Bears should be moving on from Fields yes. But if i'm them i'd keep the #1 and use it on Harrison, then look to trade thier second pick (currently #10) with a QB looking team. They slip back a few places, add a 2nd they currently don't have, and see what comes there way. Late-teens, 20's there will still be QB potential there or more support for their OLine, but they give themselves options. However sensible and the Bears doesn't often happen, and tbf sticking at #1 and commiting to their preferred QB makes a lot of sense - it's not like they have to worry about Tepper meddlling a la the Panthers, so they have a strong chance to secure the "right" QB.
Whatever happens in Bears-Packers happens. We must win vs the Cardinals. Either way i think this team has been close enough to the playoffs and some other wins that Pete will believe it's not a rebuild and another retool and run it back. So make the playoffs or not really isn't going to make a ton of difference. What will make a difference is losing to the Cardinals, suffering another divisional loss and the following embarassment and awkward questions for Pete about the Seahawks play in the crucial games and moments.
Exactly what I would do. I think I am biased as much as you can but I would give picking No1 no value against trading No1. Then Fields is in no scenario a franchise QB and some desperate team will still "overpay" for him, so that would be a huge win.
When I think of draft value I believe 2nd round is king, so much to win, way less to lose then in the first.
But hey, why do I think about the Bears.
I would like the Hawks to get into the playoffs, then win a game and survive without injuries.
I believe if you take a loss and can't get motivation out of it you may not deserve to be in a pro league, just guessing.
At worst you could give all your free agents a chance to show why they need to be resigned.
Hawks have historically had bad luck injuries at the cardinals stadium. My vision for Sunday is no injuries for anyone on our core lineup that we plan to bring back next year.
I try to view the games with a win if we win and win if we lose attitude. I'm all for getting into the playoffs having finally sorted out the best players for every position. Not that we have entirely, but a wounded Adams is a liability. Hill is emerging as a future plus starter.
I'm wondering if the best 11 players on defense might include Artie Burns as the NCB, and Witherspoon at LCB, and Woolen at the RCB. I'd like to see what Tre Brown can do at NCB, but Artie Burns seems to have the coaches favor for that position in the absence of Witherspoon, who I consider best suited for the NCB position but that leaves Artie Burns on the sideline and I think he is one of the best 11 players on defense. Without Brooks we just don't have an adequate replacement. Same for BWags. I'd start Hill and Mafe on the edges and Reed and Leo Williams in the middle. Personally, I'd actually go with the 3-4 now that Adams is out and start D. Jones, too. Safeties of Diggs and Love. And usually they play Diggs as the Strong Safety in the past with Love as the Free Safety, though they seem to interchange. I think they are getting to finally coming together. So if we get to the playoffs we will play some of our best football. If we lose, we get a pretty good draft pick.
I’m with you on getting Witherspoon to LCB and keeping him there. Moving him around was worth a try, but somehow he’s become a fixture at NCB, which I can’t believe was the idea behind using a #5 overall on a corner.
They could make that move now, for my money. The Cardinal staff has watched film of the Steelers game and saw how easy it was to go after Bush and Jackson. There may not be much the Hawks can do about playing Bush, but there’s no need or reason to send Jackson out there again.
We (Ken and all of us) are seeing the impact of fantasy football first hand. Justin Fields has been shit as a QB in the NFL. But, in fantasy football, where most scoring systems favor rushing yards and TDs to passing yards and TDs, he has been a top-10 scorer. Fantasy scoring also doesn't penalize turnovers very much, another major weakness of his. The average (non-Seaside) Joe knows way more about the simplistic fantasy scoring sysyems than they do about what makes a good QB. Hence, the blowback from the internet SSJKen experienced. Never before have we lived in a time where average nobodies with less than no expertise had more reach to an audience of other ignorant masses.
SSJ has been a target of fans from opposing teams on several occasions. They do get brutal. He doesn’t back down and in the end he’s most often been accurate. Some epic stuff.
Yeah it sucks to come off a stinker. And really the defense has just been bad most of the year.
But, the QB and offense is very hot. Geno is on a tear leading the NFL in QBR and EPA/Play ever since Pete talked to Shane and the offense changed before Dallas game in week 13.
