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Over or under 5 3/4 sacks? Since half sacks are a thing, I used 3/4ths so there's no push.

Answer the poll and explain your answer.

I said UNDER.

We're told he's getting less PT to keep him "fresher". I guess we'll see if that works. However, having a seemingly chronic sore back that kept him out of a lot of TC is not a good sign. That he has never succeeded in a 3-4 role--including with us last year--is also a bad sign. Further, that he actually came out and said that he doesn't like playing in a 3-4 recently only pours gasoline on that fire.

I see him hitting maybe 4. Maybe. And that's if he's reasonably healthy.

For his career he averages 8.2 and only 40% of the time has he gotten 5 or fewer. He's only had 2 seasons with 4 or fewer (one last year, unfortunately). He can have a below average career year for himself and still get 6 or more. So that's my guess. He was "close" a lot more last year so even in his worst year he could have easily had 5 or more.
So for him it is a low bar.

Plus I'm going to guess that Desai has improving all the Edge guys' stats as a KPI this year.

Over, he should have a rebound year

Under. The guy's shit when healthy, which isn't often.

Over. He's had bad years before and rebounded the year after. He knows the system now and his health is (hopefully) better and stays better. Hopefully DeSai uses a more aggressive scheme also.

Over. I think he does really well in spot duty this season.

Under.

He got paid. He is now a slacker. Don't care how close he got last year, the sacks didn't happen.

Over. I'm an optimist. That's all I've got.

It's liable to be a feast or famine situation for him.


If he's healthy like they claim and he plays like he's paid and like they envisioned, he'd do much more.

But I put zero stock in talk like that these days.
They've been openly talking about cutting his snaps from an already low amount. And Achoo and Gipson are both looking pretty capable.
So if he gets off to a slow start, they may figure the future is now, slash his workload severely, and he may do a lot of nothing.


I'll have to take the latter as more likely.

Over. I read somewhere that his foot drop issue had a long recovery time and seriously impacted his ability to perform on the field last year. It should be healed up now so, assuming that's all that was holding him back, I'm going to be optimistic that he has some pride and has a rebound year.

I put over. I'd be pretty confident in that too if he wasn't dealing with a back issue. Dude can rush the passer.... so I'm betting on his back being OK and him getting back to his usual self.

Under. Have not seem him play "healthy" since he has been in Chicago. It was the foot, now the back - his body can't cash the checks his mind is making.
Not sure how Desai will use him, if he'll line up with his hand down on the ground or if he'll have responsibilities in pass coverage.

Under.

Somehow Pace managed to replace Leonard Floyd with somebody who is not only worse but more expensive and older too.

WINNING!

I'll go with over

even though he is not as great as his contract would indicate, I don't think he will be an Albert Haynesworth "got my money" slacker ... I think he will embrace the more limited duty and thrive as a result

Under. Was very excited about Quinn, and truly hope he turns it around, but hes been a complete bust of a signing. I have very little faith in Desai as I think he's going to be a bust as a DC. Combine the two and I see no way Quinn even sniffs that many sacks.

HurricaneBear wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:25 pm Under. Was very excited about Quinn, and truly hope he turns it around, but hes been a complete bust of a signing. I have very little faith in Desai as I think he's going to be a bust as a DC. Combine the two and I see no way Quinn even sniffs that many sacks.

Just curious, given that this is Desai's first season as DC, why do you think he's going to be horrible? We have literally nothing to go on at this point unless you think preseason was a showcase of his abilities.

Personally, given that he's a rookie at the position, I think it's prudent to give him time like you would any rookie to figure things out.

Xee wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:38 pm

HurricaneBear wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:25 pm Under. Was very excited about Quinn, and truly hope he turns it around, but hes been a complete bust of a signing. I have very little faith in Desai as I think he's going to be a bust as a DC. Combine the two and I see no way Quinn even sniffs that many sacks.

Just curious, given that this is Desai's first season as DC, why do you think he's going to be horrible? We have literally nothing to go on at this point unless you think preseason was a showcase of his abilities.

Personally, given that he's a rookie at the position, I think it's prudent to give him time like you would any rookie to figure things out.

Nothing concrete, just a gut feeling that hes going to flop. I don't dislike the guy, I want him to succeed he seems like a genuinely good guy. Just feels like all the talk on him as Fangio's right hand man is nothing more than preseason hype to justify the fact they couldn't get another DC with a better resume. Truly hope I am wrong about him.

