Tag: Cordarrelle Patterson

5 takeaways from Bears’ crushing loss to the Packers

A season that began with Super Bowl aspirations ended before the playoffs even began to the rivals that set them back from the start.

The Chicago Bears came into Green Bay riding a three-game winning streak with the belief they could win out to give themselves a prime opportunity to make the postseason. Both came to an abrupt end on Sunday when the Packers took down the Bears 21-13, effectively eliminating them from playoff contention.

The Packers jumped out to an early lead when quarterback Aaron Rodgers found Davante Adams for a 29-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Green Bay boasted a 7-3 lead at halftime and the game felt eerily similar to the first matchup that kicked off the 2019 NFL season.

The Packers, however, scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to go up 21-3. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears battled back with 10 unanswered points to make it a one-score game, but ran out of time as the final play in regulation turned into a lateral festival.

A season that began with Super Bowl aspirations ends before the playoffs even begin to the bitter rival that set the Bears back from the start. Here are my five takeaways from the unofficial end to the Bears season.

1. This game showed who the Bears truly are

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Are the Bears as good as the team who defeated the Dallas Cowboys last Thursday night behind the arm of Mitchell Trubisky? Or are they as bad as the team that put up just nine yards of offense in the first half of their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles? The answer is neither.

This team is a .500 team that can hang with good teams, but isn’t good enough to get over the hump for a victory. They’ll take care of business against teams such as the New York Giants and Detroit Lions, but will struggle against real competition.

The Packers, despite having a record of 11-3, were vulnerable coming into today’s game and the Bears couldn’t take advantage. The question that needs to be answered this offseason will be if the Bears are closer to the 12-4 squad from 2018, or the .500 team in 2019?

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Bears DE Roy Robertson-Harris, WR Javon Wims questionable vs. Packers

The Bears have ruled out four players ahead of Sunday’s game vs the Packers, and DE Roy Robertson-Harris and WR Javon Wims are questionable.

The Chicago Bears released their final injury report ahead of Sunday’s divisional game against the Green Bay Packers, and it’s definitely more encouraging than Thursday.

The Bears have ruled out four players ahead of Sunday’s game, including tight end Ben Braunecker (concussion), receiver Taylor Gabriel (concussion), right tackle Bobby Massie (ankle) and linebacker Danny Trevathan.

After missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris and receiver Javon Wims were both limited on Friday. They’re both questionable against the Packers.

Receiver/return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson was limited in practice on Thursday after suffering a head injury during practice. But Patterson was a full participant in Friday’s practice, and he doesn’t have a game designation, which means he’s good to go against Green Bay.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara, who suffered a hamstring injury against the Lions in Week 13, was a full participant in practice all week, and it looks like he’s good to go for a return against Green Bay.

While defensive tackle Bilal Nichols popped up on the injury report, that’s typical for Friday practices indoors. His game status is not in jeopardy.

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Bears WR Cordarrelle Patterson pops up on Thursday injury report

There was a surprise on the Bears’ injury report on Thursday as they prepare for an NFC North showdown against the Packers.

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The Chicago Bears didn’t receive any favors from their injury report as a new name popped up on Thursday. And it’s not a player the Bears can afford to lose heading into a pivotal game against the Green Bay Packers.

Receiver/returner/all-around weapon Cordarrelle Patterson was limited in practice Thursday with a head injury.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara was a full participant in practice for the second straight day. Amukamara is recovering from a hamstring injury, but barring any setbacks it seems like he’ll be ready for Sunday.

It’s not looking good for the six Bears that didn’t practice Wednesday, who all missed Thursday’s practice. Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris remains sidelined with a foot injury, while receiver Javon Wims is out with what’s believed to be a slight knee sprain.

Receiver Taylor Gabriel and tight end Ben Braunecker remain in concussion protocol for a third straight week, and their statuses for Sunday don’t look good.

As far as hoping linebacker Danny Trevathan would be good to return to practice this week, it’s not meant to be as he’s missed practice both Wednesday and Thursday.

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Which Bears players are having Pro Bowl seasons?

While the Bears haven’t lived up to expectations this season, there have been some players that have made their case for a Pro Bowl nod.

The Chicago Bears aren’t living up to their expectations this season, but there are several players that are playing some great football this season that should very much be in Pro Bowl consideration.

