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December 5, 2018 at 8:19 pm #94905
znModeratorMitch Trubisky uses time living with Jared Goff as motivation
Matt Eurich
https://247sports.com/nfl/chicago-bears/Article/Mitch-Trubisky-Jared-Goff-motivation-125941096/
Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff have a lot of similarities. Both were the first quarterback taken in their respective draft and both had struggles in their first season in the league. Both players then were handed young, offensive-minded coaches in Year 2 to help with their progress. Over the summer, the duo lived together briefly as they worked out with the same quarterback coach.
With the Bears set to host the Rams on Sunday Night Football, Trubisky was inevitably asked about his time spent with Goff this summer.
“It was fun,” Trubisky said. “It was a good time. We were just out there relaxing in the offseason. Training a little bit. Got to know him. We are pretty tight, good friends. He’s an awesome dude. We pushed each other in the offseason. We work with the same quarterback coach out there and trainer. Just getting better in the offseason and enjoying some downtime. Just enjoying each other’s company.”
Goff was taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Rams with Jeff Fisher in charge as head coach. He finished the year by throwing for 1,089 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven starts. Fisher was then shown the door and replaced by Sean McVay as head coach. Goff went on to throw for 3,804 yards with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year before going to the Pro Bowl. That bounce-back season from Goff is something Trubisky is using as inspiration here in Year 2.
“It just shows me anything is possible,” Trubisky said. “Just because everybody writes you off one year doesn’t mean you can’t come out and have a really good year the next year. Especially with a great coach coming here and helping this organization. Just being a lot different on offense as far as scheme and philosophy. I think it gives you a lot of confidence as a quarterback. You can never dwell too much on the past, especially if you have a bad year before. You just have to work hard in the offseason, come back, believe in the plan, believe in yourself and just go out there and play ball like you know how.”
Trubisky was put in a similar situation in his rookie season playing under head coach John Fox. He threw for just 2,193 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 starts. Fox was then fired and replaced by Matt Nagy this offseason. Prior to a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 11, Trubisky threw for 2,469 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games under Nagy.
Goff is having another tremendous year under center for the Rams and Trubisky uses the young quarterback as inspiration here in his second season.
“What I appreciate about Jared is that he’s never really been shaken,” Trubisky said. “A lot of people wrote him off after that first year, but watching him and how he handled himself, he’s very composed, never really rattled and he just believed in himself. He’s had really two amazing years since then. You’ve just got to have confidence in yourself so that your teammates will believe in you as well.”
The two quarterbacks will meet for the first time on the football field this Sunday night with kickoff set for 7:20 p.m. CT.
December 5, 2018 at 9:27 pm #94906
joemadParticipantWhat I appreciate about Jared is that he’s never really been shaken,” Trubisky said. “A lot of people wrote him off after that first year, but watching him and how he handled himself, he’s very composed
Goff is badass…
December 6, 2018 at 9:53 am #94910znModeratorHow will the Bears protect Mitch Trubisky from QB menace Aaron Donald of the Rams?
Chicago Tribune
James Daniels was sitting at his locker Wednesday afternoon before practice intently studying video of the Rams on his tablet when the questions began: How is he going to protect Mitch Trubisky from menacing Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald?
The Bears rookie left guard figures to get most of the work blocking Donald on Sunday night when the Rams come to Soldier Field with an NFL-best 11-1 record. With Trubisky set to return after missing the last two games with a right shoulder injury, the offensive line needs to keep the quarterback upright.
Donald has been on such a tear, not only is he the leading candidate to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight season, something accomplished only twice previously by J.J. Watt (2014-15) and Lawrence Taylor (1981-82), he could be a legitimate MVP candidate if Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes split votes for a quarterback. No defensive player has won MVP honors since Taylor in 1986.
Donald leads the NFL with 16½ sacks, four more than the next defender, and has 12½ in the last six games. He spent most of last Sunday’s game at Ford Field in the Lions backfield, abusing rookie left guard Frank Ragnow, a first-round draft pick. Donald had two sacks, a third wiped out by a penalty, two additional tackles for a loss and a forced fumble that led to the decisive touchdown in a close game that turned into a blowout.
