Thoughts and Observations: Week 3 Cardinals

[WindyCity]

Offense

-I really do not have anything to say in defense of Mitch. He was bad. He missed wide open throws that I think a college freshman can make. He made incredibly dumb decisions with the football and the offense turned into a WR screen festival because they couldn’t trust him with more. I can keep yelling about patience, but I will not be offering a defense of Mitch again, until he gives me something to work with.

Terrible misses/throws
-Gabriel in the endzone
-Gabriel in the middle of the field when he gets killed
-Robinson on the redzone skinny post when he gets inside
-Robinson on the sideline that is inside and underthrown

-Nagy was bad. His timeout usage, his redzone play calling, the endless and useless WR screens. He needs to figure out something that Trubisky can execute and show that genius that was talked about in the offseason. I will say him running the ball was nice.

-I really like Allen Robinson, but the dude is not a good blocker yet we continue to throw screen passes behind him assuming he is going to block.

-If Trubisky ever learns how to throw the ball up to Allen Robinson in a place he can get it this could be a big connection. He seems to get a step and with his size a high or outside throw should be a catch or a possible interference call.

-Good to see Trey Burton continue to get involved. I would like to see him become more of the primary read against teams with a player like Patrick Peterson, instead of relentlessly targeting Peterson and asking for an interception.

-Taylor Gabriel must be the most frustrated man in the world. He should have multiple big TD catches, but instead he is chasing a massive other throw every time.

-Sit Anthony Miller against TB, give him a full 3 weeks to let the shoulder calm down and see what is going on before week 6. There is no sense in him limping through games, the offense has enough challenges as it is.

-Kevin White should probably be inactive.

-I would prefer Josh Bellamy on the field if you are going to run WR screens, at least I know that he can and will block someone.

-Dion Sims for a 2nd week with the exact right number of targets. What a waste of 6 million.

-The offense needs Shaheen back. Having another threat at TE and a guy with the size to make some of these junk throws into something would be a nice add.

-I thought there were way too many plays where the OL has a double team in the middle and a free blitzer off the edge. I didn’t think they had a bad game, but there were way too many negative runs and free runners at the QB. I think during the bye week the James Daniels era needs to begin.
 

 

[WindyCity]

Defense

-Khalil Mack is the DPOY and again just decided that the game was going to be the Bears. 5 tackles, 2 sacks, FF at a huge moment of the game. Everything feeds off of him on defense and I really think the Bears would be 0-3 without him. The move we thought added pressure to Trubisky is actually taking it off of him. Can you imagine if the Bears were 0-3 and Mitch was playing this poorly.

-It was really nice to see Leonard Floyd with the reduced cast making some plays. He had a couple of really great run defense plays and a couple of nice rushes, specifically on the Hicks sack where he rushed the A game and blew past the OG and flushed Bradford. Slowly rounding into shape.

-Not many teams have a top 3 rushers like the Bears do. Aaron Lynch continues to thrive in his 3rd OLB role and make enough plays that he is a positive in his reps. Again I thought he was active and pushing the pocket when he was in there, a steep departure from his pedestrian week 1.

-The Bears may have the deepest 3-4 DL in the league. Hicks was awesome again and continues to be one of the better free agent signings the Bears have ever made. Goldman is one of the better run defenders in the league. Bullard continues to have nice moments and at a minimum plays the run well. RRH looks like a starter when he plays. Now they have the 5th round rookie in Bilal Nichols come in and make one of the biggest plays of the game on the 3rd and 2 run that set up 4th and 5. The fact that he looks NFL strong as a rookie is a great sign.

-Trevathan had a brutal start to the game. He blows the coverage on the 1st TD and then he gets worked by David Johnson in the slot. The defense was able to rebound and settle down, but it is odd to see Trevathan get worked in coverage like that.

-Roquan did not have any splash plays, but I thought he was solid again and his speed limiting YAC yards is obvious when you see him flash through the screen. He did miss another tackle and he needs to slow down a little on the run plays and trust that he is in good position.

-Prince getting hurt was the only reason the Cardinals were moving the ball in the 2nd half. Tolliver was playing understandably conservative and giving the Cardinals some yards.

