Monsters Of The Midwest

Tough tough loss at Green Bay.. sick of losing to those guys. Anyway, Nick Stokes back for another Bears mailbag answering questions from Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Q: Why didn’t we use Montgomery more. He was tearing Green Bay a new one when he got the ball. 

A: The Bears offense had 41 total plays. Montgomery got 15 carries, Herbert got 4, and Fields had 8. That’s 27 plays right there. I don’t think there was a way to really get him more carries. If they gave him the ball on 1st and 2nd down every drive. People would be complaining about running the first 2 downs.

Q: Why didn’t Fields throw the ball to Equanimeous when he was wide open? 

A: The way the Quarterback progression works didn’t have his eyes going there. Great QBs still see that and make the play. I don’t think Fields misses that throw again. Via the press conference Equanimeous said that ” it was the first time they ever repped that play even in practice “. With how rough this offense is Fields needs to hit those throws. If this continues to happen, it might be time to sound the alarm. 

Q: Is Kyler Gordon bad ? 

A: No he is not. He’s a rookie, growing pains are going to happen. He does need to work on not biting so hard on the run. His 2nd career game he had to go against Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers probably knows the defense better that Gordon does. I cant wait to see how much Gordon improves by the next time we play Green Bay.

Some dork, meaning Matthias forgot to post last weeks picks! So here we are this week, let’s check out how everyone picks this weeks game against the Packers.

David Peters (1-0)

Bears 28-24

Marty Wessels (0-1)

Bears 27-17

Aiden Wyatt (0-1)

Packers 28-23

Cole Gross (1-0)

Bears 21-20

Brian Decker (1-0)

Bears 24-23

Austin Keeney (0-1)

Packers 31-16

Steven Lambrecht (1-0)

Packers 29-24

Cael Wyatt (0-1)

27-17 Packers

Nick Stokes (1-0)

Bears 24-17

Riley Cole (0-0)

Bears 16-14

Matthias Schwartzkopf (1-0)

Packers 17-14

Nick Stokes is back for another Bears mailbag. Answering questions from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Q: What is your predictions for week 2? 

A: 24-17 Bears in a stunner. The Packers are not where they usually are. If there ever was a time to steal one from the Packers, this would be the week. David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, and Jon Runyan are all questionable.

Q: What were your 2 biggest surprises from week 1? 

A: My number one biggest surprise was seeing Jenkins and Patrick rotate every two series. Hopefully, they let Jenkins develop and get all the reps at RG moving forward. My second biggest surprise was seeing the rookie out of Miami of Ohio, Dominique Robinson, with 1.5 sacks against Trent Williams the undisputed best LT in the game. 

Q: How do you think the receiving core is going to be this year? Mooney is the one, but do you think they cycle through the number two receiver and the slot receiver with the other guys? 

A: I think the receiving core is going to be around the middle of the pack this year. I think the pass-catching options are: (1) Mooney, (2) Kmet, (3) Equanimeous, (4) Pringle, and (5)Pettis. I’m hoping that once Velus Jones Jr. gets healthy that he slides into the slot. Equanimeous, Pringle, and Pettis,  I believe are all going to be cycled around and whoever does the best gets the edge the following week. Hears to hoping one of those three pops off and can lock in the third WR spot. 

Q: Was last weeks win a fluke? What would you say are the three biggest strengths and the three biggest weaknesses of this team? 

A: I wouldn’t say a fluke, San Frans roster is a lot better than ours, but the QB and the coaches are not better than ours. Last Sunday was a classic game of, “the better-coached team pulled out the win.” I’m in the group that won’t trust Trey Lance till he proves otherwise. The team’s first biggest strength is Matt Eberflus and his staff. The second biggest strength is the secondary; Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, Jaylon Johnson, and Kyler Gordon are a very strong group. The third biggest strength would be Justin Fields ability to create dynamic plays with his arms or his legs. He still needs a lot of work but his flashes are what helped us win last Sunday.