You could say Lucas has been back which helps but it’s not like the line has been playing well over those games. It’s just that Geno is getting the ball out faster (about 0.5 seconds faster) and slaying it around the yard to the receivers.
When you have a great QB/offense you always got a shot because of turnovers and luck.
I say ... hell yeah let’s make the playoffs and let’s want to play the Niners.
Give me a healthy Geno and the same defense that played in Santa Clara minus Adams - and I’ll take my chances of beating the Niners.
I think the Bears will be fired up for the game, as the Lions last year.
The Bears have been a fantastic team lately; Fields has little to do with that. It’s almost like Sweat was the missing piece to their defense (the Seahawks had two opportunities at him and wasted both, though this time it’s more understandable than when they tried to squeeze value in the draft and ended up with LJ Collier instead).
In the second half of the season, their defense has quietly led the league in EPA/play. They are carrying the Bears, but Fields (helped a lot by Moore!, it looks like the Bears fleeced the Panthers even more than we did with the Broncos) is playing well enough to score when they have the ball. They’ve been mediocre by EPA/play and bad at success rate. But with their defense granting them so many opportunities, it’s a formula that can work.
Weighted DVOA has the bears at 7th. That’s really high. Considering they are 20th in total DVOA, that means they have been playing like one of the best teams in the league recently. And adding a bit of eye test / tape, I watched the game against Atlanta (a team with a minimal but real chance at the playoffs), and the Falcons were completely dominated.
So yeah, I’m high on them. Justin Fields and Matt Eberflus careers can be highly impacted by this game (either with the Browns or elsewhere). They have no incentive to tank, they are locked to the first pick overall and ending the year in a high note has been a good harbinger for mediocre to bad teams. The front office wants Fields to succeed — either to keep him or to maximize his trade value.
The Bears will play to win.
***
The Seahawks, on the other hand, is a foggier picture. I actually think the most probable outcome is the worst case scenario (Bears win, but we lose). I can’t make a case for them like I did for the Bears. They do have more talent than the Cardinals, Pete has much more experience as a head coach… and that’s it.
I will try harder: Spoon will be back almost in full health, he has been a difference maker on defense. Brooks will probably be back, so we get better coverage, tackling, and discipline from the LB position. We would win against the Steelers if those things were true that game. So that’s my case for our dear South Alaska Ospreys.
All good points. Interestingly, the markets have the Hawks as 3-point favorites while the Bears are 3-point underdogs.
As you mentioned, the Bears have been playing great recently. They haven't just been winning, they've been putting up a margin. In the last 4 weeks they have outscored their opponents 109 - 66. I expect a good game in Lambeau.
While the Hawks defense has been very bad, the offense and Geno have been terrific. Geno has led the NFL in QBR since Pete talked to Shane (and Geno?) and reduced the snap to throw time by half a second before the Dallas game. This spree has also come against two good defenses (Pitt, Dallas).
Although the Seahawks line has not been very good, this will be the worst D-line they have seen in sometime. I would expect another great game from Geno and even the run game should get going.
We will see what happens, but I wouldn't be so sure the Hawks don't sneak in almost exactly like last year.
Oh, and bring on the Niners... I hope we play them again!
To quote Herm Edwards you play to win the game, and if the Seahawks are playing to win then let’s root for them to win and the Packers to loose.
It is easier to root for them, knowing that Seahawks are not really losing anything by winning. Yes, it’s a great quarterback class, but this is one of those years where again everyone needs a quarterback. It is crazily easy to see how five quarterbacks will go in the top 12 draft picks. The good news is that it’s also a very good draft for offensive lineman. There appears to be no less than seven offensive lineman, worthy of a first round pick. So no matter what happens the Seahawks will be able to improve themselves with a starter.
"The Seahawks need to have one goal and one goal only for 2024: Win the NFC West."
I respectfully non-concur. It is possible to win a division, but still not be very good (because all manner of crap can happen). See, for example, a certain NFC Division (naming no names, but...do you remember that TV show about the Mountie in Chicago? What was that called, again?)