-Bryce Callahan is having a great season in the slot. If I was Pace I would approach him about an extension.

-Eddie Jackson has so much range. I cannot remember the last time the Bears had a true FS like him. It is really too bad that the pick 6 was taken off the board. I wonder if they are reluctant to pay Amos because Jackson will be 2 years behind him and seems like a more unique player.

-The all out blitz on the hail marry was an awesome call by Vic Fangio. My biggest issue with Vic has been that he can get conservative. On that play he did not allow Rosen to even to plant his feet to make the throw.

 

[Zion]

What's the deal with Kevin White anyway? He should be fully healthy now. Why is he not being given a chance?

 

[NCChiFan]

Omg, Rory sighting. Nice per usual Windy, thanks.

 

[Rory Sparrow]

Offense

-I really do not have anything to say in defense of Mitch. He was bad. He missed wide open throws that I think a college freshman can make. He made incredibly dumb decisions with the football and the offense turned into a WR screen festival because they couldn’t trust him with more. I can keep yelling about patience, but I will not be offering a defense of Mitch again, until he gives me something to work with.

Terrible misses/throws
-Gabriel in the endzone
-Gabriel in the middle of the field when he gets killed
-Robinson on the redzone skinny post when he gets inside
-Robinson on the sideline that is inside and underthrown
 

Although it was incredulously said in a different thread that Nagy's offense doesn't incorporate "hot reads" into pass plays, which obviously is not true, I do think it all relates to Trubisky's lack of pocket presence. He didn't play a ton in college, and perhaps his athleticism allowed him to scramble and keep plays alive in college, as opposed to using 'hot reads' and check downs while at UNC. Trubisky seems to think that if he gets blitzed, he can make the first blitzer miss and then dance around. This type of thinking kind of led to his fumble against the Cards, and he missed Cohen in the flat for a walk-in TD on another blitz.

 

[Rory Sparrow]

Defense

-Trevathan had a brutal start to the game. He blows the coverage on the 1st TD and then he gets worked by David Johnson in the slot. The defense was able to rebound and settle down, but it is odd to see Trevathan get worked in coverage like that.

The sooner the Bears can have Smith replace Trevathan on passing downs, the better.

 

[Les Grossman]

Bilal Nichols looks the part from limited action.

I'd also say that Nagy might want to consider going to a more simple run game when Mitch struggles. Too many times he has these "cute", complicated run plays that don't really play to Howards strengths.

As for Mitch, fuuuuuuck he looks so lost out there. He is going to continue to see teams blitz the hell out of him, becuase he obviously struggles with it. Hopefully Nagy can give him some easy hot reads or something.

 

[Hawkeye OG]

What's the deal with Kevin White anyway? He should be fully healthy now. Why is he not being given a chance?

Because we have better options and he sucks.

 

[Visionman]

I'm with you 100% Windy. I have been one of the one's preaching patience on offense. Nagy, Trubisky, and the offense couldnt be expected to come out of the gate guns blazing.

But growth is needed, and i just don't see any. At all. There is no defense of Trubisky or Nagy ATM. They have been poor, at best.

 

[Visionman]

I'm with you 100% Windy. I have been one of the one's preaching patience on offense. Nagy, Trubisky, and the offense couldnt be expected to come out of the gate guns blazing.

But growth is needed, and i just don't see any. At all. There is no defense of Trubisky or Nagy ATM. They have been poor, at best.

 

[SERE Bear]

Offense
.........

-Nagy was bad. His timeout usage, his redzone play calling, the endless and useless WR screens. He needs to figure out something that Trubisky can execute and show that genius that was talked about in the offseason. I will say him running the ball was nice.
....



 

Pick one of these options.

I’m afaird at this point Mitch needs to have things simplified. The game is moving too fast for him and he cant process whats in front of him. This week should be a dumbed down game plan. Perhaps the bye week will help but I think the way to bring Mitch along is to reduce and simplify his playbook and add a little back each week. He clearly is overwhelmed. The Bears run game needs to be a cornerstone as they take a few steps back with Mitch.

