Matt Nagy names Bears starting QB for Week 1
After an offseason like few before it, Bears fan now know who will line up under centre when they travel west to Los Angeles for the Sunday Night Football opener.
After an offseason like few before it, Bears fan now know who will line up under centre when they travel west to Los Angeles for the Sunday Night Football opener.
The primetime matchup always gains momentum heading into a new season but excitement has reigned in Chicago ever since Roger Goodell read out Justin Field’s name with the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Despite the fan hysteria, Matt Nagy took a more prudent approach when determining QB1 for the regular season, proclaiming Andy Dalton as the Week 1 starter.
As referenced by NFL Network’s Adam Schefter, Fields will start the Bears’ final preseason game at Tennessee this Sunday. Many experts and fans have petitioned for Fields to start but with the ferocious Aaron Donald first, you can understand Nagy’s decision. If the rookie were to be involved in L.A., we may have seen more hits like this…
Dalton, heading into his 11th NFL season, will provide experience, poise and stability at the quarterback position and with a tough early schedule, including the Rams and Browns in two of their opening three games, it’s understand why the Red Rocket was chosen.
Patience is a virtue and it may just be what Fields and the Bears need to succeed together longterm.
NFL announces Preseason TV schedule
An enormous 23 games will be shown on the league’s broadcast channel…this includes to quadruple-headers in Weeks 1 and 2 before two doses of triple-headers in Week 3.
The NFL announced this week there will be a record number of preseason games will be shown on NFL Network.
Let’s hope we’ll see more of this!
Importantly, all preseason games will be shown on NFL GamePass, which is fantastic news for international and American fans alike.
An enormous 23 games will be shown on the league’s broadcast channel will show eight games through Weeks 1-2 before a final seven during the third and final week of preseason.
This includes to quadruple-headers in Weeks 1 and 2 before two doses of triple-headers in Week 3.
The Football Team kick off NFL Network’s coverage on August 12 at New England, where we should get our first official look at Mac Jones in a Patriots uniform.
Trevor Lawrence is likely to hit your screens on August 14 as Urban Meyer and the Jags host AFC rivals, Cleveland.
Media and fans alike will be hoping to get a glimpse of Jordan Love too, which may come as early as Week 2 (August 21) at home to Zac Wilson and Gang Green.
Below is a full list of the games to air on NFL Network across the preseason:
Week 1
Thursday, August 12
7:30 PM ET – Washington Football Team vs. New England Patriots
Friday, August 13
7:00 PM ET – Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
10:00 PM ET – Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals
Saturday, August 14
1:00 PM ET – Miami Dolphins vs. Chicago Bears
4:00 PM ET – Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings
7:00 PM ET – Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
10:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, August 15
1:00 PM ET – Carolina Panthers vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 2
Thursday, August 19
7:30 PM ET – New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Friday, August 20
8:00 PM ET – Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Football Team
Saturday, August 21
1:00 PM ET – Buffalo Bills vs. Chicago Bears
4:25 PM ET – New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers
7:30 PM ET – Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
10:00 PM ET – Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, August 22
1:00 PM ET – New York Giants vs. Cleveland Browns
7:30 PM ET – San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week 3
Friday, August 27
8:00 PM ET – Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday, August 28
1:00 PM ET – Green Bay Packers vs. Buffalo Bills
7:00 PM ET – Chicago Bears vs. Tennessee Titans
10:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Chargers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, August 29
1:00 PM ET – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys
4:00 PM ET – Las Vegas Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers
6:00 PM ET – New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
For American fans — NFL Network will blackout live games shown concurrently in local markets.
Justin Fields visits gun shot victim - makes his life
Scott Morrow was walking down the street when he was shot in the back…Morrow willed himself to live on, he couldn’t pass before witnessing the Bears’ great white hope.
Chicago’s new quarterback Justin Fields has endeared himself to Bears and football everywhere after a beautiful act of kindness toward a Bears fan who nearly lost his life last month.
Scott Morrow, a 41-year-old Chicago resident, was walking down the street when he was shot in the back. While being whisked away in an ambulance, Morrow willed himself to live on, he couldn’t pass before witnessing the Bears’ great white hope.
“I thought well…pretty much all of Chicago has gone our whole lives without even having great prospects for a franchise quarterback, I can’t die before seeing Justin Fields take the field,” Morrow told 670 The Score.
