Bears want to see Montez Sweat’s snap count rise moving forward originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

When a team blows a 12-point lead with less than five minutes to play, the game is going to be scrutinized. When the team that blew the 12-point lead has a history of letting wins slip away, the scrutiny will intensify. So, as people have dug into the Bears’ 31-26 loss against the Lions in Week 11 people have started to question why some of the team’s best players weren’t on the field in the biggest moments. Among those, new pass rusher Montez Sweat, who only played 39 of 62 snaps on defense.

“You certainly want to see that rise,” said head coach Matt Eberflus on Wednesday. “You always want to see that rise, and it’s been rising… It’s gonna continue to rise.”

Sweat is no stranger to playing high snap counts. With the Commanders this year he averaged 47.1 snaps per game.

“Generally, I want to be there every play, but the body and the heart doesn’t really work like that,” Sweat said.

Eberflus cited the team’s fast-paced and high intensity practices as a reason why it’s taken Sweat some time to prepare for a more robust workload with the Bears, but acknowledged the team needs him on the field for critical moments like third downs and two-minute drills. Eberflus said getting players like Sweat onto the field is sometimes easier said than done.

“The drives matter. Is it a 15-play drive? Is it an eight-play drive? It’s always great when we go three-and-out. That’s easy. But yeah, you just look at the drives.”

Eberflus also noted that the flow of the game was different against the Lions. Instead of a typical back and forth affair that leads to a one big defensive drive and one big offensive drive, the Bears had to run their two-minute defense twice in a row.

On one of those drives, Sweat came out to catch his breath for a few plays. But the Lions started playing a hurry-up offense, so the Bears didn’t get a chance to sub Sweat back into the game. Eberflus also isn’t in the business of telling players they need to go back on the field if they check themselves out of the game for a quick rest.

“These are pro athletes and they’ve played a lot of football, so you leave it to him,” Eberflus said. “When he’s exhausted and needs to take a play or two, you let him, then get back in there as fast as you can. When there’s a stoppage in play, get back in there. I think that’s always been best practice. Some guys stay out and they just want to stay out there and you can clearly see they’re tired and their effectiveness goes down. You want to keep your rushers fresh and that’s just the whole mode of doing that.”

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With 6:33 remaining in the third quarter Thursday night, it was time to put Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles on television. That’s what Amazon Prime Video’s telecast did following the commercial break after running back D’Onta Foreman’s touchdown run for the Bears.

Next to Poles was a graphic breaking down the trade he made with the Carolina Panthers involving the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which the Panthers used on quarterback Bryce Young.

“A lot to talk about in terms of the trade,” play-by-play broadcaster Al Michaels said. “Ryan Poles with Chicago, they have a treasure trove. Look at this. I mean not since, I think Willie Sutton was robbing banks, did you see something like that.”

Michaels then went through some of the details of the trade.

“And there are pieces on this defense already that you like about where they are and where they’re heading,” analyst Kirk Herbstreit said. “You add on what they’re going to be able to do in next year’s draft — not just in the first round but really the first four or five rounds. They’ve got a lot of picks.”

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After trading for defensive end Montez Sweat, the treasure trove isn’t as much as Herbstreit hinted at during the broadcast. The Bears have six picks in the first five rounds. It includes two in the first and two in the fourth. But his point still was made. The Bears and Poles are in a great position to build out their roster.

What Michaels and Herbstreit hit on at that moment in the third quarter seemed to be an important theme of Prime Video’s broadcast of the Bears’ 16-13 win against the Panthers on “Thursday Night Football.”

It’s always interesting to hear what national broadcasts say about teams because what’s said typically comes after ample time spent talking to players, coaches and front-office members during production meetings and more.

When Herbstreit and Michaels weren’t hanging out with Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce for a full quarter, they were generally speaking positively about rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent and what the Bears could be building. During the pregame show, Michael Smith, the former ESPN host, explained what Poles inherited from former GM Ryan Pace.

“The Bears lacked picks, cap space, youth and talent,” Smith said. “Poles had to reset the roster, and that process takes more than two offseasons. There were hardly any first-rounders around here when Poles arrived.”

Smith then hit on Poles’ acquisition of Sweat.

“That was a move to get more blue-chip talent in the building,” he said.

And then came this.

“So Justin Fields is under contract for next year and the Bears have the option for the fifth year — and they still believe in him,” Smith said. “A lot can change between now and the draft. But the Bears know this roster still needs to undergo a lot of upgrades around whomever is under center.”

That was Bagent on Thursday night. By the end of the night, Bagent was the one sitting with Charissa Thompson, Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman as Bears fans chanted “(Expletive) Green Bay” and “Fire Getsy.”

