Jeff Hughes | October 5th, 2017

Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I always like the Chicago Bears. But I EXTRA like the Chicago Bears this week!!!

Four Thoughts on Trubisky’s First Start

It’s difficult to imagine how nervous this kid is going to be. First start. Monday Night Football. At home in front of a crowd that is desperate for him to be great. Dowell Loggains has to ease Trubisky into this game and then turn him loose. It is the most important game of Loggains’ time in Chicago.

Since it’s his first start, don’t be surprised if the Bears constantly roll him out to the right side, eliminate half the field and “flood” options to that side – someone in the flat, someone deep and someone running an intermediate route. This will give Tru five quick options: over the top, middle, flat, toss it OB, run.

When Trubisky doesn’t understand what he’s seeing after the snap – and it will happen – his instincts are going to be to run with the football. Bears have to coach that out of him. Throwing the football into the fourth row will be better for Trubisky long-term than taking a hit to gain five yards on second down. If he sees daylight on the other hand…

Two positions are going to benefit from Trubisky starting: wide receivers and offensive tackles. The wides will now have a few extra seconds to find holes in the secondary due to Tru’s mobility. The tackles can now slide the edge rushers up the field without fear, knowing the QB won’t be afraid to take a few steps up into the pocket and deliver the ball down the field.

Monty Hall, Dead at 96

Many people who attend New York University study serious things. I did not. I did a lot of work on game shows. Yes, at the Department of Cinema Studies you could actually write thesis papers on game shows and Bob Fosse and re-use papers you and Noah Brier wrote on “ALF & American Television”.

Monty Hall was a great game show host. Here are my top ten game show hosts of all-time. I like to think very few people could even make a list like this.

1 Richard Dawson

2 Gene Rayburn

I once said that Rayburn, the brilliant Match Game host, talked softly and carried a big microphone. Like many hosts of the era (and panelists for that matter), Rayburn spent years on Broadway honing the stage personality that served him so well on television. Classy. Refined.

3 Alex Trebek

Many have criticized Trebek for disingenuously acting superior to Jeopardy‘s nightly contestants. But isn’t that sensibility just perfect for the host of a show asking smart people to show off their knowledge of the British monarchy and Canadian geography?

4 Monty Hall

There’s a great line in Ghostbusters where Sigourney Weaver tells Bill Murray he’s “more like a game show host”. The type of host to which she referred was the host-as-used-car-salesman that Hall pioneered. Hall was surrounded by jerks in goofy costumes but the viewer’s eyes never left him for a moment.

5 Bob Barker

Gets bonus points for his cameo Happy Gilmore and his unending desire to get viewers to spay and neuter their pets.

6 Bob Eubanks.

Card Sharks was one of my favorite game shows of all-time but Eubanks was perfection emceeing The Newlywed Game’s awkward moments.

7 Bert Convy

Convy was in the original casts of Fiddler and Cabaret. He was a wonderful performer. And as a game show host, he was one of a kind. Soft-spoken, gentle and dry. His best work? Ringmastering the circus of Win, Lose or Draw. But he’ll always be Password‘s most unique host, seemingly playing alone without a clue as to whether his own word choices were any good or not.

8 Wink Martindale

He was the journeyman game show host. Tic-Tac-Dough. What’s this Song? Debt. High Rollers. None of them great shows but it didn’t stop him from defining the syndication host.

9 Chuck Woolery

Woolery has become a right-wing, talking head buffoon in his later years but he brought a smarmy charm to Love Connection, projected cool authority over Scrabble and kept a confusing, ill-designed Lingo afloat on GSN for years.

10 Chuck Barris

Barris was nuts, on and off television. But his Gong Show hosting is one of the most unique displays ever on American television. He is to game show hosting what Andy Kaufman was to stand-up comedy.

[Note: Tom Petty will be saluted properly on the pod tomorrow.]

