The Bear’s Den, September 21, 2021

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

Matt Nagy Avoids QB Questions Again, But Sends Out Another Team Official to Say It’s Dalton If Healthy? - Bleacher Nation - This is just so needlessly weird.

Bears fan determined to give Smith his pick-six ball back - 670 The Score - After scoring on a pick-six in the Bears’ 20-17 win against the Bengals on Sunday, star linebacker Roquan Smith gave the ball away to a fan. Now that fan is trying to return the favor.

Dalton remains Bears’ starting quarterback — if he’s healthy - 670 The Score - The Bears are standing by veteran Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback, though his health will dictate who’s under center next Sunday in Cleveland.

Report: Bears, Park District at odds over betting lounge - 670 The Score - The Bears are irked with the Chicago Park District for what the team believes is a failure by the Park District “to engage in good faith discussions” about expanding sports gambling opportunities at Solider Field, WBEZ reported.

Emma: Bears’ Sean Desai showcases his defensive philosophy - 670 The Score - First-year Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai showcased his philosophy in Chicago’s 20-17 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Soldier Field.

Can Bears and Matt Nagy find Justin Fields’ comfort zone? - Chicago Sun-Times - If Fields starts against the Browns, it will be up to Nagy & Co. to put him in an offense he can be himself in — after the rookie looked out of sync in an uneven relief appearance against the Bengals.

Bears Film Study: The best of QB Justin Fields’ choppy game vs. Bengals - Chicago Sun-Times - Fields’ performance was rough overall, but he made some plays that offer a sneak preview of what the Bears’ future will be with him at quarterback.

Column: Chicago Bears may need to play to Justin Fields' strengths - Chicago Tribune - It’s understandable Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy doesn’t want to tip off the Cleveland Browns coaching staff regarding which quarterback it should prepare for. But sending PR staff to clarify the QB depth chart when everyone is healthy isn’t a normal part of any week.

Chicago Bears: No test results yet for QB Andy Dalton - Chicago Tribune - The Chicago Bears are awaiting a more detailed report on the left knee injury that starting quarterback Andy Dalton suffered in the first half of Sunday’s Week 2 win.

Greenberg: On Justin Fields following in Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger's footsteps, the Bears as underdogs and more – The Athletic - The league’s two oldest quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, took over as rookies in Week 2, just like Justin Fields.

Hoge’s 10 Bears Things: Justin Fields likely to start vs Browns - RSN - With Andy Dalton's lingering injury, it looks like Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields will start against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 of the NFL season.

Bears defense gets its swag back, now it's gotta repeat in Week 3 - RSN - Sean Desai's unit looked flat against the Rams on Sunday Night Football, but it was a different story against the Bengals

How About That Bears D? - Bleacher Nation - One week after looking like a shell of its former self, the Bears defense came through with 30+ splash plays on defense against the Bengals.

Andy Dalton is the Bears' Starting QB "If Healthy," But His Health is in Question, So ... - Bleacher Nation - And with a few keystrokes of reporting from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Andy Dalton's health (and playing status) is in question.

Jaylon Johnson is the Second Highest Rated Cornerback in the NFL - Bleacher Nation - With big shoes to fill, Jaylon Johnson is answering the call.

Matt Nagy: Tight end Jimmy Graham’s playing time depends on matchups - Chicago Sun-Times - Graham went without a target for the first time in his Bears career Sunday, the latest sign his playing time will look different than it did last season.

A bigger, better Soldier Field? Lightfoot makes pitch to keep Bears in Chicago - Chicago Sun-Times - “I am a Bears fan. I want the Bears to stay in the city of Chicago. And we are willing to work with them to try to address their concerns. But, I’ve got to do it in a way that is fiscally prudent and doesn’t preclude other uses in that stadium,” Lightfoot told the Sun-Times editorial board.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Kyle Shanahan: 49ers aren’t going to play Trey Lance just to get him snaps - ProFootballTalk - Trey Lance played four snaps in the 49ers’ season opener against the Lions. He had three rushes for 2 yards and one pass attempt for a 5-yard touchdown.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

MRI on Baker Mayfield's left shoulder showed no structural damage - ProFootballTalk - Baker Mayfield downplayed his left shoulder injury, saying it was “nothing too serious.” But the Browns didn’t just take the quarterback’s word for it.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Zeglinski: Andy Dalton injury update - Bears QB has bone bruise - Windy City Gridiron - With Dalton likely sidelined indefinitely, the Justin Fields Era is all but given the official green light.

Leming: 10 Bears Takes after Chicago’s first win of the 2021 season - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears have their first win of 2021 after a nail biting 20-17 finish at Soldier Field. With a (1-1) record, what’s next? All of that and more.

Zeglinski: Wait no longer, start the Chicago Bears’ Justin Fields - Windy City Gridiron - The best time to start Fields was to begin the 2021 season. The second-best time is now.

Wiltfong: Bears vs Bengals - Takeaways from the snap counts, stats, and more - Windy City Gridiron - We’ve go over the complete playing time breakdown, and spotlight a few individual and team statistics from the Chicago Bears in their 20-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Infante's Notes: Bears secure 20-17 win with turnover-filled frenzy vs. Bengals - Windy City Gridiron - It wasn’t pretty, but the Bears won their first game of the season at home.

THE RULES

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Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Rule of 3 with R. Schmitz, Danny Meehan, and Brandon Robinson, and the occasional T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; EJ also co-hosts The Bootleg Football Podcast with Brett Kollmann; R. Schmitz has a film breakdown show on YouTube titled Run Pass Opinion; Will Robinson II has his WhiskeyRanger YouTube channel, and Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert.

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