Here are 5 Bears that are having Pro Bowl years:

KR Cordarrelle Patterson

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

It’s an easy argument to make that Cordarrelle Patterson is the best kick returner in the league. Patterson is a threat every time he touches the ball, which he makes a point to do every chance he gets. And the numbers certainly back it up. After 13 games, Patterson has 755 kick return yards, which is the most in the NFL. His lone kick return touchdown against the Saints was 102 yards, the longest in the NFL this season. His 30.2 yards per return also ranks second in the NFL.

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5 takeaways from Bears’ convincing 31-24 win over the Cowboys

The Bears delivered a beat down of the Cowboys on Thursday Night Football, and there was plenty to take away from Chicagos convincing win.

The Chicago Bears are riding a three-game winning streak and slowly, but surely, are increasing their playoff odds by the day, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 31-24 in front of a raucous crowd at Soldier Field.

After a slow start on both sides of the ball, the offense and defense both turned it around and dug the Bears out of an early 7-0 hole. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky played his best game of the season, accounting for all 4 touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) and showing he may not be the bust many pegged him to be halfway through the season.

Meanwhile, the Bears defense locked in on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and forced him out of the pocket on many occasions. His timing was disrupted and, despite scoring 17 points in the final quarter during garbage time, he couldn’t rally his team back from such a large deficit. Dallas has now lost three straight and is searching for answers while attempting to compete for the NFC East division title.

The Cowboys may be moving backward, but the Bears are surging forward with just three weeks to go. Here are my five takeaways from Thursday’s convincing win.

1. Mitchell Trubisky played his best game as a Bear

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Mitchell Trubisky’s best game as a Bear wasn’t the 6-touchdown performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, or even last week’s game Thanksgiving showing against the Detroit Lions. No, it was Thursday evening against the Dallas Cowboys.

Trubisky looked poised all night, threading the needle on multiple occasions to wide receivers Anthony Miller and Allen Robinson and taking the game over with his legs, particularly on the Bears’ final touchdown drive. This is the quarterback fans have waited to see. Trubisky not only kept the offense ahead, he did it in a figurative “do or die” game, in which a loss would have truly all-but eliminated the Bears from playoff contention.

The game not only keeps the Bears “in the hunt”, but also silences the chorus of fans, media, and players who may have wanted Trubisky out of Chicago. These final few games of 2019 were always going to be big for the Bears’ quarterback, and he has risen to the challenge thus far.

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Cordarrelle Patterson named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month

Cordarrelle Patterson became the first Bears player since Devin Hester to bring home NFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors.

Bears veteran Cordarrelle Patterson has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for his performance in November.

Patterson averaged 29.4 yards per return on 10 attempts, as well as had three special teams tackles for the Bears.

While his average for the month was down from his season average of 30.9 yards per return, Patterson made some clutch plays on special teams. In fact, he had three great plays against the Giants back in Week 12, including a touchdown-saving tackle of Jabrill Peppers and downing a Pat O’Donnell punt inside the 5-yard line as the Giants looked to mount a late comeback.

Last Thursday against the Lions, Patterson returned the opening kickoff 57 yards, which led to a Mitchell Trubisky to Allen Robinson touchdown. It was Patterson’s second-longest return of the season after his 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Saints on Oct. 20.

Patterson is the first Bear to be named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month since Devin Hester won the honor in Oct. 2011. It’s Patterson’s second time winning the award, the previous time coming as a rookie with the Vikings in September 2013.

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5 takeaways from Bears’ 24-20 comeback win over Lions

The Bears defeated the Lions 24-20, as they improved to 6-6 on the season. There was plenty to digest from this Thanksgiving game.

The calendar may have said Thanksgiving, but it was beginning to feel a lot like September as the Chicago Bears have a winning streak for the first time in two months, beating the Detroit Lions 24-20 to improve to 6-6 on the season.

Both teams landed blows on their first two drives, scoring touchdowns to make the score 7-7. The Lions attempted to pull away but never led by more than 10 points. Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky then led his team to touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarter, putting the Bears ahead for good, while the defense survived a last-ditch effort from rookie quarterback David Blough, making his first NFL debut on the national stage.

Like sides at a Thanksgiving dinner, there were many different takeaways from this game, such as the continued strong play of inside linebacker Roquan Smith, what’s going on with special teams and Chris Tabor, how the referees could miss a blatant roughing the passer call on Trubisky, or how valuable wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is to this team. But here are my 5 takeaways that stuck out to me most during this latest Bears win.

