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Random thoughts (what passes for such around here) while wondering if there is anything quite as enlightening across the United States of America as NFL coaches and general managers meeting the media on Mondays:
Video below of Jade Bryce. Sorry, but no Bears photo or video.
* Bears general manager Phil Emery says the Bears are as frustrated as the fans are. One of the big differences being the Bears — players, coaches, front office, owners, etc. — receive monetary compensation for such frustration, while the fans tend to pay money for such frustration.
* Emery also says the only way the team will develop its young players is by playing them. Of coure, he is assuming they will develop — something that there’s no guarantee of. Now there’s a comforting thought.
* Emery says of former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher’s recent comments that Jay Cutler is not an elite quarterback, other than in terms of pay: “No, it didn’t bother me.” Emery also did say the Bears were 26-12 when Cutler and Urlacher both were in the lineup and 1-6 when Urlacher played and Cutler did not. So it surely seems obvious the Urlacher remarks didn’t bother Emery. Well, other than to have someone research statistics to try to prove a point.
* Bears coach Marc Trestman says he will work to “negate some of the negatives” regarding Cutler. Good luck with that. Awfully challenging to teach an old dog — or in this case, a veteran quarterback — new tricks. Or to unlearn old tricks (occasionally known as flaws).
* Or, as Emery said of Cutler: “Habits are hard to improve.” Another comforting thought for Bears fans, as the GM tries to figure out whom he could obtain to replace Cutler while unloading the QB on some unsuspecting team (hello, Jets?).
* More Emery: “The players that are here are the ones that are going to help us win.” As the Bears enjoy their bye week, they are 3-5. So the English translation for Emery’s words: “Anything better than 6-10 will be a bonus, unless all our players are healthy and perform at levels even they don’t dream about.” In which case, the Bears might be better: 7-9. Something like that.
* Defensive end Lamarr Houston, who was injured when he celebrated a fourth-quarter sack in the Bears’ 51-23 loss to New England, is out for the season with a ruptured right anterior cruciate ligament. His rehab is expected to be 6-8 months. No medical evidence whether celebratory moves as part of his rehab will speed up or slow down his recovery.
* Trestman of the Bears’ bye week before playing at Green Bay at night on Nov. 9: “The bye couldn’t come at a better time.” Because, you know, you do want to give Packers QB Aaron Rodgers’ ailing hamstring extra time to improve. And because you’d hate to have beaten the Patriots and be 4-4.
For those who prefer photos to words (especially from NFL folks), here is more Jade Bryce.
Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the empathetic efforts of the editorial and video departments at ElliottHarris.com):
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