Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Patrick Finley

Bears’ Eddie Jackson: ‘Licking my chops’ to face Joe Flacco

2023-12-14T15:59:56.908-06:00

Bears safety Eddie Jackson runs against the Lions.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Bears safety Eddie Jackson is ready for Browns quarterback Joe Flacco to try to throw deep Sunday.

“I go in licking my chops,” Jackson said this week. “Hey, look, that ball is going to be in the air.”

Flacco, the 38-year-old veteran now in his 16th NFL season, always is looking downfield. The Bears, who have forced 11 turnovers over their last three games, can’t wait to see him do it some more.

“I feel like he’s like [the Vikings’] Kirk Cousins, where if you let him sit back there and be comfortable, he’ll rip you apart,” said Jackson, who was tied for third in the league with four interceptions last year but has none this season. “If you give him a little bit of pressure and get him uncomfortable, mistakes start to unroll.”

The Bears have reason to be greedy. They’re one of only two teams this year with at least two interceptions in three straight games. They’ve also forced at least three turnovers in each of their last three games. Only six other teams since 2020 can say that.

Flacco, however, might be the wrong person to supply with bulletin-board material. His résumé — 16 career playoff games, although he’s almost 11 years removed from winning a Super Bowl with the Ravens — would make him the best quarterback in Bears history.

Just last month, it seemed his career was kaput. After playing sparingly in parts of the previous three seasons with the Jets, he wasn’t a member of any team at the start of this season and even tried out for a TV gig with “Inside the NFL.” The Browns signed him to their practice squad in Week 11 after losing Deshaun Watson to a season-ending shoulder injury. Two weeks later, Flacco made his first start. After his second on Sunday, coach Kevin Stefanski named him the starter for the rest of the season. And on Thursday, the Browns officially signed him to the 53-man roster, giving him a contract that promises him $75,000 for every game he wins the rest of the regular season, plus more for playoff victories.

If the Browns are successful, it will be because of Flacco’s willingness to go deep.

“He doesn’t really want to do checkdowns,” Jackson said.

In his first start, a loss to the Rams on Dec. 3, Flacco threw 19 passes longer than 10 yards in the air, the most of any Browns quarterback in five years. The next week in a win over the Jaguars, he threw 15.

“He stretches the whole part of the field,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “It’s not just vertically — it’s horizontally, as well. There are certain quarterbacks that only throw in between the hashes, in between the numbers, and you can certainly pack the paint, so to speak, on that, but he makes you defend the whole field.”

Flacco averaged 7.8 air yards per pass against the Rams and 5.8 against the Jaguars. Both were more than what Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker averaged before Flacco’s arrival.

“We all know he’s got a strong arm,” Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones said. “But he’s been around a long time, so his IQ is as dangerous as his arm.”

Flacco is the latest unlikely starter in a season of almost unprecedented NFL quarterback turnover. The Cinderellas typically fade — most notably Josh Dobbs, whom the Bears held to 10 points and the Vikings benched the next game.

Jackson said he has been impressed with how often backups have won games fresh off the bench.

“Obviously, later on they come and unveil themselves for what they really are,” he said.

Bears WR DJ Moore back at practice

2023-12-14T13:56:59.725-06:00

Bears receiver DJ Moore celebrates Sunday.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Bears receiver DJ Moore returned to practice Thursday and appears to be on track to play Sunday against the Browns.

Moore didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice after hurting his ankle on the Bears’ first play of the third quarter Sunday. He returned to game action and finished with six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. He was hurt on one of the three handoffs he took during the game.

He was limited at practice Thursday.

“He looked good,” wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. “We don’t play ‘til Sunday, so it’s like we’re loading the wagon, and the wagon will be full on Sunday. He’ll be ready to roll.”

Safety Jaquan Brisker, who had 17 tackles in the Bears’ win against the Lions, did not practice. He’s dealing with a groin injury and was limited on Wednesday. Losing Brisker would be a blow to a defense that will have to play without edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who was put on injured reserve Wednesday because of a broken ankle.

Noah Sewell was limited with a knee problem, while fellow linebacker Dylan Cole returned from a personal issue and was a full participant. Tight end Marcedes Lewis took his usual veteran’s day off. Receiver Equanimeous St. Brown remains out with a pectoral problem.

Luke Getsy: Lions lined up differently than we expected on fourth-and-1

2023-12-14T13:18:01.061-06:00

Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy stands on the sideline Sunday.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Bears thought they knew what look the Lions defense would give them on fourth-and-1 about three minutes into the second quarter.