The three biggest weaknesses are as follows: The first is the defensive line depth, we got a nice group in Robert Quinn, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Trevis Gipson, and Dominique Robinson, but the interior is scarce not much depth at all. Second, the limited number of playmakers on offense that we have. In the words of my leader, coach Flus,” WE ARE NEVER GOING TO PUT A CEILING ON A PLAYER”. With that, if Mooney gets hurt who becomes the one? Equanimeous? Pringle? Pettis? Jones Jr?” none of those guys are ones. Maybe one day they will develop into one. The third biggest weakness would be the amount of experience our O Line has, I think this unit has a chance to do good things, but they’re basically starting two rookies in Braxton Jones and Tevin Jenkins(Jenkins is a second-year player but barely played last year).

Q: Are the Bears actually ” back ” or did they just get lucky? 

A: They were always ” back “. Both teams played in the rain. No excuses Bears were the better-coached team Sunday. 

Q: After the Bears smoke the Packers, what WR should they target to give them a real chance at making a run?

A: Unfortunately there are not a lot of options out there right now. A trade doesn’t seem likely, because if they are making a run, you don’t want to trade away good players. I wouldn’t mind them kicking the tires on Will Fuller and/or Odell Beckham Jr. (as long as he’s not going to be a head case). Antonio Brown is enjoying his rap career, he’s not playing again. Willie Snead could be a sleeper to help the WR room. Hopefully, when Velus Jones Jr. gets healthy you see this WR room take a big step forward.

Q: Is Justin Fields fully vegan? Why did he decide to go plant-based? 

A: Yes Justin Fields is fully vegan. It started off back in quarantine, Justin and his family tried the challenge of eating plant-based for one full month. After a few weeks Justin’s family gave up, but he did not. Realizing this is the best his body ever felt. Saying “It is changed the way I feel and the way I perform dramatically. I just feel so much lighter and faster. Football as a sport is so hard on your body so I just want to do anything I can to have the longest career possible”. Justin’s favorite meal is a falafel burger, saying ” it doesn’t taste different to me personally” Per Hailey Welch at the beat.

Q: What do the Bears have to do this week to limit Rodgers? 

A: GET PRESSURE AND LOCK UP RECEIVERS! Rodgers knows all the defensive schemes out there. If you give him all day to dissect a defense he will, and it will get ugly. Get pressure, make him feel uncomfortable, and make him get the ball out quickly. Our secondary is better than Green Bays WRs, but Rodgers will find the mistakes if you give him time. This is Trevis Gipson’s breakout game, watch!

Q: Prediction for this upcoming Sunday Night game? 

A: 24-17 Bears, look for Mooney and Kmet to have bounce-back games. Montgomery is going to score this week, I feel it in my bones. Trevis Gipson is ready for his breakout game. Fields is going to have minimum of 5 ” wow ” plays. Bear Down!

The bears are 1-0 just like everyone thought they would be. Things fell into place for the Bears in the second half and put up 19 unanswered to get the victory.

Justin Fields put up two touchdowns in the second half to lead the charge. The comeback was capped off by an Eddie Jackson interception to set up a Khalil Herbert touchdown run.

The Bears defense held their own forcing two 49ers turnovers on the afternoon and showing a ton of promise along the way. This is going to be a fun team to watch grow this season.

The Bears will now travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers on Sunday Night Football.

The regular season is finally here, and the Bears look to start the season with a win against the 49ers. Although the hype from the national side of things is not there, I expect the Bears to turn some heads. Whether that’s week one or week eight, I don’t know, but I guarantee we will not win just 3 games. With that being said, here are my five bold predictions for this season!

David Montgomery Solidifies Himself As a Top 5 Running Back

I have been on the David train since this dude arrived in Chicago. And I think this is the year he puts himself on the national radar. In the past, David has dealt with a lot of shit. Including Mr. “I didn’t come here to run the I-formation”. And the recent offensive lines the Bears have rolled out. Fortunately for him, I think he doesn’t have to worry anymore now that Luke Getsy is in town. This offense will live and die on the shoulders of David Montgomery. We got to see a glimpse of what this running game will look like against the Browns and boy did David look sharp. Not only did we see David take advantage of his opportunity, but we got to see the much-improved offensive line. Overall expect David to get TONS of opportunities this season which will lead to his best season yet as a pro.