The goal should be to dominate the league (which is NOT the same as "go undefeated"). If accomplished, dominating the league will result in the winning the NFC West and wins in every round of the playoffs.
Now, about "expectations"...some of 'em are not always Great...
You gotta start somewhere, though. The Hawks aren’t going from 9-8/8-9 in 2023 to dominating the league in 2024. Goals have to be attainable or they become self-defeating.
Not worried about mental issues Hawks players might have if they had to play SF again in playoffs and lose. We should be so lucky. Those who are going to be shattered by a loss to SF can play elsewhere next year. I would rather Hawks get in playoffs. If they happen to win the first game and then get blown out by SF, well that's still a better result than last year, isn't it? Isn't it? I don't see the Hawks having much to lose mentally at this point anyway. (I mean, really, what?) We might even ask ourselves as fans if we aren't being a little co-dependent in lowering our expectations about their intestinal fortitude. Go on, Hawks! Beat Arizona! Luck out again and get in the playoffs! Then go on and win your first game for the first time in umpty-ump years! C'mon. Let's see you do that!
"and I wonder what I would do if I was actually running the Bears. (Probably quit my job since I hate the Bears so much.)"
HAHAHAHAHA (...gasp...) HAHAHAHAH!!!
THAT is my nomination for the best line from SSJ all season.
The Bears *could* beat the Packers but I think the odds are even higher that the Cardinals beat the Seahawks, sad to say. The Cardinal's strength right now is its run game and the Seahawks just don't seem invested in stopping the run due to personnel, motivation, scheme, or ???
But there is always hope. Remember the Eli Manning-led Giants.
Most fans ignore the randomness of football. This isn’t swimming, where Michael Phelps wins every final because he’s simply the fastest, or even basketball where the team who matches up best is almost certain to win. In NFL football, there are weird snaps, tipped balls, missed kicks, and unsavory officiating. In other words, it’s got a lot of random baked in. Upsets can happen every week.
I want the coin to fall heads 1,000 times in a row. Our team stays healthy. Their limbs pop off. Every blade of grass bends in the direction of Action Green. We sweep our way to the Lombardi Cup. Jake Bobo and Prez share MVP honors. We get a parade and I win the lottery.
Being the better team helps, but good luck wins championships in this league - especially when you don’t control your own destiny.
Here's a novel idea for the bears..Draft the best QB in the draft and keep Fields as a "slash "! Since he's the best RB on the team and his athleticism is fantastic, make him like the new Cordell Stewart.
RB / WR/ KR and QB2. He would be a DC 's nightmare on RB. Play run options. Just a thought. Sherman Smith was a very good back changing from QB.
As far as the Hawks are concerned, even if they back into the playoffs they are not a playoff team. Lots of work needs to be done to patch all the holes between now and next season.
I don't understand the love for the Bears' QB. I saw an article recently about the Seahawks trading for Justin Fields as if that would fix things. You mention that he's not Hurts or Jackson... I'd go as far as to say that trading for Fields and moving on from Geno is at best a lateral move. I haven't watched every Bears game this year or anything, but I watch enough Red Zone channel to have seen a lot of bits of his games, and probably caught one or two full games he started in. He doesn't even look as good as Baker Mayfield or Derrick Carr in their better years of play. I do not understand the hype at all.
Based on what I’ve read (as opposed to seen), they might
consider trading for Mac Jones. Hear me out before sneering!
My take on Jones is that a QB known for his fundamentals has had them go awry in significant part because Bill Belichek has shattered his confidence. Put Jones in a good environment as backup for a year, work with him, and who knows what would happen? He was a first-round draft pick whom the Niners are said to have seriously considered before going all-in on Trey Lance. Jones would come cheap, so it’s not like any team who traded for him would be risking much—so little that it could still draft a QB. The chances of anything coming out of it are not high, but it would make as part of a strategy to bring in QBs.
I've thrown out we should consider picking up Fields or Jones to come into camp for a bttle.