“He’s a player that when you turn on the tape, and you go through with your guys each week who the game-changers are, you put like three circles around him,” coach Matt Nagy said. “Because he’s a game-changer times three.”
It’s sometimes difficult to double-team Donald because he often attacks the outside shoulder of the guard. Even when he is double-teamed, he still creates train wrecks in the backfield. He whipped Lions right guard Kenny Wiggins and then center Graham Glasgow on his way to sacking and stripping Matthew Stafford on one play last week.
“I’m getting sleep, yeah,” Daniels said. “Trust your technique and you will be fine.”
According to STATS, Daniels, a second-round pick from Iowa, who has started six games and rotated in another three, has not allowed a sack this season. Right guard Bryan Witzmann, who has started the last four games, has allowed two sacks.
While edge rushers can be chipped by running backs and tight ends, you can’t get such help on interior pass rushers. If Donald starts at the outside shoulder of Daniels or Witzmann, it’s hard for center Cody Whitehair to help, and he’ll likely look to the other side where familiar Bears foe Ndamukong Suh will be.
Donald and Suh will twist and stunt from time to time, so the interior linemen will have to be ready for that because Donald is tremendously powerful and can put a lineman on his heels and quickly throw him to the ground. Against the 49ers, Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips even lined Donald up at defensive end. He defeated an offensive tackle and tight end on one play, a 280-pound game-plan wrecker coming off the edge.
Donald is a monster because he’s the quickest player off the ball in a league in which there are fantastic pass rushers 40 pounds lighter, and he can beat offensive linemen with his hands. He has developed as a technician at the point of attack where he can knock a lineman’s hands down and bull-rush him back into the quarterback or swim over the lineman. Even when a lineman gets a good chuck on Donald to start a play, he can finish with his arms wrapped around the quarterback because he counters better than anyone on the interior.
Quarterbacks can step up into the pocket to buy the split-second needed to release a pass when sensing edge pressure, but there’s no stepping up against Donald, which means we might see a lot of the agile Trubisky fleeing the pocket.
Witzmann struggled against the Giants and he has been uneven since replacing Kyle Long, who started the only previous time the Bears faced Donald — in 2015, a 37-13 victory for the Bears on a day when Donald had 1½ sacks. Witzmann will be put in positions to block Donald too.
Right tackle Bobby Massie said Phillips tries to create situations where his linemen are getting one-on-one blocks across the board by at least occupying the attention of each lineman. Whitehair can help if he’s uncovered, but the Rams will also get in five-man fronts, which ensures solo blocks across the board.
“It’s not the first time we have played a good defense,” Massie said. “Everybody is going to have to be on their stuff. You just have to get your hands on Donald. I’m not taking nothing away from him, but he’s not God. He’s been blocked before. He can be blocked. He’s a damn good player. He’s an animal, and from the three-technique? He’s a dog. You’ve just got to get your hands on him and block him. At the end of the day, that’s what needs to happen.”
Nagy was asked if he could provide help to Witzmann (and presumably Daniels) to keep Donald out of Trubisky’s lap.
“Well … I’m going to just keep that to me,” Nagy said, chuckling. “It’s a good question, though.”
December 6, 2018 at 10:17 pm #94927znModeratorJ.B. Long@JB_Long
The Bears are 8-0 when holding opponents to 22 points or fewer… 0-4 when opponents score 23 points or more.The #LARams season-low point total is 23 points (win at DEN). Their next-lowest point total is 29 (win vs GB).