They were wrong.

“You’re talking about, pre-snap, like, ‘Oh no,’” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said Thursday. “The way that they lined up [in the past], they lined up differently. Because we’ve done sneaks and we’ve done things against them three times before that.”

Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu had been on the line of scrimmage in the Bears’ previous tush-push attempts against the Lions this season. Sunday, he was standing behind the defensive line.

Just before the snap, Getsy knew the Bears could be in trouble. He said quarterback Justin Fields couldn’t have checked out of it.

“He wouldn’t have known in that particular instance, no,” Getsy said. “That’s on me.”

The Bears could have taken a timeout, but did not.

“The fallback is you have a really good player you’re getting the ball to and you hope that he can go make the play too,” Getsy said.

Fields flipped the ball left to receiver DJ Moore, who was lined up at tailback. He was stuffed for a loss of four yards. The tackler: Melifonwu.

Bears predictions: Week 15 at Browns

2023-12-14T11:09:53.621-06:00

Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones celebrates during a preseason game against the Browns last year.

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ game Sunday in Cleveland:

Rick Morrissey

Bears, 20-17: If the Bears can make Jared Goff look like an interception-throwing statue, surely they can do the same with 38-year-old Joe Flacco, who leaves the pocket only for bingo and bathroom breaks. A huge question is whether Justin Fields can survive the Browns’ defense. Season: 9-4.

Rick Telander

Bears, 28-24: Wherever you go, whatever you do, no matter how bad it gets, the Browns are worse. Tim Couch, Kellen Winslow Jr, “Johnny Football” Manziel, Deshaun Watson ($230 million guaranteed), etc. Season: 9-4.

Scoop Jackson

Bears, 19-16: Stefanski vs. Eberflus. This will not be a matchup against teams as much as it will be about Matt’s future. Going against an 8-5 team that has the most wins in the NFL against teams with winning records — with their own polarized coach — this will be the “gauge game” the Bears use to confirm who Eberflus is and what he’s capable (or incapable) of becoming. Season: 9-4.

Patrick Finley

Browns, 23-20 (OT): Winning on the road is hard. Since going 5-3 away from Soldier Field in 2020, the Bears have won just six times in 24 road games. Only one team the Bears have played on the road this year, the Lions, have a better record than the Browns right now. Season: 10-3.

Jason Lieser

Browns, 19-17: While the spike in scoring with 28 points against the Lions was nice, the Bears are two games removed from managing just four field goals against the Vikings. And Cleveland has one of the NFL’s best defenses. Season: 6-7.

Mark Potash

Browns, 20-19: The Bears are heading in the right direction under Eberflus, with three victories in their last four games, and are in position for a third consecutive upset. This should go down the last play. Season: 7-6.

Bears QB Justin Fields has grown since the Cleveland debacle — but is it enough?

2023-12-13T16:30:20.812-06:00

Bears quarterback Justin Fields is sacked by the Browns in 2021.

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

The Bears’ 26-6 loss to the Browns on Sept. 26, 2021, was the low point of the offense the last three years — and, yes, that’s saying something.

Making his first career start, quarterback Justin Fields was sacked nine times, tied for the second-most in Bears history, and hit 15 times. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett had 4½ sacks himself and would later put a headstone of Fields, and other quarterbacks he sacked, in his front yard for Halloween.

Fields went 6-for-20 for 68 yards and finished with one net passing yard. The Bears gained 47 yards on 42 plays.

“You almost can’t make it up,” coach Matt Nagy said at the time. “It was that bad.”

Nagy was so rattled that he held a meeting days later asking players for play-call suggestions. He handed play-calling over to coordinator Bill Lazor.

A lot — including Nagy’s Halas Hall key card — has changed since the last time the Bears played a regular-season game in Cleveland. But the upcoming game Sunday on the shores of Lake Erie is still an appropriate bookend in the evaluation of Fields as a passer.

He’s going back to the scene of the Bears’ biggest crime as an offense. With four games to play, he still has to prove himself as the team’s quarterback of the future. Fields has gotten better, but has he grown enough?

On Wednesday, Fields recalled being thrilled in 2021 to play two hours from his old college campus at Ohio State — and then said the obvious.

“Being back in Ohio, first start, everybody excited,” he said. “And then of course getting sacked, too.

“Hopefully we can change that going back this weekend.”