Bagent won. The Bears’ Division II starter was better than the Panthers’ Heisman Trophy winner.

“Overall, they’re going in the right direction,” Gonzalez said after the game. “And this kid, I couldn’t be happier for him, especially coming out of the Division II level to be in this spotlight, prime time, it was good for him.”

Fitzpatrick’s favorite throw from Bagent was the rookie’s final one of the game. Bagent hit receiver Darnell Mooney for an 8-yard gain between two defenders on third-and-7 from Carolina’s 38 in the final 90 seconds.

“Luke Getsy, that last third-and-7 of the game, he trusted Bagent with the ball in his hands,” Fitzpatrick said. “It wasn’t just a handoff and let’s punt this thing away. He allowed him to drop back. It wasn’t a rollout. It wasn’t a, ‘Let’s give him an option to run, let’s give him an option to throw.’ He dropped back, found Mooney, got the first down and iced the game. That tells you a lot about Luke Getsy and what he thinks about this kid.”

Fields, though, is the Bears’ starter when he’s healthy. Coach Matt Eberflus said as much after the game. Maybe that’s what he had up his sleeve.

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After the game, Gonzalez suggested the Bears should take USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick if they have it and then trade their second first-rounder for more selections. Everyone disagreed with him. It might be best to stick with Fields or Bagent. Poles simply has more work to do.

“You got a chance this year to use up all that draft leverage to stack this football team with talent,” Whitworth said.

“Because you end up in a situation that Bryce Young is in with not a lot of talent,” Sherman said. “The cupboard is pretty empty. He’s trying his best. You can’t even tell if he’s talented or not because the team is so bad. You get a good quarterback in there and he starts to think he’s bad, he loses his confidence, and you can’t build a good team around him, and then people start to rush to judgment.”

Sounds familiar, right?

It was the Bears last season — Year 1 of Poles’ rebuild. Fields didn’t have much to work with in his second season.

True, the Bears beat only a one-win Panthers team, but Sweat, nickelback Kyler Gordon, right tackle Darnell Wright and others drafted, signed or acquired by Poles played well in the victory. That includes Bagent, who is 2-2 as the Bears’ starter. He wasn’t great but good enough against Carolina. He completed 20 of 33 passes for only 162 yards, but he didn’t turn the ball over or take a sack.

Whitworth said before the game that Fields or Bagent should be the starter next season for the Bears.

As everyone seemed to suggest at times throughout Prime’s broadcast, Poles is in an ideal position to add talent around his quarterback — whomever that is — and on defense.

“Because I believe the way you build a football team in the NFL is to continue to stockpile talent, and that’s really the winning model,” Whitworth said. “When you look in San Francisco, when you look at Philly, where Jason (Kelce) plays, it’s about the guys that play around him just as much as it is their quarterback when you want to win year in and year out. So you look at their draft pick capital, maybe trading one of those picks to move back in the first a little further and stockpiling more picks to keep more talent because this team is a lot further away than just one dynamic quarterback.”

(Photo of Tyson Bagent: Daniel Bartel / USA Today)

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles envisions more explosive plays from a revamped offense and…

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles envisions more explosive plays from a revamped offense and a retooled defense creating turnovers more often.

A busy offseason has him thinking his team is positioned to make a jump. Considering the Bears finished with the worst record in the NFL last year, there seems to be nowhere to go but up.

“I really believe this team is set up to elevate and really go to the next level, which we’re all excited for,” Poles said Wednesday.

The Bears made some big moves after going 3-14 and setting a franchise record for losses, with Poles estimating they filled 75% to 80% of their holes. They’ll start to find out if the changes paid off when they open the season at Green Bay on Sept. 10.

The Bears swung a major trade for a playmaking receiver when they dealt the No. 1 overall draft pick to Carolina for DJ Moore and a package of draft picks. They added to their offensive line by drafting tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick and signing guard Nate Davis. They also brought in help for their defense, signing two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker T.J. Edwards and veteran edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue.

“At the end of the day, like when the lights come on and we play a real game, the energy levels differ, the speed is different,” Poles said. “We’ll be able to evaluate that as we go through the season. But I feel good again. Just on paper, I feel good about the progress and I feel we took a chunk out of what we needed to.”

The Bears are counting on Justin Fields to improve as a passer in his third season after he dazzled with his legs last year. The former Ohio State star threw for just 2,242 yards and was sacked 55 times, tying Russell Wilson for the most in the league.

“Obviously we need to see that number change,” Poles said. “It’s a relationship, right? Where protection’s gotta be better, and I feel better about our setup in terms of the guys in front of him, and the tackles, with Braxton going into Year 2. Darnell’s doing a good job. That alone should help us. And then Justin’s ability to execute our offense more efficiently and get the ball out quicker too. All of that should run together and that number should drop.”