Cole Kmet Hits The 1000 Yard Receiving Mark

One of the main criticisms of this Bears team this year has been the “lack” of weapons surrounding Justin Fields. Now, can that argument be made, sure, but I think too many people are sleeping on the development of Cole Kmet. Kmet had a sneaky good season last year as he put up 612 yards. Now yes, he needs to reach the endzone more, but like Montgomery, I think the scheme change will do wonders. Last season Kmet had a target share of 17.7% which ranked 11th among tight ends. With him being the featured tight end, he should have no issue ranking in the top 7 by the end of the season.

Justin Fields Breaks Erik Kramer’s Single Season Passing TD Record (29)

The fact that this record which was set in 1995 is still standing is sad. Like many other Bears fans, I think Fields will have a mini breakout season. What that looks like we all wish we knew. But I can say that 2 passing touchdowns a game is very doable. The situation Fields is entering is not as bad as the media makes it out to be. Mooney is a 1,000-yard receiver, Kmet like we just discussed is a very capable TE and the wide receiver depth is there. On the other hand, health could play a part in this. Fields is going to take shots often due to his playstyle and the uncertainty of the O-line. Therefore, missing games are in play. But on the bright side, he won’t be taking 3 step drops while Myles Garrett is going one on one against 40-year-old Jason Peters.

Bears Sneak Into Playoffs As 7th Seed

Last season the Chicago Bears won 6 games with a horrible coaching staff, the 3rd hardest schedule, and one of the oldest teams in the league. To say that they can’t win 2-3 more games and sneak into the playoffs is wild to me. Since the day Poles and Eberflus were hired they had a vision for this team. We’ve all heard it, they want to play fast, physical and smart football. And it’s clear based on the roster they have built. For the offense, Luke Getsy has built everything around Justin Fields and his playmakers. Something which was not done last season. The defense has bought into the HITS principle and will feature young, fast, explosive athletes hungry to make plays. Now you may be saying that’s great, but what’s their path to the postseason? Since the recent trend of trading your QB to the AFC has started, the NFC has gotten a lot weaker at that position. As it’s a quarterback league, more often than not the better quarterback comes out on top. And it should be clear based on my thoughts of Justin Fields that he will rise above most of these guys in the NFC.

Matt Eberflus Wins Coach Of The Year

This prediction kind of ties in with the last. If the Bears do sneak into the playoffs, you have to think Eberflus is in the running for winning the award. Since the narrative on this team is we’re going to win 3 games and be the worst team in the league. Winning 9 games and making the playoffs could give Eberflus a good enough shot at winning the award. With that being said this should be a good year of football. I don’t think Bears fans will be waking up Monday morning thinking what the hell was that. Eberflus will keep this team in many games, even if they don’t result in wins. And let’s all enjoy the breath of fresh air.

Let’s be honest – everyone will already be watching the game on Sunday afternoon. What better way to add some excitement than to sprinkle some action on the game. Let me preface this by saying I’m no expert. I bet on vibes, feelings, and stats when they work to my advantage. With that said, here’s what I see when the 49ers visit Chicago to start the season.

SPREAD: 49ers -7

I’m one of the few people out there who actually thinks the 49ers will be really good with Trey Lance as the starting quarterback. With that said, the guy hasn’t played a lot of football in the last 3 years. If you will remember, he played 1 game in 2020 and started 2 games in 2021. The 49ers have the superior roster, but 7 points in the NFL is a lot for a QB that has a lot to prove. Underdogs typically thrive in the early weeks of the season, so the Bears have some value here. Last point, 75% of the NFL media is convinced the Bears are the worst team in the league. I expect the public to be all over SF. Fade them.

Verdict – Bears +7

O/U: 40

The Bears defense will be a little better than expected. I expect both teams to try and establish the run, which means the clock is moving. Both secondaries and defensive fronts should be solid. Touchdowns in the red zone are no guarantee. This is the lowest total on the board for a reason. It seems like a lot to ask for either team to clear 24 points.

