We often describe preseason games as meaningless
Chicago Bears Jerseys Stitched , because for the most part, they are.But for this weekend’s trip to Indianapolis will
carry a different weight.Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012, his first
year as the Colts head coach. And the support he received while there meant more
than any cheers during a game.“I was only there a short time before I was
diagnosed,” Pagano said, via Colleen Kane of the . “For that city and that
community, the organization, to embrace me and support me and my whole family
through that journey, it just speaks to that Hoosier hospitality.“Living it like
we lived it was truly amazing. Because they didn’t have to do that. But it just
speaks to [that] there’s a lot more good in this world than bad. Really, really
good people, and I was fortunate to be where I was at the time.”Pagano coached
the Colts for six seasons, and the ties remain. He went back to Indianapolis in
May for a cancer research fundraiser, where he was surrounded by co-workers from
the Bears
Womens Kerrith Whyte Jersey , and Colts owner Jim Irsay donated $1 million.“It blew me away,” Pagano said. “It blew all of us away. It was really unprecedented how in
the National Football League, where everything is so secretive — nobody wants to
share anything — two organizations [came] together. The generosity of the
McCaskey family purchasing a table and supporting that cause and making the trek
down there, it was unbelievable. And [it] just speaks to the people that own
these two organizations, and the fan base and everybody in these two football
buildings, to their character.“It was a night where both organizations put
football to the side and we all came together for a great cause — and that was
to raise money for cancer research.”And while Saturday’s game may not have the
same meaning as that event, being in Indianapolis remains special for Pagano,
and will continue to. With Howard gone and the draft approaching, Robert S.
turns to film to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Bears’ current
runningback room"Being who you thought we were since 2005!Log In or Sign UpLog
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2019 Draft class is complete!?Xs and OsPollVideoFilm Study: Reviewing the Bears’
RunningbacksNew,234commentsWith Howard gone and the draft approaching, Robert S.
turns to film to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Bears’ current
runningback roomCDTShareTweetShareShareFilm Study: Reviewing the Bears’
RunningbacksMark Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsThere’s been a lot of talk about the
Bears drafting a new starting RB, and for good reason — their 2018 starter is
now an Eagle, they signed Mike Davis in free agency
Kerrith Whyte Jersey 2019 , and they’ve met with ~17 unique RB prospects in the pre-draft process.But what do the Bears currently have at RB? Why do they need a
new one? Find out in this film study! Throughout this breakdown I’ll give
insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the main 2019 Bears’ RBs, namely
Cohen, Davis, and Patterson. As usual, if the videos don’t work on your platform
simply look for the italicized portion of the paragraph — that should be a link
to the video being referenced.We’ll start off with...Tarik CohenThe explosion
Cohen displays is absolutely unreal. Watch him go from a standstill to 20 yards
downfield here — suffice to say, that’s not common in the NFL. His ability to
create something out of nothing keeps defenses constantly on alert.But any
who’ve seen Cohen play know that he’s not just a runner, he’s a capable receiver
too. Cohen’s ability to play both out of the backfield and off the line of
scrimmage creates big plays like the one shown here — the defense simply doesn’t
expect him to run a sideline go route, leaving a huge hole up the sidelines.
Cohen makes them pay dearly.Cohen’s versatility allows Nagy to switch formations
virtually at will, and it shows up in the offense. Take a look at this play —
while it isn’t successful, the Bears flex from an I-Formation look to a shotgun
set with Cohen out wide without missing a beat. Cohen gives Nagy tons of
formation flexibility whenever he’s on the field.All of this said, I’d be remiss
if I didn’t point out Cohen’s weakness as a power runner. Don’t get me wrong,
he’s a feisty guy (as pictured above), but he doesn’t run inside the tackles
often and likely won’t going forward. He’s a deadly weapon
White Kerrith Whyte Jersey , but he’s not our 2019 feature back.Next, let’s review...Mike DavisAt ~220lbs, Davis is a natural fit between the tackles and
plays with a surprising amount of burst for a man his size. He’s not one to go
down to a bad tackle and lowers his shoulder effectively. Davis could run well
in Nagy’s inside-zone scheme.But what separates Mike Davis from your
run-of-the-mill downhill back are his surprisingly smooth hands -- check out how
fluidly he catches the ball here, wasting no time between the catch itself and
the run afterward. Also note his spin move — it’s one of his favorite tools in
the open field.Unfortunately, Davis has occasional issues with open-field
decision-making — this play shows him pass on a sure first down, instead
choosing to break back into the middle of the field and lose yardage. I’d like
to see him finish runs like these physically in the future.Davis also leaves a
lot to be desired in pass protection — in the 3 games I charted, he gave up a
sack, a pressure, and a QBH on only 5 blocking snaps. Davis’s talents as a
runner & receiver make him great fits for Nagy’s offense, but his blocking
may deny him the starting role.Last but not least, let’s discuss a dangerous
player that I think was brought in to play a surprisingly heavy RB
role...Cordarrelle PattersonPatterson is wickedly fast and hits the hole hard —
check out how smoothly he navigates traffic here, picking 20 yards without
breaking a sweat.Patterson’s bigger than you may realize — his 6’2”, 220lb frame
gives him plenty of power
Dick Butkus Jerseys Stitched , making him a tough man to bring down. Don’t be surprised if he ends up getting the ball in short-yardage situations throughout 2019.But
the best part about Patterson’s game (and what I think makes him fit so well in
this Bears offense) is that he, Davis, and Cohen can all catch the ball well out
of the backfield. Patterson flashes each of his tools on this play — he catches
the ball smoothly, jets by the linebacker, and runs over the first DB that
reaches him. The dude’s a weapon.And, of course, he’s got plenty of experience
as a receiver too — while his routes aren’t always perfect, his speed and size
will make you pay if you leave him open deep. He’s very, very dangerous in the
open field.Ultimately I expect Patterson to be used as an RB/KR — before 2018 he
averaged ~10 carries/year, but the Pats gave him 42 and I thought he did well
with them. The Bears have decent WR depth, so it won’t shock me if Patterson
primarily supports the RB room, getting 50-70 carries throughout the
season.ConclusionBased on the analysis above, the Bears seem to be missing a
true “do-it-all” back. If our RBs are a cake
Youth Bobby Massie Jerseys , we have fantastic icing (Patterson, Cohen) but need more cake. I expect the Bears to focus on backs with inside vision and a quick first
10 yards that catch and block well. He should be able to handle ~150 carries.
Mike Davis is solid, so it won’t shock me if he “starts” the first 2-4 games
(remember, RBBC!) while we ease the rookie in. As for who that rookie is? You’ll
have to ask draft gurus like EJ Snyder, Jacob Infante, or Aaron Leming. Trayveon
Williams and Miles Sanders seem like solid fits to me, but I’m no expert.But
what do you think about the Bears RBs? Like em? Think they could’ve been better?
Let me know!