The Bears figure to be down one key blocker to start the season. Poles said left guard Teven Jenkins (leg) will open on injured reserve with a designation to return, meaning he will miss at least the first four games.

Chicago is also thin behind Fields. The team’s only other quarterback is rookie Tyson Bagent, who went undrafted after a record-setting career at Division II Shepherd University.

“He’s got this moxie, he has this confidence about him,” assistant general manager Ian Cunningham said.

Whether Bagent will be the No. 2 QB for the season opener or the Bears add a veteran remains to be seen.

“It’s hard to answer that question right now,” Poles said.

Poles had no update on contract extension talks with receiver Darnell Mooney and cornerback Jaylon Johnson, saying “We’re taking that kind of week by week.”

“I really don’t want to get into it,” he added. “It kind of creates a distraction for the entire year. We like those guys. We’d love to have them here long-term, so we’ll just kind of stick with our plan.”

He smirked and — unprompted — said he “never thought about or had any conversations about trading Mooney.” He also insisted defensive end Trevis Gipson never requested a trade before the Bears waived him on Tuesday. Gipson, who had seven sacks in 2021, ultimately lost out in a roster battle to Dominique Robinson and Terrell Lewis behind starters Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker and backup Rasheem Green.

The Bears added veteran Trent Taylor on Wednesday to be their punt returner, with Velus Jones Jr. struggling in the preseason following a rough rookie season. Taylor spent the past two years with Cincinnati after playing from 2017 to 2020 for San Francisco, where he worked with Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower.

“Consistency,” Poles said. “That’s the biggest thing. You know, when the ball gets punted you can go grab a snack and go to the bathroom and come back and you feel confident about it. That’s the big part.”

___

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CHICAGO — Eddie George had no plans to coach football.

The long hours have put off the former Tennessee Titans All-Pro running back. He loved having time for his golf game. He built his wealth management business and acted in films, television and plays, including playing the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway.

“I’m trying to win a HEGOT,” said George. “It’s Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, but Heisman is front and center.”

The 1995 Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State University laughed after speaking like a pro from his seat in a conference room at Halas Hall.

George was taking a breather during a hectic three-week stint with the Chicago Bears as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, a program designed to give minority coaches NFL-level experience. Randy Shannon, Florida State co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach, former Miami head coach, is also present at the team activities organized by the Bears.

Nine days into his tenure, George was all over the Bears compound, not only attending football meetings and drills, but also consulting with support staff and even seeking the thoughts of Kevin Warren, the President and CEO of the Bears. George’s goal is to gather strategies from across the organization to bring back to Tennessee State, where he is entering his third year as head coach.

“Every day I try to find one thing, just one thing, to take home because it’s a lot,” George told the Tribune. “Three weeks isn’t enough time to really take it all in, so I’m trying to give myself the grace to say, ‘Okay, enjoy the experience and just try to learn something new every day and also be a resource for that to be youth.’ Men who are here and have questions.’ ”

When Bears running backs coach David Walker urged George to apply, noting that the Bears wanted to do something specifically for the head coaches, George didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to learn.

A little over two years ago, Tennessee State offered George a chance to become a head coach. In the NFL, George rushed for 10,441 yards for nine seasons, started 130 straight games and reached four Pro Bowls. But he had no coaching experience.

Intrigued by being the CEO of a football program, George wondered if he would regret turning down Tennessee State’s offer. He knew he would. And he believed in the experiences that brought him to this point. He was familiar with football from his playing career, leadership skills from fathering two sons, listening as an actor, and planning from his business ventures.

“So all of that prepared me for this moment,” he said.

George’s Tennessee State teams have won 9-13 in their first two seasons. His third season begins with a trip to Notre Dame, the first time the Irish have faced an HBCU team, and a game that reportedly comes with a $1 million payday for Tennessee State.

As George prepares for his third year, the OTAs provided a good time to join the Bears. The Tennessee State players will not be at the facility until the start of summer school and conditioning in early June. He still holds staff meetings between Bears training sessions and meetings at 1:30 p.m. each day.

George said he starts his day at 5:30 a.m. with a workout before meeting up with various people at Halas Hall. He attends special teams meetings because he believes in a great special teams game.

Of course, he’s drawn to the offensive encounters centered around the Bears’ running game, which he says set a franchise-record 3,014 rushing yards in 2022 under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. George takes note of what they teach, emphasize and name.

As George made the transition from actor-businessman to coach, his biggest learning curve was dealing with people – understanding who he wanted and didn’t want in his program, trying to get them involved, and articulating his vision properly, to inspire them.

