Bears/Cards GT, 12/5/21, Noon Central

[beardown3231]

Cardinals 34-17

[Madmike90]

Every time we play AZ all I think about is the comeback game...THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE 😂...

There will be no comeback this time...Murray & Hopkins back in time for the game means this should be a walk over victory for the Cards.

[JAF-N72EX]

38 minutes ago, Madmike90 said:

Every time we play AZ all I think about is the comeback game...THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE 😂...

I hope Hester gets first ballot.

As far as this game....I don't care. I only care about Fields. Sit him and start Dalton.

[Sugashane]

1 hour ago, Madmike90 said:

Every time we play AZ all I think about is the comeback game...THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE 😂...

There will be no comeback this time...Murray & Hopkins back in time for the game means this should be a walk over victory for the Cards.

Bears will bounce back to lose lose usual. 

They will be who we know they are. 

31-6 AZ. 

[soulman]

This game and next weeks will be those that seal the fate of this coaching staff.  If the Bears plan of getting a head start on interviews Nagy's fate will need to be decided before the end of the month.  Personally I believe they plan to let him finish the season.

[Sugashane]

5 minutes ago, soulman said:

This game and next weeks will be those that seal the fate of this coaching staff.  If the Bears plan of getting a head start on interviews Nagy's fate will need to be decided before the end of the month.  Personally I believe they plan to let him finish the season.

I'd love to see AZ shut us out. Not just points, first downs too. Get every source mocking the Bears to pressure Nagy's firing. Hopefully Viginia gets pissed enough to fire him herself. 

[soulman]

51 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

I'd love to see AZ shut us out. Not just points, first downs too. Get every source mocking the Bears to pressure Nagy's firing. Hopefully Viginia gets pissed enough to fire him herself. 

GMcC has already felt the pressure and the embarrassment of that initial rumor of Nagy's imminent firing.  He probably won't risk another by being one of the few teams to fire a HC so they can begin to interview.

[Sugashane]

3 hours ago, soulman said:

GMcC has already felt the pressure and the embarrassment of that initial rumor of Nagy's imminent firing.  He probably won't risk another by being one of the few teams to fire a HC so they can begin to interview.

Shut up and let me dream Soul. 😂

[DABEARSLCF04]

38-10 Arizona

[soulman]

3 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Shut up and let me dream Soul. 😂

LOLOL.......

 

[BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW]

11 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Shut up and let me dream Soul. 😂

I really wonder if George is so nebbish that the controversy of last week will back him into keeping Nagy longer.  Not outside the realm of possibility that he was so rattled by people thinking about him that he's told Nagy he's safe and given him some low bar to clear by the end of the season to keep his job. THINK ABOUT IT. 

[abstract_thought]

33 minutes ago, RunningVaccs said:

I really wonder if George is so nebbish that the controversy of last week will back him into keeping Nagy longer.  Not outside the realm of possibility that he was so rattled by people thinking about him that he's told Nagy he's safe and given him some low bar to clear by the end of the season to keep his job. THINK ABOUT IT. 

I imagine George at the podium ready to announce Nagy’s firing when a reporter beats him to the punch with an offhand “George - what are your plans for the coaching search?” Followed by fist clenching and a muttered “Fiddlesticks.” Then George sips his glass of warm milk and doubles-down on another year of Pace and Nagy, repeating the word “synergy” 100 times throughout the rest of the press conference.

Edited December 3, 2021 by abstract_thought

[soulman]

3 hours ago, RunningVaccs said:

I really wonder if George is so nebbish that the controversy of last week will back him into keeping Nagy longer.  Not outside the realm of possibility that he was so rattled by people thinking about him that he's told Nagy he's safe and given him some low bar to clear by the end of the season to keep his job. THINK ABOUT IT. 

The very fact that you even asked a question like this or thought to propose that scenario shows just how phuc'd up the Bears upper management and ownership is.

First of all as an owner GMcC should have had no part to play in that at all.  Pace is GM.  Pace would then essentially have authority over the hiring and firing of a HC or at least that's how it should be done IF you don't operate like the Bears.  So why was GMcC the one who felt it necessary to be the one standing at the media pulpit?

Does that mean Pace is living on borrowed time as well?

Can anyone else see just how much confusion that whole deal created and why there were more questions left to answer following it than were answered?  This is GMcC.  This is an owner not doing what an owner is supposed to do.  This is an owner playing the part of the kindly employer protecting his employee against rumors.

Where was Ryan Pace in all of this?  In fact, where is Ryan Pace now?  Do we need to issue him a subpoena to appear at a presser and tell us WTF is going on?  He is after all the teams GM.  So.....is he really a GM with full authority or not?  This team needs help up top if they ever hope to get themselves on track and I don't see it happening.