Verdict – Under

PROPS

Trey Lance Rushing Yards: 38.5

The easiest way to get the new guy comfortable will be to get him some designed runs. Kyle Shanahan is a schematic wizard, and Trey ran for 120 combined yards in his two starts last season.

Verdict – Over

David Montgomery Rushing Yards: 54.5

The Bears offensive line is generously described as a question mark. San Fran has a spectaular front seven lead by Nick Bosa and Fred Werner. Combine that with the likely scenario that the Bears are playing from behind and Justin Fields running the ball himself and it feels like an under day for David.

Verdict – Under

Kyle Juszczyk Receiving Yards: 7.5

We can clear this in one play. Remember what I said about Shanahan and scheming the offense? He’ll get the FB a screen pass or something that gets him over the total.

Verdict – Over

Justin Fields Passing Yards: 194.5

This is a low, perhaps disrespectful number. The Bears will likely be throwing and trailing in the game. Let’s give Luke Getsy a chance. 200 yards is not hard for an NFL QB to clear. Hopefully a chunk of these yards can come from broken plays and designed rollouts.

Verdict – Over

The season is finally upon us and it is time to see what the 2022 Chicago Bears can do under the new directions of Ryan Pole and Matt Eberflus. So I tasked our staff to give us their predictions on the season.

David Peters

Overall Record – 7-10

Conference Record – 5-5

Offensive Team MVP – David Montgomery or Justin Fields

Defensive Team MVP – Roquan Smith

Offensive Breakout Star – Justin Fields

Defensive Breakout Star – Jaquan Brisker

Breakdown of Season – It will be a very streaky season with the breakdown of the schedule. The team will be a lot better than most thing but will still finish 3rd in the division. Also feel like the inexperience of the roster will show.

Cole Gross

What Makes or Breaks the Season- Can Justin Fields take that next step that we all want and can the offensive line come together as a unit. 

Overall Record – 8-9

Conference Record – 3-3

Offensive Team MVP – Justin Fields

Defensive Team MVP – Trevis Gipson

Offensive Breakout Star – Velus Jones 

Defensive Breakout Star – Jaylon Johnson  

Breakdown of Season – Bears schedule early on sets them up to start pretty good. Besides Green Bay on the road. I believe they could start 4-2 before heading to New England & Dallas. That’s where they hit a rough spot and be around .500 of the rest of the season. They will be in a lot games but in the end, talent from others teams will be the end result.

Steven Lambrecht

What Makes or Breaks the Season- This offense is going to rely heavily on running the football. Since everything is going to be predicated on running the ball, not being able to do so will hurt other areas of our football team. So if the O-line can’t hold up, we’ll be in for a long season.

Overall Record – 9-8

Conference Record –  7-5

Offensive Team MVP -Justin Fields

Defensive Team MVP – Roquan Smith

Offensive Breakout Star – Darnell Mooney

Defensive Breakout Star – Thomas Graham Jr

Breakdown of Season – It all lies on Justin Fields Bears fans. If he takes that leap like we all assume and expect him to make, this team should have no issue winning 7-9 games. As you can see, I think he takes that step and leads us to a 9-8 record. Now, will that be good enough to sneak into the playoffs? Maybe not. Who knows? But I think for all of us Bears fans, we just hope to see improvement from this young team going into 2023 with hopes of competing.

Cael Wyatt

What Makes or Breaks the Season- I think it’s pretty clear that the season depends on Justin Fields and the offensive line. If Fields can take that next step as a QB, and the O-Line can give him a second to breathe in the backfield, I think the Bears could make a run at the postseason, but I’m not exactly optimistic.

Overall Record – 7-10

Conference Record – 5-7

Offensive Team MVP – I think Justin Fields has the potential to be a great QB and rally the team behind him, so he’s my pick for OMVP.

Defensive Team MVP – Eddie Jackson is my pick for DMVP, mainly trying to speak this into existence because this defense is a lot more fun when he’s playing well.