Three Reasons the Bears Will Win

Expect a solid outing from the defense. Bears have allowed 40 points at home to two good offenses – Atlanta (23) and Pittsburgh (17). They’ve allowed 64 on the road, with two horrific quarterbacking performances. Minnesota – with or without Sam Bradford and definitely without Dalvin Cook – will be the weakest offense the Bears have faced this season.

The Star-Tribune’s film study session broke down why the Vikings struggled on the ground post-Cook HERE.

Energy! Wait til the Bears are in third-and-long, the play is dead and Trubisky takes off down the sideline for a first down. Wait til you see how the defense and bench and crowd react. This is an entire organization desperate to be inspired by the play of their quarterback. These are players desperate to see their talent improvement show up on the scoreboard.

Mark Potash did a nice job detailing the player reactions to the quarterback change HERE in the Sun-Times.

Tarik Cohen. Jordan Howard’s style doesn’t feel like it’ll be effective against the Vikings defense but Cohen’s ability to bounce outside and take on their linebackers in space could be the difference. This isn’t just a game to get Cohen involved. This is a game to feature him.

Three Reasons They Won’t

Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen are the best receiving tandem in the sport through the first quarter of the season. (Almost 800 yards thus far.) Monday night they add Michael Floyd to that mix. With Minnesota only allowing five sacks and the Bears only putting nine sacks on the board, expect Bradford/Keenum to find these fellas open all over the field.

through the first quarter of the season. (Almost 800 yards thus far.) Monday night they add Michael Floyd to that mix. With Minnesota only allowing five sacks and the Bears only putting nine sacks on the board, expect Bradford/Keenum to find these fellas open all over the field. The Vikings defense is fourth in rushing yards allowed per attempt & total rushing yards allowed per game. Bears won’t be able to line up and simply beat this front at the point of attack.

per attempt & total rushing yards allowed per game. Bears won’t be able to line up and simply beat this front at the point of attack. Zimmer vs. rookie quarterback. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is still a terrific defensive mind and Mitch Trubisky is still a rookie quarterback making his first start. Zimmer is going to show Tru looks he’s never seen before. He’s going to crowd the line of scrimmage and then drop eight into coverage. He’s going to present man on the outside and fall into zone. Vegas has Minnesota favored for a reason.

Song of the Week

“I’m money making Mitch, I need a money making bitch

I spent 200 on the kit, 1500 on the kicks

I’m money making Mitch, I need a money making bitch

I spent 200 on the kit, 1500 on the kicks

Look I just hit a lick, spend 250 on the whip

Another 50 on a trip just to fuck your bitch nigga

Just got a check, that bitch got 2, 3, commas

Look like an out of town number

I’m going hard for 2, 3, summers

I’m money making Mitch, I need a money making bitch

I spent 200 on the kit, 1500 on the kicks”

Don’t Be Surprised If…

…the Bears get multiple interceptions. Only the Bears, Raiders, Dolphins and Giants don’t have a pick this season. But the Bears have had their hands on several opportunities. Stopping the Vikings run game means they’ll be forced to throw far more than they want. That means opportunities for the Bears secondary.

Charity of the Week!

This Saturday magical Rossi’s is hosting a #HurricaneMaria relief fundraiser and matching first $5k in donations. You should go. #freeplug pic.twitter.com/Frnf9cFTi4 — Chicago Bars (@chicagobars) October 4, 2017

Don’t Gamble But If You Do…(3-1)

There is no line currently on this game but it opened with the Vikings somewhere between 3 and 3.5 point favorites. If this line stays above a field goal when the ball is kicked off, jump on the Bears, ride me to 4-1 and live the American dream.

Tweet of the Week

You don’t want my bad cell phone picture of Mitch Trubisky during the open period of #Bears practice today. So … pic.twitter.com/ynDpdaZflc — Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) October 3, 2017

This will forever be the finest historical record of Mitch Trubisky’s first practice as the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears.

Game Prediction

Trubisky’s line: 20-32, 267 yards, TD, INT

But he puts together a couple impressive drives late against this feisty Vikings defense and runs in the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left on the clock.

Chicago Bears 20

Minnesota Vikings 13