Fellowship with the Bears gives him the opportunity to meet various leaders, including coach Matt Eberflus.

“Very cool and calm,” George said of Eberflus. “I love his approach. I love that he’s a no-nonsense guy. He knows what he wants. I’ve never heard him swear at anyone. He talks to you like a man. And his staff was great too.”

Eberflus said George consults with staff responsible for nutrition, strength and conditioning, and game management, among other things.

And George meets with Warren to discuss how he plans to build an organization that can sustain a championship culture over the long term. George is fascinated with how to get everything right in a program.

“How you pay attention to details because players can feel it and feel it,” George said. “If you cut corners on any aspect of this building, they will see that and cut corners. So I look at everything and I want to know everything, down to how they fold the towels and get your laundry back to you on time.

“All the things that you don’t necessarily think are important are really important. Everyone is watching. And how do you hold people accountable for that?”

The scholarship is named after former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh, who started an internship program for minority coaches at his training camp in 1987. The league eventually adopted the stipend for all teams. Mike Tomlin, Lovie Smith and Marvin Lewis are among the coaches who have survived.

The Bears have enrolled several former players in the program, including Nathan Vasher, Roosevelt Williams and Henry Burris. They will hire more coaches as part of the training camp program.

George and Shannon are particularly prominent additions to OTAs this year, and their presence also benefits the Bears.

“We definitely rely on these people because they have the information,” Eberflus said. “Really, our boys have received a lot of information from (George) and are constantly asking him questions. So it was pretty cool to have him with us.”

Eberflus let George speak in front of the players.

George spoke about the rare opportunities they have in the NFL and the things they can do to keep them going, including not getting too comfortable. He spoke about his four pillars: physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being. And he advised them to prepare for the post-football world, starting with the way they behave as players.

He began to understand the latter point in his final years as a gamer, when he founded a landscape architecture company before earning his MBA from Northwestern.

“Football isn’t the be-all and end-all. It’s a path to your goal,” said George. “You’re only here for a limited amount of time. It ends. You have more life behind you than in your football life.

“But the years you have as a footballer, especially in an organization like this, if you do well here – not just on the football field but in terms of character, integrity and who you are – can stick with you for a lifetime .” ”

©2023 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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CHICAGO — The Bears have finalized their deal to purchase land in Arlington Heights, taking a big step forward to potentially moving the team to the suburbs.

The team announced in a Wednesday tweet that officials were shut down at the suburban property last week. However, the purchase does not guarantee that the team will leave. City officials have negotiated with team leaders to keep the bears in Chicago, and the bears still need support from suburban leaders and potential neighbors.

“Completing the purchase does not guarantee the land will be developed, but it is an important next step in our ongoing evaluation of the property,” team officials tweeted.

“There is still a tremendous amount of due diligence work to be done to determine if building a gated, state-of-the-art stadium and multi-purpose entertainment district is feasible.”

The deal is a “big development” of the potential move, but “there has been no decision” on whether the Bears will make the proposed Arlington Heights venue, according to a letter from the team.

But if the team goes ahead with their idea for the suburban campus, it would be “one of the largest megaprojects in Midwestern history,” according to the letter.

Our Arlington Park Property Closure Open Letter:

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 15, 2023

The Arlington Park campus would be built on 326 acres on the site of the former Churchill Downs racecourse, which closed for racing late last season.

It would be “much more than a stadium project,” the team wrote in September as they unveiled possible plans for the development.

RELATED: Bears reveal what Arlington Heights Stadium campus could look like

The campus would include a “multipurpose entertainment, commercial/retail and residential district,” according to the Bears website. It could include restaurants, office space, a hotel, fitness center, parks and open spaces.

However, the site has repeatedly pointed out that campus will only become a reality when certain things happen: when the team closes the property and when the team decides to develop it.

Now the team has completed this first step.

The Bears have said the development could create more than 48,000 jobs and generate $9.4 billion for the Chicago-area economy. But company officials have said they would want public funding for the project.

“The overarching plan will only work if the village of Arlington Heights, surrounding communities, Cook County, the greater Chicagoland area and the state of Illinois all receive significant economic benefits, and we are confident that a mega-project like this can deliver results,” he said the team’s letter.

The team held meetings with Arlington Heights residents to gather their feedback. A September gathering drew more than 100 neighbors who applauded when the Bears said their Arlington Heights stadium would have a roof — only for the crowd to groan when the team said the roof would not be retractable.

Chicago officials have hoped to keep the team during months of negotiations at Soldier Field.

The announcement is the latest twist in the stadium drama between the Bears and the city of Chicago – a saga that stretches back to the ’70s when the team first threatened to leave Soldier Field for Arlington Heights.