D’Marco Farr@DMarcoFarr1
Weird to say this out loud but this is has to be a Huge week for Barron and Suh. Perception is reality in the pay leagues and the number of zeros in their production charts is a little startling for players of their caliber.December 6, 2018 at 10:23 pm #94929znModeratorQuotes & Notes 12/6/18: Donald on Sack Record, Talib Talks Trubisky
https://www.therams.com/news/quotes-notes-12-6-18-donald-on-sack-record-talib-talks-trubisky
Injury Report 12/6: Talib Expected to Play Without Restrictions vs. Bears
https://www.therams.com/news/injury-report-12-6-talib-expected-to-play-without-restrictions-vs-bears
Daily Dose: It Could be a Close One in Chicago
https://www.therams.com/news/daily-dose-it-could-be-a-close-one-in-chicago
December 7, 2018 at 12:34 am #94933znModeratorThe scariest part of Sunday’s showdown with the Rams is _____ . Our Bears writers fill in the blanks.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-bears-rams-fill-in-blanks-htmlstory.html
Sunday night vs. the Rams is more must-see than must-win for the Bears
NBC’s Al Michaels on Bears-Rams: ‘This game is going to have a lot of buzz’
Rams’ John Kelly and Justin Davis feel prepared to fill the shoes of injured back Malcolm Brown
Rams know they’ll have to lay it on the line when it comes to stopping Bears’ Khalil Mack
December 7, 2018 at 12:44 am #94934znModeratorJared Goff looks for bounce-back effort as Rams prepare for frigid Chicago and Bears’ hot defense
RICH HAMMOND
THOUSAND OAKS – The Gloved One – Jared Goff, not Michael Jackson – might be making an appearance in Chicago, one week after a performance that certainly did not seem worthy of an encore.
Based on the standards he has set this season, with stellar overall play, Goff looked strikingly bad in last Sunday’s victory at Detroit, as he completed 17 of 33 attempts for 205 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Now, Goff must prepare for a tenacious Chicago opponent and challenging elements.
Goff must contend not only with Bears linebacker Khalil Mack but with temperatures that likely will drop into the low 20s for a Sunday-night game. Goff will try to heat up after last week’s tepid performance.
“Many reasons,” Goff said Wednesday when asked about the Rams’ offensive struggles. “Many reasons, and something that I’ll look to improve on (is) to try to keep taking care of the ball. That’s something that I really looked at myself at, and I need to do a better job of that, get better and move on.”
It’s probably fair to toss out Goff’s game against Detroit, even with some surprising miscues, which included a way-off interception, plus two other near-interceptions in the fourth quarter, and a fumble. The Rams looked out of sync after their bye, and the Lions’ defense didn’t get enough credit for a solid game.
The Rams, thanks in large part to Aaron Donald, claimed a 30-16 victory, but twice, on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter, Lions defenders got their hands on passes that would have been easy pick-six plays. Goff rarely looked comfortable in the pocket and had his lowest yards-per-attempt average (6.27) of the season, as well as his second-lowest quarterback rating (68.6).
“I think he did a good job of making plays when he had to make them,” pass-game coordinator Shane Waldron said. “Obviously there were a couple throws he might want to take back, but it’s a tough position, where those split-second decisions are made every game. His ability to stay and collected when things don’t go perfectly during the game, that has such a positive effect on the rest of our offense and the rest of our team.”
Coach Sean McVay also pointed out that Goff audibled out of some pass plays that led to big Todd Gurley runs. So the issue going forward is not Goff’s ability to bounce back. His personality and the Rams’ solid coaching make that easy. It’s those freezing temperatures that could be problematic.
Goff’s other truly poor game this season was the Rams’ narrow Oct. 14 victory at Denver. It snowed lightly before the game, and kickoff temperature was 25 degrees, with a wind chill of 18.
Goff, a Northern California native long accustomed to warm-weather games, (quite reasonably) wore gloves during the game and completed 14 of 28 attempts for 201 yards and one interception. It was Goff’s only game this season without a touchdown pass, with season-lows in yards and completion percentage.
In a recent social-media question-and-answer session, Goff said the Broncos’ defense was the toughest to dissect that he has faced this season, so perhaps his struggles weren’t entirely related to weather.
The Rams put that game in the hands of Gurley, who rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns, but now the Rams face a Bears defense that allows only 3.7 yards per carry (second-best in the NFL).
Goff, presumably, will need to make some plays against the Bears, even if it’s freezing, and even in the Sahara desert, he wouldn’t have an easy time with Mack, the 2016 NFL defensive player of the year. The Rams were scheduled to face Mack in the season opener, but a few days before, Oakland traded him to Chicago.