Fields I think has not been helped by being in Chicago who have been just flat out bad for a while and it's not entirely his fault. Through the first few weeks it was clear to see that team was severely underprepared and a shambles, with no clear scheme, players constantly making the wrong blocks, routes and just a really bad look. But as the season has gone on and Fields has flashed at times (as he's done every season so far) Fields has also proven why he is not going to be a long-term starting QB solution. Too inconsistent, too often mechanically poor, a core innacuracy issue, and i'm not convinced he's learned how to read the field at an NFL level. You pick him up for his physical traits, slotting him in as QB2 for cover for injury or gadget plays where relying on that mobility in short bursts will be of benefit.
Jones idk. The Pats are a mess, but i'm struggling to see much upside to him. Not sold on his processing, seems like middling arm talent, to operate as a more pocket-passer i'd want to see more flash and pop from him. Maybe a team takes him on to be QB2 and in 3-4 years more time he could do a Geno and become a useful 1-2 year bridge QB.
Basically i'm off the idea of trying one of these reclamation projects. Trey Lance would be interesting because he never got a chance, but that injurt concern will be there. Bryce Young is really the main QB i'd be interested in, just because the Panthers have been truly woeful and it's done nothing but put Young on the back foot. However we'd never get hold of him this soon.
Jones’ middling arm is a matter of record, of course, but it’s not a deal-killer (to me, anyway. Matt Hasselbeck did not have a howitzer arm, and he was awfully good.) I’m not qualified to say whether Jones can or ever will be able to read the field. I wasn’t thinking of him as a reclamation project or as anything to hang a hat on as much as part of a general strategy to bring in QBs.
I bring up Hasselbeck a lot. It did take him four years to develop.
This was a great piece. I believe winning is a habit forming and sets an expectation. To win a slot and get a win only to get blown out would damage the psyche of the team
It was not that long ago that it was San no one could run a 4 minute mile. Then it happened.
After that quite a few ran it. It was a mental barrier that stopped it.
Bears should be moving on from Fields yes. But if i'm them i'd keep the #1 and use it on Harrison, then look to trade thier second pick (currently #10) with a QB looking team. They slip back a few places, add a 2nd they currently don't have, and see what comes there way. Late-teens, 20's there will still be QB potential there or more support for their OLine, but they give themselves options. However sensible and the Bears doesn't often happen, and tbf sticking at #1 and commiting to their preferred QB makes a lot of sense - it's not like they have to worry about Tepper meddlling a la the Panthers, so they have a strong chance to secure the "right" QB.
Whatever happens in Bears-Packers happens. We must win vs the Cardinals. Either way i think this team has been close enough to the playoffs and some other wins that Pete will believe it's not a rebuild and another retool and run it back. So make the playoffs or not really isn't going to make a ton of difference. What will make a difference is losing to the Cardinals, suffering another divisional loss and the following embarassment and awkward questions for Pete about the Seahawks play in the crucial games and moments.
"Trade the quarterback AND trade the pick."
Exactly what I would do. I think I am biased as much as you can but I would give picking No1 no value against trading No1. Then Fields is in no scenario a franchise QB and some desperate team will still "overpay" for him, so that would be a huge win.
When I think of draft value I believe 2nd round is king, so much to win, way less to lose then in the first.
But hey, why do I think about the Bears.
I would like the Hawks to get into the playoffs, then win a game and survive without injuries.
I believe if you take a loss and can't get motivation out of it you may not deserve to be in a pro league, just guessing.
At worst you could give all your free agents a chance to show why they need to be resigned.
Hawks have historically had bad luck injuries at the cardinals stadium. My vision for Sunday is no injuries for anyone on our core lineup that we plan to bring back next year.
I try to view the games with a win if we win and win if we lose attitude. I'm all for getting into the playoffs having finally sorted out the best players for every position. Not that we have entirely, but a wounded Adams is a liability. Hill is emerging as a future plus starter.
I'm wondering if the best 11 players on defense might include Artie Burns as the NCB, and Witherspoon at LCB, and Woolen at the RCB. I'd like to see what Tre Brown can do at NCB, but Artie Burns seems to have the coaches favor for that position in the absence of Witherspoon, who I consider best suited for the NCB position but that leaves Artie Burns on the sideline and I think he is one of the best 11 players on defense. Without Brooks we just don't have an adequate replacement. Same for BWags. I'd start Hill and Mafe on the edges and Reed and Leo Williams in the middle. Personally, I'd actually go with the 3-4 now that Adams is out and start D. Jones, too. Safeties of Diggs and Love. And usually they play Diggs as the Strong Safety in the past with Love as the Free Safety, though they seem to interchange. I think they are getting to finally coming together. So if we get to the playoffs we will play some of our best football. If we lose, we get a pretty good draft pick.