The City and Bears rebuilt Soldier Field in 2002, but it remains the smallest-capacity stadium in the NFL. And the bears are Park District tenants, which means they pay rent and share many of the revenue streams.

Lightfoot has tried to persuade the team to stay by offering to build a dome over the stadium, but many saw this as a Hail Mary with little chance of keeping the team within city limits.

Separately, Landmark Development has also proposed a glamorous overhaul of Soldier Field, releasing a nearly six-minute video in January showing designs to address many of the Bears’ complaints about the stadium.

Lightfoot’s office said at the time the mayor supported the developer’s efforts.

But the mayor has also tried to play tough at times, poking fun at the team’s struggles on the field and suggesting how Soldier Field could be rehabilitated without the bears. She has also hinted that if the Bears left, Chicago would attract another football team to the city.

The Bears moved to Park District’s Soldier Field in 1971, but several years later threatened to move to Arlington Heights. Then-Mayor Richard J. Daley threatened a lawsuit to prevent them from calling themselves Chicago Bears if they relocated. His son, Mayor Richard M. Daley, also engaged in years of tense negotiations with the team, which threatened to relocate to Gary, Indiana in 1995.

The Bears could terminate the Soldier Field lease as early as 2026 by paying the city an $84 million penalty, the Tribune reported. This price will decrease in the coming years.

Big city teams opting for more space in the suburbs are not unprecedented. The New York Giants and New York Jets relocated to New Jersey from the city decades ago. The San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders also play outside of the cities they are named after.

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• EUR/USD bears are moving in from the hourly the 38.2% ratio.
• 1.1305 serves as potential support below current lows.
• Russia and central bank sentiments are the driving forces.

EUR/USD is bleeding the initial gains for the day as risk appetite drifts off with the major Asian indexes printing in the red. EUSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 0.2%, while Japan’s Nikkei lost 2.5%. At 1.1353, the euro is now flat on the day to the US dollar after correcting a significant portion of Friday’s sell-off to a high in the 1.1369’s.

The start of the week is jittery following alarmingly high US inflation readings last week combined with risks of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. US president Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin talked by phone for an hour on Saturday in what is widely seen as a last-ditch effort to fend off a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The call, however, brought “no fundamental change” to the worsening crisis although the US and Russia have agreed to stay engaged in the coming days according to a senior US official, briefing reporters. The official also told reporters that ”Russia may decide to proceed with military action anyway.”

Meanwhile, there is speculation that the Federal Reserve might raise rates by a full 50 basis points in March with chatter about an emergency inter-meeting hike. That was spurred in part by the timing of a closed Fed Board meeting for Monday, though the event has been presumed routine.

However, not all Fed members are singing from the same hymn sheet. While hawking and St. Louis Fed James Bullard advocated for a 50bps hike at the March meeting, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly played down the need for a half-point move in an interview on Sunday. Daly argued that being too “abrupt and aggressive” on policy could be counter-productive. Fed President James Bullard will be in focus later on Monday, given his recent calls for a more aggressive stance at the Fed, signifying 100 basis points of tightening by June.

US FOMC minutes / Retail Sales in focus

As for other events in the week, the Federal Open Market Committee meeting minutes will be released and traders will be on the lookout for discussions regarding near-term policy plans. Analysts at TD Securities explained that the market will be paying particular attention to plans for balance sheet normalization steps, following the release of the normalization “principles” in Jan.

”The minutes might seem stale, however, given the recent strength in macro data,” the analysts added. Markets will then look to US Retail Sales where an improvement on December’s sharp decline could be supportive to the US dollar.

EUR/USD technical analysis

As illustrated, the euro is on the back foot again, capped by the 38.2% ratio, so far, which leaves the emphasis on the downside and prospects of a bearish extension of the broader trend. 1.1305 serves as potential support below current lows.

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San Francisco 49ers (2-4) against the Chicago Bears (3-4)

Kicking off: Noon, Sunday, Soldier Field, Chicago

TV: Fox (Adam Amin, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver)

TV streaming: Fox on fuboTV, free trial

Radio: WBBM AM-780, FM 105.9 (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Mark Grote)

National radio: ESPN (Marc Kestecher, Tom Waddle, Ian Fitzsimmons).

Spanish radio: TUDN AM-1200, Latino-Mix FM-93.5 (Omar Ramos, Miguel Esparza)

The line: 49ers by 3 1/2 (over / under 39 1/2). Betting information at SI.com

BearDigest.com selection: 49er 20, bears 13

Previous BearDigest record: 6-1 (7-0 vs. spread)

The series: 68th meeting, San Francisco leads 34-32-1. The Bears won their last game in Santa Clara, California, 14-9 in 2018. The 49ers won the last game in Chicago at 15:14 in 2017.