1. Mitchell Trubisky finally played like it was 2018

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Ever since he suffered his shoulder injury back in 2018 when the Bears defeated the Vikings, Trubisky simply hasn’t been the same. Prior to the injury, he had been on a heater, throwing for over 300 yards four times in six weeks and averaging a quarterback rating of 112.3 during that span.

After over a year, he finally returned to that form, at least for one game, throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns with a 118.1 quarterback rating. For the most part, Trubisky looked sharp, leading the Bears to their first opening-drive touchdown since Week 4 and orchestrating a 90-yard scoring drive late in the fourth quarter that ended up being the game winner.

His day wasn’t perfect, as he did look timid at times while running and under-threw wide receiver Allen Robinson on a crossing route, resulting in an interception, but it’s clear this was easily his best game since last year’s win against the Lions at Soldier Field. The question is, can he build on it and string together these types of performances to mount one final playoff push?

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Could Cordarrelle Patterson be Bears’ answer at tight end?

Bears versatile weapon Cordarrelle Patterson asked Matt Nagy if he could potentially fill in at the tight end position.

Cordarrelle Patterson is as versatile as they come. He can play wide receiver, kick returner and running back. But what about tight end?

With the Bears thin at the tight end position, could Matt Nagy employ the versatile Patterson as a tight end? It’s not as crazy as it may sound, considering that discussion has gone back to August about the idea, according to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Jason Lieser.

The struggles of the Bears’ tight ends have been well-documented this season, as they’ve been virtually non-existent in this offense.

With Trey Burton on injured reserve and Adam Shaheen and Ben Braunecker ruled out this week, the Bears will turn to Jesper Horsted and JP Holtz at tight end. Patterson has even gone to Nagy to inquire about potentially filling in at the position.

The kick return specialist/receiver/running back is the kind of player that you want to have on the field as often as possible, and given the struggles of the offense — particularly tight ends — this season, why not try Patterson at tight end? The mismatches would be incredible and could open up this offense.

While tight end requires different responsibilities that would require an offseason to learn, Patterson couldn’t possibly be worse than what the Bears have put on the field this season at the tight end position.

Patterson did line up at tight end at times with the New England Patriots last season, so it wouldn’t be entirely new for him.

We’ll see how Nagy ultimately decides to utilize Patterson in this offense on Thursday and in these final five games of the season.

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Bears RB David Montgomery a game-time decision vs. Rams

The Bears might be without rookie RB David Montgomery against the Rams. After rolling his ankle Wednesday, he’s a game-time decision.

The Chicago Bears (4-5) might enter Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams (5-4) without starting running back David Montgomery.

Montgomery is considered a game-time decision, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Montgomery lightly rolled his ankle during Wednesday’s practice. He missed Thursday’s practice and was limited Friday before being declared questionable against the Rams.

If Montgomery can’t go, the Bears figure to split reps between running backs Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall, as well as receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who’s been employed as a power back at times this season.

The Bears will also be without tight end Adam Shaheen (foot), linebacker Danny Trevathan (elbow), Isaiah Irving (quad) and tight end Trey Burton, who was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

Bears RB David Montgomery’s status for Week 11 in jeopardy

The Bears might be without starting RB David Montgomery against the Rams, as Montgomery nurses a rolled ankle injury.

As the Chicago Bears, who are clinging to their playoff lives, prepare for a do-or-die primetime matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, they might have to play without their starting running back.

Rookie David Montgomery was held out of Thursday’s practice after “lightly” rolling his ankle Wednesday.

Bears coach Matt Nagy remained mum on Montgomery’s status other than they’re going to take it day-by-day and make sure he’s good to go, should he play Sunday.

“I can’t say either way,” Nagy said, via the Sun-Times. “We’ll just kind of keep an eye on it as it goes here and see how it is [Thursday]. We’re working through [Thursday], and see how he goes.”

If Montgomery can’t go, Ryan Nall, who made his first career start last week against the Detroit Lions, would likely take over Montgomery’s role and get a bulk of the offensive load, along with Tarik Cohen. Nall played on special teams against the Lions, but he didn’t play a single offensive snap.

Chicago could also employ receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the run game, as he’s been used as a power back at times this season.

Mike Davis would’ve been next in-line to replace Montgomery, but the Bears released Davis last week in order to better their odds at securing a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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