The letter “Q” may be ruined, but the conspiracy can’t have Quarterflash.
I am not equipped to analyze last week’s events, but I did almost call the MAGA coup attempt “fucking shenanigans” instead of “events.”…Read More
Cole Kmet saw the flag Sunday, and thought the Bears were going to set up for first-and-goal. The penalty, he assumed, was against the Saints.
Cole Kmet saw the flag Sunday, and thought the Bears were going to set up for first-and-goal. The penalty, he assumed, was against the Saints.
The rookie tight end, then, was stunned when he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. Rather than having third-and-5 at the Saints’ 8 in the second quarter, the Bears faced third-and-20 at the 23. They eventually kicked a field goal.
The incident started after safety Malcolm Jenkins tackled the Notre Dame alum following a catch. Kmet said the two were “kinda laughing about the play” when he tossed the ball to the official.
Out came the flag. It was Kmet’s first-ever unsportsmanlike conduct flag at any level.
“They told me that I was throwing the ball, I was egregiously at [Jenkins],” he said Monday. “But, I mean, that just wasn’t the case. Later in the game, [Jenkins] even said that they got away with one there. …
“They said I was aggressively, like, tossing the ball. First they said it was at [the official]. Then they said it was at [Jenkins]. So. I don’t know. It was unfortunate. Because that was a critical moment in the game, I think. Early in the game and we have an opportunity to go down after a turnover and put some points on the board. And now we’re in a spot now where we have to fight for field position to kick a field goal. So that was really unfortunate for that to happen in that situation in the game.”
Restaurateur Jordan Himmel missed the hand-rolled New York–style bagels he ate at Gotham Bagels when he was a student in Madison, Wisconsin, so this spring he decided to bring them south and opened two shops (2801 N. Lincoln Ave., Lake View; 1212 N. Dearborn St., Gold Coast). Pillowy with a slight bite, the bagels are available in sandwich form or slathered with cream cheeses like vegan scallion or honey and tart cherry.
Must try The Brighton Beach ($14.25) is a tasty update to the classic smoked salmon bagel — crisp arugula adds peppery notes that perfectly complement the fish, tomato, red onion, cream cheese, and capers.
Amanda Daly had no professional culinary training when she began doing pop-ups in 2018 and taking occasional orders for the bagels she made in her Oak Park kitchen. In April, she opened her own shop (130 Chicago Ave., Oak Park). Daly’s New York–style versions come in flavors like Asiago and cinnamon sugar.
Must try The Ultimate ($9.25) packs a wallop of flavor from tangy whitefish pâté, pickled onions, and cucumbers. It’s served on a bagel of your choice; try the salt-studded one for added texture.
Two Newcomers Bolster Chicago’s Bagel Gameon January 11, 2021 at 6:56 pm Read More »
Sunday, the Chicago Bears ended a season which fell far below expectations for many reasons, and they did so in an unsurprising manner. The Bears were taken down by the New Orleans Saints in the NFC’s final Wildcard game of the weekend, and now they face some big questions.
One of the biggest questions as the Bears go into their offseason is whether or not they will have the services of their number one wide receiver Allen Robinson. This past season, Robinson put on a show and had one of the better years of his career.
Despite dealing with subpar quarterback play as he’s done throughout his career, Robinson posted a career-best 102 receptions in 2020 which went for 1,250 yards and six scores. Whether it was Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles, Robinson was the go-to target all season long.
But, prior to the 2020 season, Chicago had an opportunity to lock him down with a contract extension. Fans and even teammates of Robinson were attempting to make it happen via social media, too, with the “#ExtendAR” movement.
NBCS Chicago Bears insider JJ Stankevitz had quite the quote pulled from the Bears’ wide receiver today:
Sadly, Robinson is exactly right. If the Bears wanted to avoid any issues this offseason, they would have locked him up prior to September as they do with other players often. Robinson could be in a much different position than he is now, had the Bears done so.
But, Robinson is now entering free agency likely wanting to play for a team that features better quarterback play — meaning, just about any team but the Bears.
He’s dealt with poor quarterback play all of his career. He’s also dealt with subpar offenses, as a whole, for much of his career dating back to his days in Jacksonville. Frankly, who could blame him if he wanted out of Chicago at this point?
Robinson is in the thick of his prime and could be a huge difference-maker for a contending team, or even a team with an up-and-coming young quarterback.