“He’s a great player. Obviously, been great for a long time,” Goff said. “It’ll be fun. I’m excited to get the chance to compete against him. He’s a great player and it’ll be a good challenge for us, but we’re ready.”
Mack has nine sacks, which ranks fifth among NFL linebackers this season, and the bigger issue for Goff is that Mack has forced five fumbles, second only to Kansas City’s Dee Ford (with six).
Ball security seems to be an increasing issue for Goff. In his first 10 games this season, Goff fumbled four times but didn’t lose any of them. Last week against Detroit, he suffered a strip-sack fumble that the Lions recovered, and in his previous game against Kansas City, Goff lost two fumbles.
“At times, stuff may slip up through the season,” Goff said. “You may get, I don’t know if lazy is the right word, but you just kind of forget about some things. It’s just making sure you’re conscious of it and thinking of it at all times. Just getting stuff at practice, working on it and just always thinking about it.”
Overall, though, it’s been a stellar season for Goff, who ranks fourth with 3,754 yards, sixth with 27 touchdowns and has thrown only seven interceptions in 414 attempts. With another 51 yards and two touchdowns, he will surpass his totals from 2017, when he made the Pro Bowl.
December 7, 2018 at 5:41 pm #94956znModerator#LARams Head to Chicago with Chance to Clinch First-Round Bye#LAvsCHI Game Preview 📰 » https://t.co/3jadx4YyTB pic.twitter.com/czevOHGsaI
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 7, 2018
December 7, 2018 at 5:51 pm #94959znModeratorAdam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Bears’ QB Mitchell Trubisky is off Chicago’s injury report and is expected to start Sunday night vs. Rams.Chicago Bears@ChicagoBears
Nagy on Mitch Trubisky: “He put together three really good days at practice. The main thing for us was just seeing conditioning wise if can he could hold up and he did.”December 7, 2018 at 5:58 pm #94960znModeratorfrom MMQB… NFL Week 14: Preview and Analysis of Sunday Games
ANDY BENOIT
…
RAMS AT BEARS | 8:20 PM, NBC
If these teams play like they did last week, Chicago will win—especially on the “Rams O vs. Bears D” side of the matchup (which, by the way, might be the NFL’s best offense against the NFL’s best defense). Yes, the Rams won at Detroit last week, but it was a choppy performance, with many of their designer downfield shot plays coming up short. The Bears lost at the Giants … and were probably sick watching the film and seeing how dominant they were at times in that game. Chicago’s defensive foundation is two-deep matchup zone coverage, which happens to be what the Lions employed when stymieing so many of L.A.’s deep shots. Rams blockers also had some uneven snaps against Detroit’s underwhelming defensive line. “Uneven” snaps against Chicago’s D-line will result in disaster.
December 7, 2018 at 6:01 pm #94961znModeratorBackstage at @NFLFilms (these guys just wear suits all the time) with @gregcosell and @MattBowen41 talking about the upcoming #LARams vs #DaBears game! #LARvsCHI pic.twitter.com/yPN2GpKid3
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) December 7, 2018
December 8, 2018 at 12:16 am #94979
JackPMillerParticipantDecember 8, 2018 at 1:39 pm #94991znModeratorDecember 8, 2018 at 1:40 pm #94993znModeratorDecember 8, 2018 at 1:40 pm #94994znModeratorDecember 8, 2018 at 4:54 pm #94997znModeratorIf Rams-Bears comes down to the 4th quarter, one team has a clear edge
Cameron DaSilva
If Rams-Bears comes down to the 4th quarter, one team has a clear edge
The Chicago Bears have surprised a lot of people this season by going 8-4 through 12 games. Mitchell Trubisky and the offense have taken a big step forward under Matt Nagy, while the defense – in part thanks to the arrival of Khalil Mack – has been one of the best units in all of football.
They’re far from a perfect team, though. they’re averaging just 4.1 yards per carry, which is 27th in the NFL, and despite being fifth in points scored, they’re 20th in yards. That’s largely because the defense has scored six touchdowns on its own, which has driven up the Bears’ point total.