The trainers: 49ers manager Kyle Shanahan is 31-39 in his fifth season and stands 1-1 against the Bears.

Matt Nagy (31-24 in Season Four) will not be training the Bears as he is on the league’s COVID-19 log. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will coach the Bears, his first NFL game as head coach.

Last week:
The 49ers lost their fourth series in a row 30:18, spinning the ball over a season high four times, including two interceptions from Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers were held to 280 net yards, only converting 1 out of 11 to third place.

The Bears were buried 38-3 at Tampa Bay when Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes to go over 600 for his career, the NFL record (601). Bear quarterback Justin

Injuries: The 49ers are without S Jaquiski Tartt (knee), DT Javon Kinlaw, DL Maurice Hurst (calf) and both LB Azeez Al-Shaair and DL Dee Ford are on the concussion log.

The Bears are without OLB Khalil Mack (foot), RB David Montgomery (IR, knee) and RT Germain Ifedi (IR, knee). They expect DE Akiem Hicks (groin) to be back. OLB Robert Quinn (COVID-19) returns.

What to see: Can the 49ers all reduce their pass interference penalties? You had 14 of them and 11 were accepted for 250 yards. It’s a Halloween homecoming for Garoppolo, who hails from Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The 49ers are looking for him to cut all sales. You will have QB Trey Lance back healthy this week to handle certain offensive packages, much like the Bear Fields used at the start of the season.

Are the bears dealing well with the COVID-19 loss of Nagy? How well is Fields recovering from his worst game in terms of sales? He came back on a grand scale after a similar disaster against Cleveland, when he was sacked nine times and spearheaded wins against Detroit and Las Vegas. Can the bears make up for Mack’s loss? Trevis Gipson (2 sacks) replaces him in the line-up to work with Quinn.

Match: The 49ers are 18th on the offensive, 12th when rushing and 19th when passing. San Francisco is sixth on the defensive, fifth on the pass and 20th on the run.

The bears are 32nd (last) on the offensive, sixth in rushing and 32nd (last) pass. In defense they are 11th, 8th against the pass and 20th against the barrel

Remarkable: 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell has two 100-yard games and would tie Billy Kilmer (1961) for most 49ers 100-yard games by a 100-yard rookie. … In the last three games, the 49ers have converted the worst 16.7% of their third downs in the NFL. … The 49ers have allowed 397 points less sales in the 4 1/2 seasons Shanahan coached, most in the NFL. … The Bears are the only team in the NFL that has an average of more yards of rushing (131) than passing (124.4). … The Bears have 22 sacks tied for the NFL lead with the Minnesota Vikings. … Bear’s linebacker Roquan Smith is third in the NFL with 75 tackles. … In the past four weeks, the Bears have made the second most rushing attempts in the NFL (131) and the third most rushing yards (614). The record series of the Bears of Cairo Santos with 35 field goals in a row is the longest active series in the league.

Important individual matchups

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson vs. 49ers WR Deebo Samuel

The movement continues for Johnson, who has been fixated on the opponent’s best receiver in multiple mixed-result games. Deebo Samuel isn’t the established superstar receiver Johnson recently covered, like Davante Adams, but he’s explosive enough. Without Samuel, the 49ers offense would be in big trouble as the loss of Eric Kittle put a heavy strain on the attack. Samuel at 6 feet, 215 pounds is not physically someone who will overtake Johnson, but the combination of his size, range and speed is explosive and the Niners use him everywhere, outside on both sides and in the slot, even in the backcourt. Samuel’s current total of four TD catches is a career high and his 17.1 yards per catch is by far his best careers. He has 38 receptions for 648 yards and in four of the six games he has had at least 93 yards. Johnson’s Pro Football Focus grade has fallen sharply since the Bears started moving him all over the field, but his stats haven’t been bad at all. According to Sportradar, he only gives up 48.7% deals when targeted, a decrease from his rookie year (56.4%). His registration score is also better than last year at 85.2. His defended passes have fallen and he hasn’t had one in the last three games.

Bears OLB Trevis Gipson vs. 49ers RT Mike McGlinchey

If Khalil Mack is healthy, the best the Bears can hope for against McGlinchey is a stalemate, but Mack is out and that looks like a disparity. McGlinchey, the former Notre Dame Standout, is a Guardian who was converted to tackle because of his skills. Gipson’s greatest strength was his pass frenzy, but he hasn’t been strong against the barrel and McGlinchey is best at blocking the barrel. The 49ers play-action passing game comes from this run. Gipson showed some progress with some sacks earlier this year, but the offensive lines have been adjusted.

