Positives from the first two games

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Mikefive
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It's been really negative around here and I am a contributor. So I figured I'd change the tone a bit, since I do see some positives worth talking about.

Leonard Floyd... I just LOVE what I'm seeing out of Floyd. For a guy that long and lean to have developed the strength to bull rush guys into the QB is a stunning development. I never thought I'd ever see that out of him. I was critical of Floyd heading into the season and didn't have the highest hopes that he'd develop into the kind of pass rusher that you expect out of the #9 pick in the draft and a guy who's going to make $15M next year. But I'm suddenly very impressed. :thumbsup:

Eddy Piniero... He's been perfect so far and has the stones to kick a 54-yard game winner. An obvious choice for this list.

Roquan Smith... This guy is a freaking stud. It's great when you draft guys with high expectations and they live up to them.

David Montgomery... He gets every inch out of every run. Not surprising that he started game 2. It's great when you draft guys with high expectations and they live up to them.

Adam Shaheen... This is a cautious mention. The guy isn't doing that much. But in this last game, he made a couple plays that looked like he was imposing his will on the defense, which I haven't noticed before. Here's hoping he can continue an upward trend.
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crueltyabc
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We have been fine at nickel and safety despite (what national media called) big losses in free agency.

The dline has been generating pressure despite a lack of depth at OLB.

Allen Robinson looks 100% and healthy and has the potential to be a top tier receiver if his QB can rise to the occasion.
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BreadNCircuses
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Aaron Lynch has been making plays on the snaps he's rotated in. That's good news to me.
2023 Preseason Downside prediction:
5-6 wins, never really healthy all season, a constant shuffling.
We're potentially in a position to draft in the Top 5 again, depending on the Carolina team, and probably have a low-teens (or better) pick ourselves.
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OK. I'll play along.

1. I liked the fact that Nagy adjusted to a heavier run attack in game two.
2. I second the Floyd props. He's looked like a monster so far.
3. Love the juice that Piniero plays with. Great to have a kicker with some swag. Just don't go all Bill Gramatica on us.
4. Roquan Smith is one of the fastest LB's I have EVER seen. His closing rate is ridiculous.
5. Allen Robinson is starting to round into 2016 form.

That's what I got.
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UOK
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  • David Montgomery is already NFL-ready with vision and footwork. Guy has a bright future.
  • Allen Robinson II will likely go down as an all-time Bears WR. Guy may have one of those sparkling, but often-forgotten Bears tenures, ala Marcus Robinson and Muhsin Muhammad.
  • Adam Shaheen had a decent game against the Broncos. He converted a first down with nice toughness, keeping his feet and fighting for extra yards.
  • Buster Skrine had a great game. He was decent in coverage, but a major weapon on the blitz. That's encouraging as hell.
  • Our starting tackles had a good start during the Denver game, denying either of the Broncos major pass rushers a sack. They deserve equal praise for the amount of criticism they get, particularly how they're contractually major savings for their position.
  • Our defense kicks ass overall.
  • Eddie Piniero has proven himself, and hopefully has shed the shadow that hung over the Bears since the Eagles loss.
  • Trubisky, for as unimpressive as he's been, has only turned the ball over once.
  • Nagy seems to listen to his self-scouting reports, because he adjusted the offensive balance drastically after a misguided air attack and learned to trust his kicker from long range.
  • The team adores Nagy. No matter what we may criticize about the guy, his roster is bought in. After years of Trestman losing the locker room and Fox making the Bears workplace merely professional, Nagy's restored energy and fire to a franchise who feeds off of it like gasoline.
  • Cody Parkey isn't on the team anymore. Past regimes would likely have said, "well a contract's a contract" and kept that loser around for at least another season. The Bears brass ate a big-ass plate of crow and bit the bullet, calling a spade a spade, exiling the pariah out of the game. Ryan Pace is a lot of things, but a stubborn idiot isn't one of them. He's owned up to his mistakes, even if many of them arguably should never have been made. Jerry Angelo and Phil Emery never would concede their own faults.
  • Pace has drafted exceedingly well and made bold moves without crippling the franchise's future. Say what you will about Kevin White (which should have an asterisk, honestly), but Pace hasn't had elite picks become nothing. Trubisky and Shaheen have a lot to prove, but they're not obvious trash like Shea McClellin or Michael Haynes were.
  • You know who we haven't heard from in awhile? George McCaskey and Ted Phillips. When those guys speak before the press, it's usually in relation to either very good things, organization promotions, or very, very bad things. I like them being in the background staying the hell out of on-field affairs. Just look at Jerry Jones running a permanently-.500 team in Dallas or Dan Snyder driving the Redskins franchise in a zigzag pattern through NFL Hell, and be grateful that the team has ownership that knows their station.
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Mikefive
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BreadNCircuses wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:21 pm Aaron Lynch has been making plays on the snaps he's rotated in. That's good news to me.
Agreed. I missed him earlier.

