Pre-Game Thread- Bears @ Pats

[venecol]

This tweet made me curious to see how many times the Pats non-Goat QBs had done this in Belichick era games:

2000: Bledsoe - none
2001: Bledsoe - none
2008: Cassell - 1 (345 / 3TD / 0Int)
2016: JimmyG/Brissett - none
2020: Cam/Hoyer - none
2021: Mac - 1 time
2022: Zappe - 1 time

Mac Wk 7 @NYJ 24-36 307 yds 2 TD 0 Int
Zappe Wk 6 @CLE 24-34 309 yds 2 TD 0 Int

A bit surprising that it's only been done 3 times in 78 games.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I get the opposite - this has more of the makings of the Bears Commanders Thursday night 12-7 game to me. You have a likely first game in weeks scenario with Jones (who was not lighting it up before he got injured) or I think a high blitz scenario if its Zappe (like corner and delay blitzes especially now with film on him starting to accumulate) to see if he can stay calm when there is a lot of quick pressure. I think they'll play a lot in the box too like Cleveland did just with more pressure packages.

Remember, the Browns game wasn't a true blowout until the last quarter and that turned on basically two plays. That scenario is not common.

It definitely could be a struggle if the offense lays an egg. But even with mac during the losses, we have been driving the ball well all season and mostly just needed to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. Keep the turnovers / killer penalties down and we will put up points, in that case its hard to see chicago keeping up .

 

[TinhWoodhead]

iThink zAPPe starts this game then Return of the Mac vs the jests

 

[lancerman]

iThink zAPPe starts this game then Return of the Mac vs the jests

I think it would be in everyones best interests if Mac starts this week. Honestly the Bears are pretty trash and it's probably a good layup for Mac. Meanwhile, the Jets are 4-2 and have only lost to a Ravens team that we also lost to and the Bengals. That's a much harder game. There's a really good chance Zappe goes 3-0 and then Mac comes back and struggles against the Jets who are better than in recent years but would still be a bit of an optical problem for Mac and then Mac is 1-4 this season and Zappe is 3-0 and all of a sudden you have a problem. Especially since after that it's Indy and then a bye week. You don't want that taking off right before a bye week.

 

[Zuma]

 

[Ross12]

I think it would be in everyones best interests if Mac starts this week. Honestly the Bears are pretty trash and it's probably a good layup for Mac. Meanwhile, the Jets are 4-2 and have only lost to a Ravens team that we also lost to and the Bengals. That's a much harder game. There's a really good chance Zappe goes 3-0 and then Mac comes back and struggles against the Jets who are better than in recent years but would still be a bit of an optical problem for Mac and then Mac is 1-4 this season and Zappe is 3-0 and all of a sudden you have a problem. Especially since after that it's Indy and then a bye week. You don't want that taking off right before a bye week.

I dunno. The Bears as a whole aren’t that good but it’s mainly because of their offense. Their defense is decent. I don’t feel like the gap between the Bears defense and Jets defense is massive.

Having said that, I suppose it’s better to shake off the rust here when there’s less risk that the other offense will make you pay for a mistake.

 

[ashley]

 

[TinhWoodhead]

I think it would be in everyones best interests if Mac starts this week. Honestly the Bears are pretty trash and it's probably a good layup for Mac. Meanwhile, the Jets are 4-2 and have only lost to a Ravens team that we also lost to and the Bengals. That's a much harder game. There's a really good chance Zappe goes 3-0 and then Mac comes back and struggles against the Jets who are better than in recent years but would still be a bit of an optical problem for Mac and then Mac is 1-4 this season and Zappe is 3-0 and all of a sudden you have a problem. Especially since after that it's Indy and then a bye week. You don't want that taking off right before a bye week.

you may have a point there but they don’t want Mac to tweak his ankle if its not fully 100%

 

[State]

Could we trade Wynn to ge Bears for their first round bust from Oklahoma State who also plays OT?

 

[Salsalife]

Will this site tell us when the med staff clears Jones? He can't play if he's not cleared right?

 

[venecol]

 

[PatsFanInVa]

This tweet made me curious to see how many times the Pats non-Goat QBs had done this in Belichick era games:

2000: Bledsoe - none
2001: Bledsoe - none
2008: Cassell - 1 (345 / 3TD / 0Int)
2016: JimmyG/Brissett - none
2020: Cam/Hoyer - none
2021: Mac - 1 time
2022: Zappe - 1 time

Mac Wk 7 @NYJ 24-36 307 yds 2 TD 0 Int
Zappe Wk 6 @CLE 24-34 309 yds 2 TD 0 Int

A bit surprising that it's only been done 3 times in 78 games.

So 2 TDs 300 yards, a W - and let's add 0 interceptions just for fun and look at the usual control case (to be fair, this is totally comparing across eras.)

Tom Brady
2001, nope. 300+ yards in tuck game, no TD

2002... Nope.
9-29-02, SD, 353 yds, 2 TD, but also 2 int. & lost
11-10-02, 328, 3TD, 1 int.