Bears RT Elijah Wilkinson vs. 49ers LDE Arik Armstead

Coming back from the COVID-19 list, Wilkinson has been a solid run blocker, though struggling a little as a pass blocker. He’s Germain Ifedi’s backup, but it’s also possible the Bears will start rookie Larry Borom, who just came out of injured reserve. Armstead had 10 sacks in the 49ers Super Bowl year and more than 3 1/2 in any other season. He’s got a sack and two quarterback hits this year and averaging 2.3 tackles per game, by far his worst average since starting out as a starter in 2018. Armstead is 6-foot-7,290 and the mighty rookie Borom would be one greater challenge for him to handle while the game is in progress. Fields tend to get tilted passes near the Edge Rusher and care must be taken at 6-7 Armstead.

Bears TE Cole Kmet vs. 49ers LB Tyrell Adams

49ers strong linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is on concussion log, allowing only 5.8 yards per reception, but Adams was only on the field for 20 defensive games and one game this year. He’s only had one season as a starter since joining the league with the Raiders in 2016. Kmet has 19 receptions but still isn’t getting the downfield receptions the bears need, even though his 9.1 yards per catch is better than last year (8.7).

Bears WR Darnell Mooney vs. 49ers CB Josh Norman

If Robinson and Justin Fields aren’t synced yet, it would be a week to get it done as Norman struggled as the starting right cornerback for the 49ers. Norman is ranked 97th against the pass of 112 cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus. It would then be no surprise to see the 49ers move Emmanuel Moseley away from his left to cover Robinson or to have him all over the field on Robinson. Moseley is one of the better cornerbacks in the league this year and Robinson is still the Bears’ main threat even if they haven’t used him properly. It becomes Mooney who was actually the most effective Bears receiver trying to beat Norman, who is rated 97th out of 112 cornerbacks rated against the pass by Pro Football Focus. Norman is the bridging corner for the 49ers after a career that peaked in Carolina and Washington from 2012 to 2019. He’s struggled this year, allowing a 135.4 pass rating when targeted and two touchdown passes. Norman will turn 34 in December and whether he can compete with either of the Bears’ two top recipients remains to be seen.

Bears G James Daniels vs. 49ers DT Kentavius ​​Street

Street wouldn’t get that much playtime with a healthy Javon Kinlaw. Street is a little too small for a defensive tackle compared to those Daniels has been confronted with on a regular basis. When he got into the league, Daniels wasn’t exactly a gigantic hacker himself, wary of about £ 20 to £ 327. Street has 15 tackles, three for the loss, but only an overall Pro Football Focus rating of 54.1. At the Niners, when the teams run behind their right guard, they gain 5.58 yards per attempt. That’s a good part for an inside line area and the 49ers are only 28th in the league when it comes to stopping runs at that point. Daniels wasn’t the best Bears blocker, but he has been consistent in the running game for the last three games.

Bears DE Akiem Hicks vs. 49ers RG Daniel Brunskill

Brunskill is one of the easier guards in the league at 6-5, 300, and that was after fluffing up a bit. He has excellent technique but isn’t enjoying the kind of year he’s had in the past on Pro Football Focus grades as he slipped to 45th with the Guards. Hicks was banned from the game last week with a groin injury sustained against Detroit four weeks ago, which was then exacerbated by the Green Bay game. At full strength, Hicks is a nightmare for a lighter guard, and his onslaught can be devastating. Brunskill has a PFF Pass Blocking Grade of 50.5, 58th out of 74 PFF rated guards.

Twitter: BearDigest @ BearsOnMaven

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It could be true that anyone who grew up with a Christmas tradition can remember the exact moment when they stopped believing that Santa Claus was real. It is equally true that parents can remember when their child found out or learned that Santa Claus is not a real person and these gifts did not magically appear under the tree courtesy of a bearded old man with chimney hopping. But there is no manual that says exactly when that should happen, and the father is there

David (Mark Bradbury), Father of two young children, Jenna and Andy, is determined to make the magic of Christmas last, at least until his children find out for themselves that Santa is just a lovable legend. David remembers his exact moment of disbelief when he was just 4 years old and wants his own children to enjoy the magic and mystery for much longer, developing sophisticated rules and tricks, treasure hunts and tricks to keep them under the spell Santa Claus draw.

When a family tragedy strikes, grief threatens to overwhelm Christmas traditions, but David redoubles efforts to make the vacation meaningful and full of Santas. David wages an uphill battle full of dark and sunny surprises and has to grapple with reality – his very real children – and his own vacation dreams. Gentle humor softens the melancholy and creates an amusing antidote to holiday dullness.