I’m with you on getting Witherspoon to LCB and keeping him there. Moving him around was worth a try, but somehow he’s become a fixture at NCB, which I can’t believe was the idea behind using a #5 overall on a corner.
They could make that move now, for my money. The Cardinal staff has watched film of the Steelers game and saw how easy it was to go after Bush and Jackson. There may not be much the Hawks can do about playing Bush, but there’s no need or reason to send Jackson out there again.
We (Ken and all of us) are seeing the impact of fantasy football first hand. Justin Fields has been shit as a QB in the NFL. But, in fantasy football, where most scoring systems favor rushing yards and TDs to passing yards and TDs, he has been a top-10 scorer. Fantasy scoring also doesn't penalize turnovers very much, another major weakness of his. The average (non-Seaside) Joe knows way more about the simplistic fantasy scoring sysyems than they do about what makes a good QB. Hence, the blowback from the internet SSJKen experienced. Never before have we lived in a time where average nobodies with less than no expertise had more reach to an audience of other ignorant masses.
My only fantasy football is bringing prime-time Cortez Kennedy and Walter Jones back to 2024.
Oh man, that would be spectacular! An unbeatable left tackle and an unblockable D tackle. The answers to my prayers.
Right? It would instantly fix many of the Seahawks' issues. "If only..."
Maybe Dave Wyman and Lofa Tatupu will lace them up in this fantasy, as well.
SSJ has been a target of fans from opposing teams on several occasions. They do get brutal. He doesn’t back down and in the end he’s most often been accurate. Some epic stuff.
Yeah it sucks to come off a stinker. And really the defense has just been bad most of the year.
But, the QB and offense is very hot. Geno is on a tear leading the NFL in QBR and EPA/Play ever since Pete talked to Shane and the offense changed before Dallas game in week 13.
You could say Lucas has been back which helps but it’s not like the line has been playing well over those games. It’s just that Geno is getting the ball out faster (about 0.5 seconds faster) and slaying it around the yard to the receivers.
When you have a great QB/offense you always got a shot because of turnovers and luck.
I say ... hell yeah let’s make the playoffs and let’s want to play the Niners.
Give me a healthy Geno and the same defense that played in Santa Clara minus Adams - and I’ll take my chances of beating the Niners.
Go hawks
I think the Bears will be fired up for the game, as the Lions last year.
The Bears have been a fantastic team lately; Fields has little to do with that. It’s almost like Sweat was the missing piece to their defense (the Seahawks had two opportunities at him and wasted both, though this time it’s more understandable than when they tried to squeeze value in the draft and ended up with LJ Collier instead).
In the second half of the season, their defense has quietly led the league in EPA/play. They are carrying the Bears, but Fields (helped a lot by Moore!, it looks like the Bears fleeced the Panthers even more than we did with the Broncos) is playing well enough to score when they have the ball. They’ve been mediocre by EPA/play and bad at success rate. But with their defense granting them so many opportunities, it’s a formula that can work.
Weighted DVOA has the bears at 7th. That’s really high. Considering they are 20th in total DVOA, that means they have been playing like one of the best teams in the league recently. And adding a bit of eye test / tape, I watched the game against Atlanta (a team with a minimal but real chance at the playoffs), and the Falcons were completely dominated.
So yeah, I’m high on them. Justin Fields and Matt Eberflus careers can be highly impacted by this game (either with the Browns or elsewhere). They have no incentive to tank, they are locked to the first pick overall and ending the year in a high note has been a good harbinger for mediocre to bad teams. The front office wants Fields to succeed — either to keep him or to maximize his trade value.
The Bears will play to win.