HurricaneBear wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:43 pm

Xee wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:38 pm

Just curious, given that this is Desai's first season as DC, why do you think he's going to be horrible? We have literally nothing to go on at this point unless you think preseason was a showcase of his abilities.

Personally, given that he's a rookie at the position, I think it's prudent to give him time like you would any rookie to figure things out.

Nothing concrete, just a gut feeling that hes going to flop. I don't dislike the guy, I want him to succeed he seems like a genuinely good guy. Just feels like all the talk on him as Fangio's right hand man is nothing more than preseason hype to justify the fact they couldn't get another DC with a better resume. Truly hope I am wrong about him.

Fwiw, as far back as last year, I saw a non Chicago writer name him as a sleeper coach to watch. I don't think this was a hire of last resort. They definitely could have hired an external candidate IMO. It wasn't some toxic dead end job like some pretended.

Grizzled wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:29 am Over. He's had bad years before and rebounded the year after. He knows the system now and his health is (hopefully) better and stays better. Hopefully DeSai uses a more aggressive scheme also.

Explanations like this don't take into account whether he's playing 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB, which are clearly different. I'd love to see his 3-4 season stats vs. his numbers with a hand on the ground.

Grizzled wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:29 am Over. He's had bad years before and rebounded the year after. He knows the system now and his health is (hopefully) better and stays better. Hopefully DeSai uses a more aggressive scheme also.

Isn't this a different system than the one Pagano ran last year?

Mikefive wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:11 pm

Grizzled wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:29 am Over. He's had bad years before and rebounded the year after. He knows the system now and his health is (hopefully) better and stays better. Hopefully DeSai uses a more aggressive scheme also.

Explanations like this don't take into account whether he's playing 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB, which are clearly different. I'd love to see his 3-4 season stats vs. his numbers with a hand on the ground.

His stats show him as playing OLB only once before last year. In that year (2017 with the Rams) he had 8.5 sacks. which is about his career average. He had a few off years as a DE so the defense he's playing in doesn't seem to automatically translate to his performance being up or down.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... inRo00.htm

I was like wow this number is set too low… and now I see the results are exactly 50/50 so the number is perfect.

You guys rather have no faith in this guy. 6-8 sacks wouldn’t even be good and it’s a solid over! He’s not gonna be great but damn y’all

Otis Day wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:44 pm

Grizzled wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:29 am Over. He's had bad years before and rebounded the year after. He knows the system now and his health is (hopefully) better and stays better. Hopefully DeSai uses a more aggressive scheme also.

Isn't this a different system than the one Pagano ran last year?

Isn't it still a base 3-4 with him as an OLB? He's mostly been a 4-3 guy with his hand in the dirt.

Over. I think he is going to rotate in and out and see the field mainly on passing downs and will have only one thing to focus on.

I took the over

Though does 6 Sacks truly count as a "Rebound" year? (*)

(*) Certainly much, much better than last year - but is 6 Sacks good?

Grizzled wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:16 pm

Otis Day wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:44 pm

Isn't this a different system than the one Pagano ran last year?

Isn't it still a base 3-4 with him as an OLB? He's mostly been a 4-3 guy with his hand in the dirt.

I think Desai is going to play Quinn like Fangio played Willie Young.

wab wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 9:32 am

Grizzled wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:16 pm

Isn't it still a base 3-4 with him as an OLB? He's mostly been a 4-3 guy with his hand in the dirt.

I think Desai is going to play Quinn like Fangio played Willie Young.

I've never heard of him being great on pass coverage. He's a decent run stopper. I think they use him situationally when they can point him at the QB like a heat seeking missle. The Bears are really big on Gibson, I can see him getting a lot of snaps vs. Quinn.

I took the over .... he'll be about 7 sacks. I think the Bears learned how to use (and more importantly how not to use him). He will be a hand on the ground pass rush specialist, not an Outside Linebacker.

Grizzled wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 3:33 pm

wab wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 9:32 am
I think Desai is going to play Quinn like Fangio played Willie Young.

I've never heard of him being great on pass coverage. He's a decent run stopper. I think they use him situationally when they can point him at the QB like a heat seeking missle. The Bears are really big on Gibson, I can see him getting a lot of snaps vs. Quinn.

That’s what I’m saying. Fangio played Willie Young with his hand on the ground because Willie Young was a sub-par LB.