Guard Teven Jenkins watched the game from home while on injured reserve and remembers that the Browns “got after it” against the Bears.

“Not a great day there,” tight end Cole Kmet said Wednesday. “But that was awhile back, and a lot has happened since then. . . . It’s a whole new staff, a whole new deal.”

That’s the hope.

“First start in the NFL to now — I’ve definitely learned a lot,” Fields said.

He’s running out of time to show it off. It’s increasingly likely that general manager Ryan Poles will have the Panthers’ No. 1 overall pick and can draft a quarterback with the selection, should he choose.

Fields is making progress, though.

“The pocket presence is better,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “The rhythm and timing are better. Him being able to, once he starts to create — before he exits — look down the field. That’s been good. Taking care of the ball, in terms of interceptions, that’s been good as of late. A perfect game for a quarterback is zero turnovers. That gives us a chance to win the game.”

Fields has thrown 93 passes without an interception, the longest stretch of his career. Eberflus said he talks to Fields on Saturday afternoons about ball security.

“He knows how important it is to the football team, to the success of the football team,” Eberflus said.

He’s running less often than he did last year, but he’s running into less trouble, too.

“Just learning from past mistakes, I think that’s the biggest thing,” Fields said. “Last year at some points I would just escape the pocket or just run for no reason. So I’m just trying to move in the pocket, feel out the pocket and throw the ball downfield.”

Fields has been better about protecting himself by sliding when he does run. He expects the same from officials. He said Wednesday that he talks to officials before every game, telling them to pay attention to late hits when he slides.

On Sunday against the Lions, he was hit late on the first play. There was no flag.

“It’s just kind of frustrating, but not really astonishing,” Fields said. “Because it happens a lot.”

Why the Bears have flipped their strategy on coin tosses

2023-12-13T15:30:16.619-06:00

Bears coach Matt Eberflus greets Lions coach Dan Campbell on Sunday.

Quinn Harris/Getty Images

The Bears have wanted the ball the last four times they’ve won the pregame coin flip, including Sunday. It’s a change in strategy from the first two times they won, when they deferred.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday the team met with its analytics guru, Harrison Freid, months ago and decided “what’s best for our football team, based on the strength of the opponent in terms of their offense and defense.”

It’s more about the Bears, though — they’re killers early in games. They average 6.39 yards per play in the first quarter, the fourth-most in the NFL. They’re third with 8.4 yards per pass and seventh with 5.2 yards per rush. They rank seventh in touchdowns and fourth in first downs.

Eberflus won the toss and chose to take the ball just once last year.

Some coaches prefer to get the ball in the second-half to create a “double-dip” situation where teams can score before halftime and then get the ball back.

“There’s really no analytics to that, that suggest that you get a double-dip in that situation, taking the ball or deferring,” Eberflus said. “But you look at it and it’s still about execution.”

Bears WR DJ Moore misses practice with ankle problem

2023-12-13T13:25:57.629-06:00

Bears receiver DJ Moore leaves the field after Sunday’s win against the Lions.

Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Bears receiver DJ Moore didn’t practice Wednesday after hurting his ankle against the Lions.

Moore twisted his ankle when he was tackled alongside the Bears sideline after a four-yard run on the team’s first play of the second half. He returned and finished with six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown, all in the second half.

“I’m good,” he said after the game. “I don’t know who tackled me but it kinda twisted my ankle. It was fine. Had to take a little breather and gather myself.”

The Bears need Moore on Sunday in Cleveland. He ranks seventh in the NFL with 1,071 receiving yards and is tied for 15th with 76 catches.

Linebacker Dylan Cole missed practice Wednesday for personal reasons, while receiver Equanimeous St. Brown remains sidelined with a pectoral muscle problem. The Bears put defensive end Yannick Ngakoue on injured reserve earlier in the day with a broken ankle.

The Bears modified their typical practice, doing half of their individual work and a short seven-on-seven session outside before going inside the Walter Payton Center for an extended walk-through.

“We want to get our guys to optimal levels Sunday at this time of the year,” coach Matt Eberflus said.

A flip in strategy

The Bears have wanted the ball the last four times they’ve won the pregame coin flip, including Sunday. It’s a change in strategy from the first two times this season they won, when they deferred.

Eberflus said Wednesday the team met with its analytics guru, Harrison Freid, months ago and decided “what’s best for our football team, based on the strength of the opponent in terms of their offense and defense.”