“I don’t plan to die before he’s a Hall of Famer.”
After hearing Morrow’s comments and learning about his accident, Fields and his parents visited Morrow at his home, with the rookie handing over a jersey to his new pal.
Morrow has a GoFundMe page set up which will help his recovery after losing his spleen and a kidney during the life-saving operation process.
If Fields plays anywhere close to the level of kindness and compassion he showed this Bears fan, he’ll live long in the hearts and minds of The Windy City faithful.
NFL announces joint practices - Who your team is playing and why
After practicing against your own same players throughout OTAs and training camp, it is a great opportunity to move through different plays, schemes against foreign opponents.
Not all 32 teams are participating in joint practices though. Only 21 teams are will involve themselves with another organization.
Joint practices aren’t a new phenomenon in the NFL. They essentially act as an opportunity for teams and players to go through scrimmages against different personnel.
After practicing against your own same players throughout OTAs and training camp, it is a great opportunity to move through different plays, schemes against foreign opponents.
Not all 32 teams are participating in joint practices though. Only 21 teams are will involve themselves with another organization.
New Orleans and Jacksonville were set to meet in Louisiana on August 20, but since the release of the schedule both teams have confirmed otherwise.
Teams NOT involved in joint practices this offseason:
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
Washington Football Team
Some teams will engage in two bouts of joint practices; the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, and both the New York clubs (Jets and Giants).
Arguably, the most famous joint practice moment of recent memory involved then-Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins and Washington’s DeAngelo Hall getting into it. Things got interesting, real quick…
Thankfully for DB’s everywhere their ankles won’t be tested by D-Hop until preseason at the earliest.
Full list of this year’s joint practices:
Courtesy of NFL Communications
Watch: Ted Ginn announces retirement - best plays of his career
Ginn, 36, played for six teams (Miami, San Francisco, Carolina, Arizona, New Orleans and Chicago) across a stellar 14-year career after being drafted 9th overall to Miami in the 2007 NFL draft.
Punters and kickers can sleep a little easier tonight now that specialist sensation Ted Ginn has announced his retirement.
Ginn, 36, played for six teams (Miami, San Francisco, Carolina, Arizona, New Orleans and Chicago) across a stellar 14-year career after being drafted 9th overall to Miami in the 2007 NFL draft.
Ted Ginn stats:
412 catches for 5,742 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns
262 punt returns for 2,624 yards and 4 TDs
307 kickoff returns for 6,899 yards and 3 TDs.
15,749 career all-purpose yards — 4th in the NFL since 2007, behind Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore and Darren Sproles.
Oh, and a special treat for those who remember GInn from his Ohio State days…what a phenom.
Who will play under the franchise tag in 2021?
The NFL list of franchise tagged players is relatively short this season. Only six players will go through the 2021-22 NFL season under the conditions of the tag.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams and Broncos safety Justin Simmons were all tagged and looked likely to remain that way until they agreed new deals with their respective teams.
Carolina right tackle Taylor Moton was similarly fortunate after agreeing a four-year, $72 million deal with the Panthers just before today’s deadline.
The unlucky six on this season’s franchise tag are:
Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR)
Allen Robinson (Chicago Bears WR)
Marcus Maye (New York Jets S)
Marcus Williams (New Orleans Saints S)
Cam Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars T)
Brandon Scherff (Washington Football Team G)
Bears, Dolphins to hold joint practices
Interestingly, the Bears and Dolphins will meet again in the preseason — on August 14 — but once doesn’t seem enough for head coaches Matt Nagy and Brian Flores.
Chicago and Miami will put each other through their paces this offseason with joint practices set be held in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Interestingly, the Bears and Dolphins will meet again in the preseason — on August 14 — but once doesn’t seem enough for head coaches Matt Nagy and Brian Flores.
Chicago will host the Dolphins at their practice facility for a few practices according to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns.
It will be Justin Fields’ first taste of joint practice, after being drafted No. 11 overall by Chicago in the 2021 NFL Draft. It will be a new experience for Dolphins signal-caller Tua Tangavailoa after COVID caused them to be canceled.
Fields and Tangavailoa will be tested but without any physical contact. As for their teammates, well they’re not so lucky. Oh, the luxuries of the quarterback position.