions are primarily about opportunity, yes--obviously there's skill involved. Mack and the pass rush generated a lame duck pass which Prince jumped for a gorgeous pick 6. More of that, please. A dominating pass rush can make pedestrian secondary look a lot better than it is.

8) The espn announcers were brutal......had to mute halfway through quarter 1.

9) Aaron Lynch redeemed himself, which was a nice thing to be wrong about. The pedophile stache has to go though.

 

Hmm... Im guessing you and I were watching different games. But, I was drunk and the all-22 isn't out yet.

But...I still saw happy feet. I saw him bailing when the pocket was holding. I saw very innacurate downfield throws. I saw bad decisions. I saw some lucky drops by the Seahawks db's. I saw many missed open receivers, both missed in terms of the throw, and missed in terms of identifying them, I saw a kid who after 14 games still looks like a deer in head lights. I also saw some really bad mechanics.

With that, I haven't given up. He should definitely be better than he is playing right now, but that doesn't mean he will figure it out and be able to process the game at a real nfl speed.

He was clearly a target and it was a mismatch, and I do think he got the best of Prince. The pick 6 was not on a ball thrown to Marshall. It was to Penny who split out wide.

And moving forward, if you want to call me out, balls up. I have no issues having a discussion. Just don't bury your opinion in a mass post. You're better than that Pat.

So, do you think PA owned Marshall?

Marshall got the better than PA one-one-one. I am surprised they didn't exploit it more.

They did move Fuller over to cover Marshall later in the game on certain downs. Which may have made them change it up.

But this was mismatch on our D they could exploit. It was the only one I could find.

 

No. It was waaay late and a tad short, AND off his back foot.

Robinson was still running forward. Had no chance to play D on that.

 

Disparaging fans that criticize Trubisky as being "clowns" is the kind of name calling that discourages participation on these boards. He's had two bad games and the Bears won in spite of him. Was he better game 2 than 1? Somewhat. But that's like saying a bad performance is better than a horrible one.

Our defense has been playing out of this world so far and that's the most encouraging thing I've seen in god knows how long. We have receivers that are better than we've had in a while. We have a serviceable oline and on paper are stocked at TE. RB isn't a problem, either.

Defensively we have some shaky CB play (I feel Callahan is our best CB right now) but otherwise we're solid overall.

We beat a bad Seahawks team last night and we just skated by thanks to the pick 6. It was also a better coached game by Nagy and that helped out Trubisky more than anyone. We'll see what happens but literally the only down side from that game was Trubisky and probably Fuller, which is why people are being critical of him

 

Right.

Brandon Marshall is a 34 year old, over the hill wide receiver who's been in rapid decline since his last great year in 2015, hasn't been able to stick with one team, and could only find a job in 2018 with a rapidly declining Seattle. This isn't Brandon Marshall of 2012, where he's a big enough factor, QB good or bad, offense smart or not to change the game like a Julio Jones or DeAndre Hopkins.

I never said Prince "owned" him, so don't be the guy who puts words in my mouth, his stat sheet wasn't goose eggs across the board; had it have been, the Giants wouldn't have cut him after 2-3 years. He can clearly still play in the league. I just didn't think an over the hill receiver who's slow and at the end of his career posed as big a threat as you did, and any average WR looks great with a QB with all the time in the world throwing to him. I know the jumped pick-6 wasn't on him either. His technique is still there, his first reception he used his body to move Prince out of the way for 12 or 13 yards first down or whatever it was, and that's experience knowing his body cant outrun his opponent.

And again, I said the defensive line pressure on Wilson would dictate his game for more than Prince v Marshall match up. It did. The bears didn't give Wilson a lot of time to throw the ball, and 4 receptions on 6 targets tells that story. He wasn't targeted the way premier receivers are, because he can't change the game the way premier receivers can anymore; where shitty offense or not--they're getting targeted and stats. See DeAndre Hopkins in 2015 with Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallet, and TJ Yates.

Great receivers change games. Marshall's not one of them in 2018, and I think you saw something you wanted to see because Marshall is still a darling to some bears fans. By all means, show me the All-22 plays he had a step or 2 on Prince and 'what could have been.'

IMO, Trubisky is not going to be instant success, and I get the trade up increases expectations, and you take a look at Mahomes, at Goff, at Wentz and see instant perfection and you want that because they make it look easy and that's when you know you have a good team. I think he will get incrementally better, and showed incremental progressions from week 1 to week 2. I still think he missed a lot of things, and clearly needs to settle down on the easy throws.

How do you get those ready to jump off the cliff after mistakes to have some perspective? Its the kid's 2nd game in a complex, modern offense. This progression isn't going to be overnight. Be critical and objective of the mistakes, but don't be a meatball. He may kill it later this year. He may be a bust. We don't know, and 2 games with some opinions bears fans had formed, false comparisons to Mahomes or the desire for instant success, I think 'clowns' is too nice a term.

 

I would add Josh Bellamy for 3% in the offense which amounted to just two snaps, and makes me think Kevin White saw as much time as a guy many would say shouldn't be on the team, and yet here we are, a top 10 1st rounder from 2015 can barely even see the field. Makes me think with all that perceived talent he's either Dumb as post, lazy as a motherfucker, or just a flat out bust, and none of those reasons are embraceable qualities. This is his contract year and yet a rookie leapfrogged his ass. Why is that? I get that maybe Miller is perhaps a better fit in the system at this point, but if the guy had actual talent he sure would be able to find more of the field in anyone's system wouldn't he?