Bringing his superb acting skills to the role, Bradbury mimics his kids, Santa’s department store and David’s storytelling father with serenity. The opening night felt like he hadn’t fully settled into the character yet. As a thorough professional, he will no doubt rise into the role on future appearances.

This is the fourth iteration of the local playwright David Templeton‘s popular play, and directed his second time. The script could be tighter in the middle of the section, but its overall warmth and charm carry a meaningful theme and a sweet vacation spirit.

In just 75 minutes polar bears can definitely help get you in the mood cutting down trees and baking cookies for Santa in your house.

polar bears

By David Templeton, presented by the Left Edge Theater

Until December 15, 2019

Wed at 8 p.m., Sat at 4 p.m., Sun at 7 p.m.

Theater on the left

Studio Theater, Luther Burbank CFA

50 Mark West Springs Road

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

(707) 546-3600

http://www.leftedgetheatre.com

Photos by Katie Kelley

Jeanie K. Smith can be reached at jksmith614@gmail.com
Jeanie K. Smith has served in the Bay Area theater community for over 30 years as director, dramaturge, acting instructor, designer, performer, and reviewer, and is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, the Marquee Theater Journalists Association, and the American Theater Critics Association. Jeanie has a Ph.D. in drama from the University of Washington and has trained with Paul Richards, Gerald Hiken, Corey Fischer and Ed Hooks, among others. Her academic writing has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies (as Jeanie Forte), and her director has received the Dean Goodman Choice Award, several South Bay Small Theater Awards, and Theater Bay Area Award nominations. Jeanie currently resides in Sonoma County with her husband and their adorable Rescue Chihuahuas.

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Realistic Bears fans can breathe easy everywhere.

The bait is off the hook.

Ryan Pace has undoubtedly proven that he tends to blindly advance to quarterback on Round 1 by ditching a cache of draft picks. Mitchell Trubisky will haunt him forever.

The San Francisco 49ers and one later made by the Eagles with Miami deal has spun around the top of the first round, making it all but impossible for the Bears to position themselves for one of the top four quarterbacks – if it wasn’t already, at least not.

And it was.

The 49ers proved it. They gave up three picks in the first round, the first eight places better than the bears, and a third, and only moved up from 12th to 3rd place.

The bears would step up from eight spots behind and get one of those quarterbacks as the social media fanatics would lead them to believe?

Don’t care about me I’ll stop laughing next week.

The cost of climbing would be more than even Pace would ever want to give up. He’s just going to do what he should have been doing all along now. He should just use his picks or, better yet, act.

Pace shouldn’t sit and wait for Mac Jones to fall his way. It won’t happen anyway. He could do almost the same thing as Jones with Davis Mills in Round 2. He could put Christian Darrisaw in 20th place as tackle position is difficult to gauge and the tackles usually work on the first round unless you’re the bears. The bears usually pick one in Round 1 and he has a back problem.

Since the bears botched Kyle Fuller’s situation and let him go, they should move around for the first two days to get more picks to fill holes. You need to come up with four tips in the first two days to meet four real needs.

You have to act back.

GM Ryan Pace even discussed the possibility of trades on draft day in front of the free agency.

“It depends on what is presented to us. It can go different ways. That doesn’t necessarily mean – if we go into this draft, for example, there has to be a lot of evaluation going on.

“Acting may not be the best option. It could stay. It could go back. I think it just depends on the different goals that are out there, the different options that are out there.”

You need four things and you have no choice for the fourth round. They each have one on the first three rounds so they have to get one. The selection on the third day in these four demand positions becomes very thin.

The difference between Jones and Mills isn’t that big. You could go down on round 1, possibly even to the top of round 2, and come up with a good quarterback, but then have three more picks in the first two days.

The first two days there are plenty of cornerbacks and wide receivers who practically fall from trees. There are eight tackles in Fan Nation’s NFL Draft Bible that should take place in the first three rounds.

There might even be high-speed slot receivers later, like D’Wayne Eskridge of West Michigan.

The best thing that ever happened to the bears in this design is the wall the 49ers and John Lynch put up to keep Ryan Pace out, if he even thought of going there.

The bears have needs and it goes beyond just quarterback. It’s time to deal with everyone, not just the quarterback.

With all that aside, there’s another positive side to a deal where the bears stay in the pack again, holding onto their picks and looking jealously at the teams that take the top four quarterbacks.

With all of their tips, with plenty of trading options, and with Russell Wilson’s contract still not restructured, the possibility of a deal remains possible for the Bears to get the quarterback they really want.

It also holds open another door that we will talk about in the future, but not in this analysis.

Twitter: BearDigest @ BearsOnMaven

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