Edited December 3, 2021 by soulman

[soulman]

Seems he forgot one.  AZ never shows up.....😁

Three Keys to a Bears Win

Originally posted on FanNation Bear Digest
By Gene Chamberlain  |  Last updated 12/2/21

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/three_keys_to_a_bears_win/s1_16634_36614474?utm_source=mb&utm_medium=email&mb_edition=20211203&mb_loc=right_h

All the emphasis as the Bears do a 180-degree turn from the league's softest opponent to face the league's toughest opponent is on their defense.

It's for a good reason. The Arizona Cardinals have so many weapons it's almost difficult for the to figure out which one to use on a given play.

"They definitely have an explosive offense: quarterback, running back, receivers, tight ends," Bears outside linebacker Robert Quinn said. "One, up front, we stop the run. Plan to knock that out early. And when it's time to rush the passer, if you get to him early and often, I mean, no quarterback's comfortable if he's constantly getting hit.

"So as a defensive mindset, it's again, simple, don't allow plays to happen on you. If the ball's run to your gap, you better tackle it. If it's your one-on-one pass rush, you better win it. It's raising the standard on ourselves to be more productive, because they are the top offense and we know we have a challenge, but I think we believe in ourselves, too. Or, I know. I won’t say think. I know we believe in ourselves."

It will take more than belief and beating the Cardinals is more than merely stopping their offense.

In fact, their defense is ranked higher, at fifth overall and fourth in scoring defense while the Cardinals on offense are just 10th in the league and fifth in scoring.

As formidable as Arizona looks, they've been beaten twice and there is a template for beating a 9-2 team.

Whether the Bears have the resources available to use it remains to be seen. And it doesn't involve so-called "Bear weather," with cold temperatures or snow and rain. A slippery field always favors the receivers, who know where they're going, and the offensive linemen, who know who they're blocking.

Here are the three Bears keys to beating Arizona.

1. Ball Control

The Bears need ownership of the football. They need an extensive, successful effort from David Montgomery. They need passing aimed at moving the chains and keeping the football. The best defense against an offense as explosive as Arizona's is not to let them on the field. The Packers held the ball for 37:35 to 22:25 for Arizona. A team as mundane as Carolina, at 5-7 and only half a game better than the Bears, held it for 37:42 to 22:18 for the Cardinals and crushed Arizona 34-10 in the desert. They used backup quarterback P.J. Walker to start that one, with Cam Newton making only a cameo appearance. The ball control can come using other means besides running it. Throwing short passes to backs works well, too. Aaron Jones caught seven passes for 51 yards against them and Christian McCaffrey had 10 receptions for 66 yards. Carolina backs had 14 receptions in the game overall. One real asset for the Bears would be to have Allen Robinson back from a 25-day hamstring injury because he is their key possession receiver on big downs but so far there is no indication this will happen.

2. Power It Up the Middle

The Cardinals rank 31st in the NFL at stopping running plays going up the middle of the field, according to NFLGSIS.com directional statistics. This will assist in the ball control the Bears need. They must establish that area of the field as theirs on offense. Linemen Cody Whitehair, Sam Mustipher and James Daniels need to capitalize on an area of Arizona's defense which has not been good, overall. Arizona is 17th against the run. The Cardinals give up 5.1 yards a rush up the middle. They're giving up even more yardage per carry over right guard and right tackle, but are not as far down in the NFL rankings as they are running up the middle. The real problem for the Bears in establishing time of possession and running it up the middle or anywhere is their real weakness at running the ball effectively when they have a pocket passer at quarterback. If current practice trends indicate anything about where they will be on game day, Andy Dalton will be starting and the Bears have been far better running it when Justin Fields is the quarterback, just as they were far better last year at running it when Mitchell Trubisky was quarterback and not Nick Foles.

3. Containment

This is a bit of an unnatural act for a team leading the NFL in sacks, like the Bears are. As much as the media and general public loves praising Kyler Murray, he still has one weakness to his passing. He would rather pass it on the move or after moving. If Murray is contained within the pocket the Bears' chances of winning this game increase exponentially. He is generously listed as 5-foot-10. Give up an inch or more and it might be more accurate. He does not see as well over the linemen unless he is taking a very deep drop. If the pocket is that deep, it's an open invitation to Bears edger rushers to tee off. The Cardinals will want him moving and the launching point will move. It's up to Quinn, Trevis Gipson, Cassius Marsh and possibly this week Bruce Irvin, to not necessarily sack Murray but keep him within the pocket where he is weakest and close it in around him. Likewise, the interior rush has to push back into his face, but this won't be as easy for the Bears without Akiem Hicks available, and it would seem he's still on the shelf as he hasn't practiced this week.

[G08]

Dagger.

Cardinals - 27
Bears - 13