 

Exactly my point... That 34 year old, over the hill wide receiver who's been in rapid decline since his last great year in 2015, hasn't been able to stick with one team, and could only find a job in 2018 with a rapidly declining Seattle WR outplayed Prince.

 

If Pace had sat pat at 3 and taken Mitch there, then I don’t think there’d be the freak out there is. He’d be what he is.

But the fact he gave up what he did, to move up one spot, means Pace obviously does believe that Mitch is that good. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for folks to expect more when Pace expected more.

 

Next weeks game should be funny to watch

https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadsp...rything-is-wrong-with-the-ariz-1829120688/amp

• The Cardinals did not cross midfield until the second-to-last play of the game. Before that, the farthest they’d advanced the ball was to their own 45, which happened on their first drive of the game.
• The Cardinals’ longest play of the game was a 15-yard completion to Larry Fitzgerald.
• The Cardinals’ longest drive of the game lasted for five minutes and 17 seconds. It consisted of six plays, started at their own two-yard line, and ended at their own 15-yard line.
• The Cardinals had just as many drives as the Rams (10) and amassed nearly 300 fewer total yards (137 to 432).
• Sam Bradford completed 17 passes for a grand total of 90 yards.
• The Cardinals had five first downs all game.

 

I think the play of Mahomes has a lot more to do with the outrage over Trubiskys performance then what Pace gave up to get his guy. If Pace had simply taken Trubisky at 3 instead of moving up I believe the “freak out” would still be full go. And lets face it if you thought Mahomes or Watson even were the better choice you have a legit beef.

But Pace has also built a top tier defense to go with his young QB. It will all come down to just how good Trubisky is. It won’t matter if Trubisky is the 3rd best QB in his draft class if he is good enough to win a championship.

 

People were being critical of Trubiskys performance last year before Mahomes ever stepped on the field. It has everything to do with what Pace gave up to get him, although the top QB pick in the draft should never struggle the way he has whether he was picked at 2 or 3.

 

It wasn’t late. Timing was good ball got there before the safety has a chance to get over and help.

It’s also NOT off his back foot.








As you can see he loads up and steps through the throw.

As for Robinson having no chance at the ball I disagree. I don’t have the patience to put the pics up right now but after review you can see Robinson has his head turned looking for the ball from the moment it’s thrown it comes up short and he doesn’t adjust. If the leaping two handed over the head grab isn’t made by the defender it probably drops in to his arms. It was a bad throw but to say Robinson couldn’t have helped his QB a little there ImO is wrong.

 

That ball was thrown at least 5-10 yards short of where it should have been. It's not even close, it was a piss poor throw and you can't even put less than 1% fault on Robinson. Robinson was running near full speed and was covered the whole way. Robinson not only had to come to a compete stop, he actually had to come BACK to the ball. Let's not defend the indefensible, he threw to a receiver that had the CB glued to him, it was a good play by the CB in that he reacted to the throw quicker, but on a grossly underthrown ball like that the pursuer is always going to be in better position than the receiver.

 

The ball shouldn't have gone out, thats the bottom line. The defender had great coverage all the way, there was no separation. But Trubisky decided he was throwing deep on that play so out it went. Thats the problem with him right now. And it was a terrible throw. He's at least 5 yards short on that throw, prob more.

As for Robinson, robs right, he got his head round in plenty of time. Robinson really should've tried to get involved more, i think he could've broken that pass up. It all looked very Johnny Knox to me, running under the ball, waiting to catch it at hip height. Not that Robinson didn't play well, i thought he played very well. Really liked what ive seen from him thru 2 games. But he should've done more on that INT.

 

Pat i don't really get what your beef is with all this. You do remember its called "Things To Watch"? I guess SM could've made only 1 point, D-Line v Wilson, and that would've made you happy?

The fact of the matter is SM highlighted a key matchup..... and the Seahawks proved him right!! The very fact they threw at PA 6-7times in the first half alone tells you that. They identified Prince as a target, just as mongo did. And frankly, the Seahawks opinion on that matters more than yours.

As for who won. Well i had Marshall winning at halftime, not by a lot, but he was ahead, and he was also pretty much all Seattle had. I don't get why the Seahawks went away from that in the 2nd half, but that they did still doesn't change the fact they clearly went into the game looking to go after Prince.

I see that as good work SM. You called out a matchup as an important one to watch before the game and the Bears opponent, by their own actions, proved you right.

 

This is a complete fabrication of what happened on the play.

When the ball is thrown Robinson has maybe 1/2 a step on the DB.

As the ball is landing DB adjusts to make a play on it. Robinson and the DB are playing paddy cake the hole way so don’t give me Robinson was in full sprint mode.

And here is the catch. A very good one I might add. I don’t see how it’s completed 10-15 yards down the field. If this ball is a yard deeper it’s a nice catch by Robinson. 5 yards maybe a touchdown.

The DB lands at Robinsons feet he doesn’t take even one step to touch him down. So he actually didn’t have to run back.

It was a bad throw but it wasn’t off by much and if the DB can make a play on it the WR should be able to as well. 100% of the blame goes to the QB but you don’t need to make shit up to make it look worse.

 

I edited my post immediately after I initially posted it because 10-15 yards was wrong. But it was 5-10 yards short easily. And also I initially thought he was open and beat the coverage, which wasn't the case after I rewatched the play. My edited post if you look at it isn't a "complete fabrication".

 

Agreed. He had good coverage. But it was man coverage and the safety wasn't near to make the play. I think he should have thrown the ball. He just underthrew it.

 

All true.

But you agree it was not a good throw, correct?

I mean, there is no way you can deny that it was underthrown, right?

 

Absolutely. Not a good throw. Underthrown. If he makes a good throw it’s six.