Chicago could very well slap the franchise tag on Robinson, thus creating what will be quite the situation over the offseason. How would Robinson respond to the tag? My gut says that it wouldn’t go over well, and Robinson could end up demanding to be dealt.
Regardless, we’re only on Day 1 of the Bears offseason and things are already interesting. But, what else would one expect? It is the Bears, and they always have some type of burning question it seems. Beyond Robinson, let’s see what happens at quarterback and the coaching staff in the coming days.
Welp. It’s official. The Chicago Bears season is over. Yesterday, Chicago’s favorite NFL football team was eliminated from the playoffs after the Bears Wild Card loss to the Saints. The final score was 21-9, and it really should have been 21-3 if it weren’t for some garbage time shenanigans. Either way, it was a tough game to sit through.
Last night’s loss marks the second time in the Trubsiky era that the Bears lost in the NFL Wild Card round. While it wasn’t as heartbreaking as the double doink from years ago, it still stings. If you weren’t able to see yesterday’s Bears and Saints Wild Card showdown, we’ve got you covered with some of the biggest takeaways from the team’s final game.
If anyone on the Bears team can say they played their hearts in the NFL Wild Card game, it’s the defense. After the first half ended, the Saints held a 7-3 lead over the Bears. Up to this point, the Chicago defense really hadn’t given up much outside of a lone touchdown to Michael Thomas. They even managed to pick Brees off once and would’ve had a one before the first if it wasn’t ruled incomplete. But as the Wild Card game wore on, the defense wore out, and they couldn’t keep the Saints high powered offense in check forever. The nail in the coffin came from an Alvin Kamara TD run in the 4th quarter. Not much you can do when you’re out on the field for 40 out of the 60 minutes of play. And here’s why that happened.
Two hundred and thirty nine yards. That’s how far this Bear’s offense managed to move the ball in the NFL Wild Card game with the Saints. And what did they get for their 239 yards of production? One lousy field goal and a last second garbage time score. Oh, and one third down conversion on ten attempts. So there’s that.
After seemingly coming to life towards the end of the regular season, the Chicago Bears offense did nothing to help their team yesterday. It’s not like the New Orleans Saints were going to make the job easy for them, but only nine points? In the NFL postseason? C’mon. Like we said before, it really should’ve been three points. As the clock wound down to zero at the end of the NFL Wild Card game, Jimmy Graham hauled in a spectacular one handed catch for the Chicago Bears first and only touchdown of the game. Likely his last in the NFL. It would be the most electrifying thing to come from the team’s offense all night.
Cole Kmet throws the ball to the official, refs call it “taunting”…turn 3rd and 5 in the red zone to 3rd and 20 #CHIvsNO pic.twitter.com/YN30tGLkdJ
Advertisement— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) January 10, 2021
If you thought the team’s offensive stats were good, you’ll love the penalty stats. In yesterday’s game, the Chicago Bears were penalized nine times to the Saints four. It didn’t help that they always seemed to come at the worst times. In the Saints first scoring drive, the defense was called for a neutral zone infraction in the red zone which led to a Michael Thomas score. Then, with the Bears in scoring position, Cole Kmet was hit with the most ridiculous taunting penalty in the history of ever. Seriously, it was the most PG thing we’ve ever seen, and this NFL Wild Card game was broadcast on Nickelodeon. The final sequence of penalties that led to the Saints last touchdown was the icing on the cake that was this season. No defense can be expected to stop the Saints offense in the red zone if given 10+ chances.
Well it’s safe to say the Chicago Bears front office just saw their lives get a whole lot easier. Heading into this game, the team had to evaluate whether or not Mitchell Trubisky was the quarterback of the future. A victory and strong showing would’ve certainly led to a new contract, but after last night it appears the Trubisky era is over in Chicago. And maybe the Nagy era too, but that’s another story. In his do or die outing, Mitch was an ineffective 19/29 on 199 yards and one throwaway score. Playcallers routinely opted for the bootleg pass, and they almost converted with a downfield bomb to Wims early in the game, but he dropped it. Later in the game, the play was not nearly as effective. But that didn’t stop it from being called. Mitch’s career in the NFL is far from over, and we would love nothing more than for him to find success elsewhere. But his time in Chicago, unlike his attempt at a pass, is complete.
The post 4 Takeaways from the NFL Bears vs Saints Wild Card Game appeared first on UrbanMatter.