 

[WindyCity]

Pick one of these options.

I’m afaird at this point Mitch needs to have things simplified. The game is moving too fast for him and he cant process whats in front of him. This week should be a dumbed down game plan. Perhaps the bye week will help but I think the way to bring Mitch along is to reduce and simplify his playbook and add a little back each week. He clearly is overwhelmed. The Bears run game needs to be a cornerstone as they take a few steps back with Mitch.

I think we have reached the point where we need to pull Mitch out of the pool, put a life jacket on him and let him get back in the pool.

This current model, of letting him flail around, does not seem to be working.

 

[Zion]

Because we have better options and he sucks.

He had so much talent, how does he suck now? Is his leg injury still affecting him this much?

 

[legendxofxlink]

Nichols is a fucking beast. He needs a bit more PT

 

[Mdbearz]

Great write up Windy!

Miller does need to be rested, because the kid is going to be special, but not if he can not play.

So, White is not the answer to replace him, so we have a couple of options:
- Bellamy needs to become the #3/4 (that just tasted nasty saying that...)
- More Two TE sets with Braunecker as the other TE
- Take Sims out and use the FB Burton. I think he can block better and catch better.
- Finally I think that Wims needs to get a shot.

None of these are options that will completely replace what I think Miller can be, but we do have some options that could make us more unpredictable.

 

[Rory Sparrow]

Defense

-Khalil Mack is the DPOY and again just decided that the game was going to be the Bears. 5 tackles, 2 sacks, FF at a huge moment of the game. Everything feeds off of him on defense and I really think the Bears would be 0-3 without him. The move we thought added pressure to Trubisky is actually taking it off of him. Can you imagine if the Bears were 0-3 and Mitch was playing this poorly.

-It was really nice to see Leonard Floyd with the reduced cast making some plays. He had a couple of really great run defense plays and a couple of nice rushes, specifically on the Hicks sack where he rushed the A game and blew past the OG and flushed Bradford. Slowly rounding into shape.

-The Bears may have the deepest 3-4 DL in the league. Hicks was awesome again and continues to be one of the better free agent signings the Bears have ever made. Goldman is one of the better run defenders in the league. Bullard continues to have nice moments and at a minimum plays the run well. RRH looks like a starter when he plays. Now they have the 5th round rookie in Bilal Nichols come in and make one of the biggest plays of the game on the 3rd and 2 run that set up 4th and 5. The fact that he looks NFL strong as a rookie is a great sign.

I think the biggest impact Khalil Mack has had, outside of his own play, is that high draft picks like Floyd, Fuller, and Goldman can simply be 'contributors' and that's OK. It's kind of amazing how the Bears defense has been constructed. Hicks was a great ROI signing, Mack kind of fell into their lap, and Pace threw a bunch of money at Trevathan who continues to be a liability despite the media hype. Those are your three best players...none of them drafted, none of them developed by Bear coaches.

 

[Kazu2324]

Good stuff Windy! I really love our D-Line. The "hands to the face" penalty on Bullard was nonsense. He just got a hand up well after the ball was thrown and had zero impact on the play. But it's fantastic to see them doing so well on D. Really hope that the O can pick itself up and start to get rolling. Need to cut down on the TOs and improve the RZ efficiency.

Also Windy, what did you notice about the run game? Why was Howard only able to manage such a low YPC? Has the switch in the run blocking scheme really changed that much that it's going to impact Howard throughout the season or is this just growing pains from learning a new O?

 

[JUSTWIN]

He played like shit and may be a bust but let's support the kid. Throws like this one is encouraging.

[video=youtube;fEzy_s-d7Q4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEzy_s-d7Q4[/video]

 

[Bearly]

Why is John Shoop still calling plays?

 

[Mongo_76]

He had so much talent, how does he suck now? Is his leg injury still affecting him this much?

His talent was being fast. He's 3 years older and looks a lot slower. When you don't play for 3 years, you lose some.

It's also been discussed that he has been challenge to learn playbooks (both at the college level and under the previous regime). This scheme is more complicated than those were.