Welcome! :-)
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The Marshall Plan
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Mikefive wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:21 pm It's been really negative around here and I am a contributor. So I figured I'd change the tone a bit, since I do see some positives worth talking about.

Leonard Floyd... I just LOVE what I'm seeing out of Floyd. For a guy that long and lean to have developed the strength to bull rush guys into the QB is a stunning development. I never thought I'd ever see that out of him. I was critical of Floyd heading into the season and didn't have the highest hopes that he'd develop into the kind of pass rusher that you expect out of the #9 pick in the draft and a guy who's going to make $15M next year. But I'm suddenly very impressed. :thumbsup:

Eddy Piniero... He's been perfect so far and has the stones to kick a 54-yard game winner. An obvious choice for this list.

Roquan Smith... This guy is a freaking stud. It's great when you draft guys with high expectations and they live up to them.

David Montgomery... He gets every inch out of every run. Not surprising that he started game 2. It's great when you draft guys with high expectations and they live up to them.

Adam Shaheen... This is a cautious mention. The guy isn't doing that much. But in this last game, he made a couple plays that looked like he was imposing his will on the defense, which I haven't noticed before. Here's hoping he can continue an upward trend.
You really nailed it.

Floyd has been doing great. I could watch YouTube's of just Roquan tackling. Monty has all the makings of a franchise back. We just need to get him an offensive line that can block. He doesn't know how to quit or to get tackled easily. Eddy Dinero's kick has been the highlight of the season.

The only things I'd add to your list are:

Chuck Pagano - Anybody miss Vic Fangio? I don't. I'm actually loving the new defense more. The blitzes have been well timed especially a couple of those jailbreaks.

The Front Seven - Dominant. Am I exaggerating when I say that this is the most talented front seven we've had since '85-86? I don't remember as complete of a unit during the Urlacher era. I could be wrong, but if I am I'm not wrong by much.
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AZ_Bearfan
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The two things I needed to see in Pineiro were:

1.) Can he kick a long ass FG if needed?
2.) Does he have ice water in his veins?

He's gone ahead and answered both of those questions for me. He can shank one now and I won't even consider jumping off the roof.
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KOP_Snake
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AZ_Bearfan wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:57 pm The two things I needed to see in Pineiro were:

1.) Can he kick a long ass FG if needed?
2.) Does he have ice water in his veins?

He's gone ahead and answered both of those questions for me. He can shank one now and I won't even consider jumping off the roof.
Only thing left is can he handle it if the other team is able to ice him with a timeout?
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Richie
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KOP_Snake wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 10:47 pm
AZ_Bearfan wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:57 pm The two things I needed to see in Pineiro were:

1.) Can he kick a long ass FG if needed?
2.) Does he have ice water in his veins?

He's gone ahead and answered both of those questions for me. He can shank one now and I won't even consider jumping off the roof.
Only thing left is can he handle it if the other team is able to ice him with a timeout?
He hasn't kicked in windy, wet or cold weather yet.
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Otis Day
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No major injuries yet.
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UOK
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Otis Day wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 7:59 am No major injuries yet.
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wab
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I agree with all of these posts.

RE: Shaheen - that first down conversion gave me a glimpse into why they called him Baby Gronk coming out of college. He very much has to stay healthy, but if he can continue to contribute like that, I'll start to change my position on him being on the roster next season.

Also - Roy Robertson Harris is a freaking animal. He might be quietly becoming the best defensive lineman on the team. His combination of length, power, and speed reminds me of Julius Peppers.
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AZ_Bearfan
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Richie wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:42 pmHe hasn't kicked in windy, wet or cold weather yet.
I think they have wind and wet in Florida. So I guess I'll be waiting to see some kicks in the cold.
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