2003
11/3/03 350 Yds, 3TD, 1 int.
11/23/03 368 Yds, 2 TD, 2 int.
(He had a 12/27/03 game vs. Buffalo with 4 TDs and 0 ints. ... but only 204 yards)

I'm tired, but point is, TFB went at least 3 years without once hitting 2 TDs, 300 yards, 0 int. This is cherry-picking, it's across decades, and every other sin, but it's still pretty good stuff for the kids. Not enough to measure them for the HOF jackets, but enough to be really damn smug about the future possibilities.

 

[slash83]

Wonder when will get the earliest concrete evidence on who’ll be starting

 

[captain stone]

"...The goal should be to strike a balance..."

Between what, Evan: winning and losing? I don't know about you, but I don't wanna go back to the "plays with Jones during the first 3 games" when we were 1-2, taking sacks and throwing picks. How about this phrase instead: If it ain't broke, then DON'T ****ING FIX IT.

 

[signbabybrady]

"...The goal should be to strike a balance..."

Between what, Evan: winning and losing? I don't know about you, but I don't wanna go back to the "plays with Jones during the first 3 games" when we were 1-2, taking sacks and throwing picks. How about this phrase instead: If it ain't broke, then DON'T ****ING FIX IT.

Big surprise I disagree with you. I also disagree with Lazar too. No balance is needed to be struck. Go back to the offensive we were running before and get the QB and WRs to stop making so many mistakes while running it. I don't want training wheel offense.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

"...The goal should be to strike a balance..."

Between what, Evan: winning and losing? I don't know about you, but I don't wanna go back to the "plays with Jones during the first 3 games" when we were 1-2, taking sacks and throwing picks. How about this phrase instead: If it ain't broke, then DON'T ****ING FIX IT.

We are going nowhere with a simplified "Zappe" type of offense. We tried that last year. Didn't work. Why do you want to go back to it?

 

[Ross12]

We are going nowhere with a simplified "Zappe" type of offense. We tried that last year. Didn't work. Why do you want to go back to it?

I agree. The offense Zappe was running will handle middling teams no problem, but won’t go anywhere in the postseason. You need to be able to attack the whole field and put up points. I like the concept of what they were trying earlier in the year but obviously the execution was not great. Hopefully with the OL playing better and Thornton out there they can get it going a bit better. And hopefully they do work a little more play action in.

 

[venecol]

We are going nowhere with a simplified "Zappe" type of offense. We tried that last year. Didn't work. Why do you want to go back to it?

Zappe can handle a vertical offense. That's all he did in college with the Air Raid offense of his OC. Coaches are too conservative. If he plays, they need to let him cook out of the shotgun.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Zappe can handle a vertical offense. That's all he did in college with the Air Raid offense of his OC. Coaches are too conservative. If he plays, they need to let him cook out of the shotgun.

Could be. But Western Kentucky to the NFL is a big jump you are not acknowledging. Zappe can throw the ball far. But can he consistently be accurate with those throws? Not the same in the NFL as a small college school. Only basing Zappe's emergence on the small school film (+ two games)is a big gamble.

 

[venecol]

Could be. But Western Kentucky to the NFL is a big jump you are not acknowledging. Zappe can throw the ball far. But can he consistently be accurate with those throws? Not the same in the NFL as a small college school. Only basing Zappe's emergence on the small school film (+ two games)is a big gamble.

I do acknowledge it but that's all we have. He dominated the lesser teams in his conference and either went toe to toe or was competitive against better opponents:

UT Martin W 59-21: 424 yds 7 TD / 1 Int

@ Army L 38-35: 435 yds 3 TD / 1 Int

Indiana L 33-31: 365 yds 3 TD / 0 Int

@ (17)Michigan St L 48-31: 488 yds 3 TD / 0 Int

UTSA L 52-46: 523 yds 5 TD / 1 Int

@Old Dominion W 43-20: 397 yds 5 TD / 1 Int

@ FIU W 34-19: 382 3 TD / 0 Int

Charlotte W 45-13: 393 yds 4 TD / 2 Int

Middle Tennessee W 48-21: 281 yds 4 TD / 0 Int

at Rice W 42-21: 482 yds 5 TD / 1 Int

Florida Atlantic W 52-17: 470 yds 6 TD / 2 Int

@ Marshall W 53-21: 328 yds 4 TD / 0 Int

@ UTSA L 49-41: 577 yds 4 TD / 2 Int

Boca Raton Bowl
vsAppalachian St W 59-38: 422 yds 6 TD / 0 Int

Against Army, Indiana & Michigan State he averaged 429 yds & had 9 TD / 1 Int. He had 686 attempts in 14 games (49 per game) with a 69.2% completion. That's amazing after his 1st & only year in the FBS.



In 3 NFL games he has 4 TD / 1 Int with training wheels on. I think Bill found himself a high quality black pearl. Kid is a baller. Let him cook.