Offensive Breakout Star – Darnell Mooney is one of the many players I think will find a lot more success with a new coaching regime, but I think Fields and him will grow to have one of those great QB/WR relationships that translates to great on-field play.

Defensive Breakout Star – Jaquan Brisker is a rookie safety who’s been looking great in camp, so hopefully that carries over to the regular season.

Breakdown of Season – Honestly, I’m going into this season with pretty low expectations. New coach/GM, Fields’ second year, and in a weird halfway rebuild. I’m just hoping to have some fun this year.

Marty Wessels

What Makes or Breaks the Season- It is really easy to say QB1, and there is nothing wrong with that. I for one think that is a foregone conclusion that he’s going to have a great season. How do I know that? I am an eternal optimist who has been hurt before and isn’t afraid to be hurt again. Realistically I think the bigger make or break is going to be the play in the trenches. I believe that this offensive line has the pieces to be a respectable unit, but the game of putting the right players in the right place has been a puzzle the previous regime struggled with… constantly. The defensive line is also a major question mark for this team. With a blend of returning rotational players, and incoming veterans who have fallen on injury in recent years, it is really difficult to forecast the success of this unit. Training camp is certainly showing that there is reason for optimism, but tread lightly my friends. With dependable play out of #58 and a much improved secondary, this defensive front could really bog the unit as a whole down. If I had to choose just one, I am going with the offensive line being the make or break for the season. With what many expect will be a run first ask questions later type of offense, the boys up front are monumental. Fields can’t role out and make magic happen if he’s face down in the dirt. 

Overall Record – 8-9

Conference Record – 5-7

Offensive Team MVP – It’s no secret that Monsters of the Midwest is a VERY pro David Montgomery account. I for one think the running back is widely underrated by the media and our previous coaching staff. He is a do it all type of player and I think that we are going to see him be the kick stand that holds this team upright as they find their balance. He is a scrappy runner who always finds a way forward, and I think we will really see his hands play a bigger role in this passing game than we have in previous seasons. The running back room is a high point for this roster, and the players below Montgomery each bring unique skills and styles to the offense, but I think his gritty all purpose mindset is going to spark some early success for these Bears. Not to mention the man is playing for a pay day.

Defensive Team MVP – I am not one to go with the masses, but there is no way Roquan is not the Defensive MVP of this team. With Mack and Hicks gone, Roquan is primed to be the face of this defense for the long haul and finally step into that role as the next great Bears Linebacker. Barring a long term hold out, Roquan is going to be the lynchpin that holds the front of this defense to the secondary. I think his versatility is going to be a massive saving grace for this unit, and you can expect to see him to cover a lot of field week in and week out. Move over James Brown, Roquan Smith is the hardest working man in show business this season.

Offensive Breakout Star – Give me Braxton Jones! With all this training camp buzz of him emerging as the starting Left Tackle I am leaning into the “where there is smoke there is fire” mentality. 

Defensive Breakout Star – Trevis Gipson, laying the hammer for a double digit sack season. 

Breakdown of Season – This team is going to be better, but it’s not going to happen right out of the gate. It’s very likely this team starts the season on back to back losses, but don’t be surprised if they find their way to 3-3 or even 4-2 through six weeks. They will hang around with teams they have no business beating and will be competitive down the stretch. Ultimately I think they finish the season with a losing record but I could see that going up or down by two games. The Bears have a good schedule for this new regime. Equal parts hard games, winnable games, and genuine toss ups against teams that find themselves in a similar “rebuild light” scenario. Find a way to win those toss up games and the Bears could back into a wild card spot amongst this wide open NFC basement. I don’t know if the Bears are going to surprise anyone on offense, but then again the problem with the deer and the car wasn’t that the deer didn’t see the car the problem is that the deer couldn’t stop it. Regardless of wins and losses this team will be a hell of a lot more fun to watch. There won’t be dumb penalties for punching other players, jet sweeps for a consistent negative three yards, or a head coach reading a waffle house menu for anything other than toast options. I am ordering a Miller Lite with a side of optimism.