Three of those defensive touchdowns have come in the fourth quarter, which has covered up some of the Bears’ struggles in the final frame. Sure, they rank 10th in fourth-quarter points per game (7.9), but if you subtract the 21 points scored by the defense, they’d be averaging about 6.2 fourth-quarter points per game – tied for 20th in the NFL. Three of their 10 fourth-quarter touchdowns have been on defense.
Put simply, the Bears offense has been relatively stagnant in the final 15 minutes. According to Inside Edge, they average just 80.2 yards from scrimmage per game in the fourth quarter, which is the second-lowest in the NFL, ahead of only the Redskins.
Trubisky’s 52 passing yards per game in the fourth quarter put him last in the entire league among qualified quarterbacks. Granted, some of that has to do with the Bears holding the lead in a lot of games, but his 91.5 passer rating (20th in NFL), four touchdowns and two interceptions in the fourth quarter this season leave plenty to be desired.
It’s not just the offense that’s been bad, either. The Bears have given up 133 yards per game in the fourth quarter this season, which is the second-worst mark in football, ahead of only the Chiefs. And if you think they’re giving up yards but not points, think again.
Opponents are scoring 9.3 fourth-quarter points per game against the Bears – 29th in the NFL with only the Raiders, Falcons and Giants ranking lower. Teams have the ball 54.55 percent of the time in the fourth quarter against the Bears, too, which is the sixth-highest average in the league.
Those are admittedly a lot of numbers to get through, but here are a few more that show just how great the Rams have been in the final 15 minutes of each game. They’re seventh in fourth-quarter time of possession (53.38 percent), eighth in fourth-quarter points per game (8.1) and teams are only averaging 5.6 points per game in the last frame – eighth-best in the league.
Jared Goff has just one turnover on 111 fourth-quarter plays – a lost fumble – which is the second-lowest turnover rate of any quarterback (0.9 percent). Only Aaron Rodgers is better.
If this game comes down to the wire as many expect it to, the Rams have the clear edge in the fourth quarter. That could be the difference between winning or losing by one possession.
December 9, 2018 at 12:13 am #95006znModeratorGame Preview: Rams Head to Chicago with Chance to Clinch First-Round Bye
https://www.therams.com/news/game-preview-rams-head-to-chicago-with-chance-to-clinch-first-round-bye
Rams vs. Chicago Bears: Who has the edge?
link: https://www.dailynews.com/2018/12/07/rams-vs-chicago-bears-who-has-the-edge/
All the right moves: Similarities between Rams, Bears more than QBs, coaches
4 Bears questions: Can the Rams, and QB Jared Goff, handle the cold Sunday?
Tied by record contracts, Bears’ Khalil Mack and Rams’ Aaron Donald to face off
https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bears-khalil-mack-rams-aaron-donald-face-off/
Masters of disguise: Rams’ Sean McVay vs. Bears’ Vic Fangio a marquee matchup
Bears vs. Rams: What to Watch 4
https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bears-vs-rams-what-to-watch-4/
December 9, 2018 at 1:15 am #95010
Eternal RamnationParticipantAbout five minutes on Google or the equivalent and you can find Cowherd voicing the exact opposite of what he says here. Nick has apparently signed a wr “Richardson” who is already playing well despite the nonexistence issue and apparently I’ve missed a second Saints game where the Rams were blown out since the game I watched had them tied at 35 with minutes left in the 4th quarter and that was without Talib and Fowler’s first game as a Ram. Also Goff had a tough game in Detroit with an early start and no practice ( remember McVay cancelled practice and just went with a walk through ) but his numbers were still quite aways ahead of Brees vs. Dallas.Every Qb misses some throws once in a while has a down game but how many of them can make that throw to Everett after taking the hits Goff did vs.KC?
December 9, 2018 at 2:27 pm #95021znModeratorFrom @NFLMatchup — The #Bears defense has to take away inside vertical throws vs. #Rams QB Jared Goff. Here, we break down Cover 6 “Lock” with a D-Line stunt to create pressure. pic.twitter.com/nPzdGdlpmU
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) December 9, 2018
December 9, 2018 at 2:34 pm #95023
AgamemnonParticipantCooper Kupp would kill that. er, nevermind……….
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