***
The Seahawks, on the other hand, is a foggier picture. I actually think the most probable outcome is the worst case scenario (Bears win, but we lose). I can’t make a case for them like I did for the Bears. They do have more talent than the Cardinals, Pete has much more experience as a head coach… and that’s it.
I will try harder: Spoon will be back almost in full health, he has been a difference maker on defense. Brooks will probably be back, so we get better coverage, tackling, and discipline from the LB position. We would win against the Steelers if those things were true that game. So that’s my case for our dear South Alaska Ospreys.
Like you, rooting for a win.
All good points. Interestingly, the markets have the Hawks as 3-point favorites while the Bears are 3-point underdogs.
As you mentioned, the Bears have been playing great recently. They haven't just been winning, they've been putting up a margin. In the last 4 weeks they have outscored their opponents 109 - 66. I expect a good game in Lambeau.
While the Hawks defense has been very bad, the offense and Geno have been terrific. Geno has led the NFL in QBR since Pete talked to Shane (and Geno?) and reduced the snap to throw time by half a second before the Dallas game. This spree has also come against two good defenses (Pitt, Dallas).
Although the Seahawks line has not been very good, this will be the worst D-line they have seen in sometime. I would expect another great game from Geno and even the run game should get going.
We will see what happens, but I wouldn't be so sure the Hawks don't sneak in almost exactly like last year.
Oh, and bring on the Niners... I hope we play them again!
To quote Herm Edwards you play to win the game, and if the Seahawks are playing to win then let’s root for them to win and the Packers to loose.
It is easier to root for them, knowing that Seahawks are not really losing anything by winning. Yes, it’s a great quarterback class, but this is one of those years where again everyone needs a quarterback. It is crazily easy to see how five quarterbacks will go in the top 12 draft picks. The good news is that it’s also a very good draft for offensive lineman. There appears to be no less than seven offensive lineman, worthy of a first round pick. So no matter what happens the Seahawks will be able to improve themselves with a starter.
"The Seahawks need to have one goal and one goal only for 2024: Win the NFC West."
I respectfully non-concur. It is possible to win a division, but still not be very good (because all manner of crap can happen). See, for example, a certain NFC Division (naming no names, but...do you remember that TV show about the Mountie in Chicago? What was that called, again?)
The goal should be to dominate the league (which is NOT the same as "go undefeated"). If accomplished, dominating the league will result in the winning the NFC West and wins in every round of the playoffs.
Now, about "expectations"...some of 'em are not always Great...
You gotta start somewhere, though. The Hawks aren’t going from 9-8/8-9 in 2023 to dominating the league in 2024. Goals have to be attainable or they become self-defeating.
Not worried about mental issues Hawks players might have if they had to play SF again in playoffs and lose. We should be so lucky. Those who are going to be shattered by a loss to SF can play elsewhere next year. I would rather Hawks get in playoffs. If they happen to win the first game and then get blown out by SF, well that's still a better result than last year, isn't it? Isn't it? I don't see the Hawks having much to lose mentally at this point anyway. (I mean, really, what?) We might even ask ourselves as fans if we aren't being a little co-dependent in lowering our expectations about their intestinal fortitude. Go on, Hawks! Beat Arizona! Luck out again and get in the playoffs! Then go on and win your first game for the first time in umpty-ump years! C'mon. Let's see you do that!
"and I wonder what I would do if I was actually running the Bears. (Probably quit my job since I hate the Bears so much.)"
HAHAHAHAHA (...gasp...) HAHAHAHAH!!!
THAT is my nomination for the best line from SSJ all season.
The Bears *could* beat the Packers but I think the odds are even higher that the Cardinals beat the Seahawks, sad to say. The Cardinal's strength right now is its run game and the Seahawks just don't seem invested in stopping the run due to personnel, motivation, scheme, or ???
But there is always hope. Remember the Eli Manning-led Giants.
Most fans ignore the randomness of football. This isn’t swimming, where Michael Phelps wins every final because he’s simply the fastest, or even basketball where the team who matches up best is almost certain to win. In NFL football, there are weird snaps, tipped balls, missed kicks, and unsavory officiating. In other words, it’s got a lot of random baked in. Upsets can happen every week.