It’s more about the Bears, though — they’re sharp early in games. They average 6.39 yards per play in the first quarter, the fourth-most in the NFL. They’re third with 8.4 yards per pass and seventh with 5.2 yards per rush. They rank seventh in touchdowns and fourth in first downs.

Eberflus won the toss and chose to take the ball just once last year.

Some coaches prefer to get the ball in the second half to create a “double-dip” situation where teams can score before halftime and then get the ball back.

Browns hurting

The Browns had a whopping 11 players miss practice Wednesday. Among them: standout defensive end Myles Garrett (rest/shoulder), receiver Amari Cooper (rest/ribs), running back Kareem Hunt (groin), tight end David Njoku (groin) and guard Joel Bitonio (rest/knee).

Jerome Ford, the Browns’ leading rusher, was limited because of a wrist injury. Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward, who hasn’t played since Week 11 because of a shoulder injury, was limited.

The Browns put tackle Dawand Jones on injured reserve Monday.

“They’re still a good team regardless of the people they have down,” defensive tackle Justin Jones said. “They have a lot of good players still . . . Gotta go out there and play our brand of ball.”

This and that

Updated Pro Bowl voting has three Bears in the top 10 at their position, leaguewide: fullback Khari Blasingame (sixth), defensive end Montez Sweat (seventh) and cornerback Jaylon Johnson (ninth).

• Assistant GM Ian Cunningham and senior national scout Francis St. Paul were two of 42 executives who participated in the Front Office Accelerator, which seeks to strengthen the pipeline of diverse candidates before the hiring season, at the league meeting in Dallas.

Could Bears get to play in Brazil in 2024?

2023-12-13T12:45:15.354-06:00

The Bears last played overseas against the Raiders in 2019.

Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Owners voted Wednesday to add a game in Brazil in 2024. South America will be the fifth continent in which the NFL has played. The NFL will play three games in London again next year and one in Munich. The league will expand to eight international games in 2025.

With the exception of the AFC’s Jaguars, who have a London partnership, the NFL is likely to send NFC home games abroad next year. NFC teams have nine home games in 2024; AFC teams have eight.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos is the NFL’s only Brazilian player ever — he was born an hour from Sao Paulo, where the game will be held. He said he’d love to contact the NFL to lobby for the Bears and joked that if it’s another team, he’d ask coach Matt Eberflus “to give me a day off” so he could go himself.

The Bears were assigned the United Kingdom and Spain as international home-market areas two years ago, allowing them to sell sponsorships there. Spain was a candidate for ’24 but wasn’t added. The Bears still could land in any of the three countries. They played in London in 2019, losing to the Raiders.

Bears DE Yannick Ngakoue out for the season after breaking ankle

2023-12-13T10:58:54.45-06:00

Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue celebrates a run stop against the Lions on Sunday.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue will miss the rest of the season after breaking his ankle Sunday against the Lions.

Ngakoue, who was hurt in the fourth quarter, will need surgery, coach Matt Eberflus said.

The Bears signed Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5 million deal during training camp to try to improve a defensive end position that was projected to be one of the worst in the league. He finished with four sacks; it was the first time in his career than he posted fewer than eight in a season.

“It could have been better, because he missed some,” Eberflus said. “There were a lot of times he had him in the chute there and he could have got him down. We just have to do a good job of finishing and, you know, wrapping up the quarterback. ... I think he could have had at least three or four more — at least.”

DeMarcus Walker, who has been played tackle on obvious passing rushing downs, could stay at defensive end with Ngakoue out. The Bears hope he can benefit from the attention given Montez Sweat, who’s been the team’s best pass-rusher since they traded a second-round pick for him in late October.

Dominique Robinson, who hasn’t played since before the Bears traded for Sweat, figures to be active Sunday. If Walker plays end on passing downs, the Bears will rely on rookie tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens to rush the passer.

“Everybody’s that going to have an uptick in reps because of the loss of Yannick ... ” Eberflus said. “It’s important for those guys to learn into the opportunity and have vision for the opportunity — and vision for the plays you’re gonna make.”

If not, there’s always another option.

“Blitz every snap,” Eberflus joked.

Upon further review: Analyzing Bears QB Justin Fields in win over Lions

2023-12-11T15:46:06.113-06:00

Bears quarterback Justin Fields scrambles Sunday.

Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Justin Fields is playing better than he did at the start of the year.