I want the coin to fall heads 1,000 times in a row. Our team stays healthy. Their limbs pop off. Every blade of grass bends in the direction of Action Green. We sweep our way to the Lombardi Cup. Jake Bobo and Prez share MVP honors. We get a parade and I win the lottery.
Being the better team helps, but good luck wins championships in this league - especially when you don’t control your own destiny.
Oh, I reminisce about Steven Bradbury again.
Health and luck—a team can’t get to and win a SB without a healthy helping of both.
Hell yeah! That is right - just get in the playoffs and let’s roll the dice.
Here's a novel idea for the bears..Draft the best QB in the draft and keep Fields as a "slash "! Since he's the best RB on the team and his athleticism is fantastic, make him like the new Cordell Stewart.
RB / WR/ KR and QB2. He would be a DC 's nightmare on RB. Play run options. Just a thought. Sherman Smith was a very good back changing from QB.
As far as the Hawks are concerned, even if they back into the playoffs they are not a playoff team. Lots of work needs to be done to patch all the holes between now and next season.
Go Dawgs!!!!!
I don't understand the love for the Bears' QB. I saw an article recently about the Seahawks trading for Justin Fields as if that would fix things. You mention that he's not Hurts or Jackson... I'd go as far as to say that trading for Fields and moving on from Geno is at best a lateral move. I haven't watched every Bears game this year or anything, but I watch enough Red Zone channel to have seen a lot of bits of his games, and probably caught one or two full games he started in. He doesn't even look as good as Baker Mayfield or Derrick Carr in their better years of play. I do not understand the hype at all.
Based on what I’ve read (as opposed to seen), they might
consider trading for Mac Jones. Hear me out before sneering!
My take on Jones is that a QB known for his fundamentals has had them go awry in significant part because Bill Belichek has shattered his confidence. Put Jones in a good environment as backup for a year, work with him, and who knows what would happen? He was a first-round draft pick whom the Niners are said to have seriously considered before going all-in on Trey Lance. Jones would come cheap, so it’s not like any team who traded for him would be risking much—so little that it could still draft a QB. The chances of anything coming out of it are not high, but it would make as part of a strategy to bring in QBs.
I've thrown out we should consider picking up Fields or Jones to come into camp for a bttle.
Fields I think has not been helped by being in Chicago who have been just flat out bad for a while and it's not entirely his fault. Through the first few weeks it was clear to see that team was severely underprepared and a shambles, with no clear scheme, players constantly making the wrong blocks, routes and just a really bad look. But as the season has gone on and Fields has flashed at times (as he's done every season so far) Fields has also proven why he is not going to be a long-term starting QB solution. Too inconsistent, too often mechanically poor, a core innacuracy issue, and i'm not convinced he's learned how to read the field at an NFL level. You pick him up for his physical traits, slotting him in as QB2 for cover for injury or gadget plays where relying on that mobility in short bursts will be of benefit.
Jones idk. The Pats are a mess, but i'm struggling to see much upside to him. Not sold on his processing, seems like middling arm talent, to operate as a more pocket-passer i'd want to see more flash and pop from him. Maybe a team takes him on to be QB2 and in 3-4 years more time he could do a Geno and become a useful 1-2 year bridge QB.
Basically i'm off the idea of trying one of these reclamation projects. Trey Lance would be interesting because he never got a chance, but that injurt concern will be there. Bryce Young is really the main QB i'd be interested in, just because the Panthers have been truly woeful and it's done nothing but put Young on the back foot. However we'd never get hold of him this soon.
Jones’ middling arm is a matter of record, of course, but it’s not a deal-killer (to me, anyway. Matt Hasselbeck did not have a howitzer arm, and he was awfully good.) I’m not qualified to say whether Jones can or ever will be able to read the field. I wasn’t thinking of him as a reclamation project or as anything to hang a hat on as much as part of a general strategy to bring in QBs.
I bring up Hasselbeck a lot. It did take him four years to develop.
This was a great piece. I believe winning is a habit forming and sets an expectation. To win a slot and get a win only to get blown out would damage the psyche of the team
It was not that long ago that it was San no one could run a 4 minute mile. Then it happened.
After that quite a few ran it. It was a mental barrier that stopped it.