Center Lucas Patrick wishes he could detail why. He said the Bears quarterback has been the same every day — taking notes, speaking up when he needs to and trying to hold the offense accountable.

“I think people are starting to see how much this locker room has his back,” Patrick said Monday.

Fields has room to grow, to be sure, but Sunday he led the Bears to their most impressive win in two years. Upon further review, here’s a look at his performance in the 28-13 win against the Lions at Soldier Field:

Running away

On third-and-eight from the 11-yard line in the first quarter, Fields took a shotgun snap and shuffled backward until the toes of his left foot were on the Bears’ goal line.

Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson rushed past right tackle Darnell Wright and reached for Fields with his right hand. Blitzing linebacker Alex Anzalone spun and grabbed Fields’ hip, only for the quarterback to step up in the pocket and shuffle outside the left hash.

Fields doubled back across the field and ran to his right, passing midfield at the 5 and the right hash at the 7. Fields sprinted up the field and slid down at the 30, gaining 19 yards.

The best part for coach Matt Eberflus?

“The sustaining of the blocks for the offensive line and the backs,” he said. “The ‘finish’ part of that helps him ... to avoid the sack.”

The Bears have been pleased with Fields looking downfield more often when he scrambles. But the 19-yard run looked a lot like some of his best carries last year.

“He’s so strong and he’s got strong [lower-body strength] and he’s got great balance,” Eberflus said. “He has the ability to put it on guys for 19 yards — or, as you saw last year, even more than that.”

Fields used his legs to bury the Lions later in the game, sprinting 11 yards to the front right pylon on third-and-goal to go up 12 with about 14 minutes to play. Fields ran 19.58 mph, the second-fastest time of any quarterback Sunday.

Fields torches the Lions on the ground. In his four games against them under Eberflus and coordinator Luke Getsy, Fields has run 53 times for a whopping 441 yards and three touchdowns.

The Lions contained him on planned runs Sunday. Most of Fields’ yardage was on scrambles. Fields considering whether to run, though, led to instances of indecision. On second-and-nine midway through the third quarter, Fields dropped back into a clean pocket, scrambled right, stopped and was sacked by Hutchinson.

The defensive end was double-teamed at the line of scrimmage before Fields’ rollout changed his angle toward the quarterback. The sack was Hutchinson’s second in eight games — the other was Fields’ safety last month.

Cadence

Patrick spent the week worrying about the Fields’ cadence. Because the Bears had played four of their last five games on the road — where they used a silent count — Patrick suspected the Lions had time to scout their home games to try to time up his snaps.

“With TV copies and how big the league is now, there are microphones everywhere,” he said.

That’s why Patrick was so impressed by Fields’ cadence when it mattered most — when the quarterback got the Lions to jump offside on fourth-and-12 with 1:42 left in the third quarter. Fields used the free play to throw a 38-yard touchdown strike to receiver DJ Moore. Had Hutchinson not jumped, the Bears would have taken a delay-of-game penalty and punted.

“Justin [was] handling it just like a normal protection adjustment if it was third-and-12,” Patrick said.

Patrick — who was Aaron Rodgers’ center when the former Packers quarterback was the master of the free play — praised receivers Darnell Mooney and Moore for beating their defenders on the quick snap. And Fields for throwing a dart.

“You can’t execute it any better,” he said.

Out of sync

Fields was better at making anticipatory throws in the second half after a clunky first. But there were still some passes he wanted back. On the fourth quarter’s first play, he had tight end Cole Kmet open in the left flat for a nine-yard touchdown but didn’t lead the ball to his left far enough. The ball went above his head and between his arms.

On the next drive, Fields faced third-and-two from the Lions’ 10. Mooney went in motion and into the right flat. He was open at the 6, but Fields threw the ball too far right. The Bears settled for a field goal.

It was the latest example of Fields and Mooney being out of sync. He completed passes to Mooney on only two of seven targets Sunday. On the season, Fields has connected with Mooney on only 55% of his targets. Moore has caught 74% of his targets and Kmet 81%.

Reestablishing that connection in the season’s final four weeks is critical to both players. Mooney is in the last year of his contract, and Fields needs to balance the offense.

“There’s some plays where I might have missed [Mooney] or we just didn’t connect,” Fields said. “But that’s why we work after practice doing extra routes and stuff like that. … One thing about Darnell Mooney, he’s going to put in the work to be successful. I’m not really worried about that.”

Justin Fields, Luke Getsy face big test vs. Browns’ defense