Tag: Nate Davis

10 takeaways from the Bears’ exciting win over the Commanders

From DJ Moore’s killer mentality to Greg Stroman’s big plays, here are our takeaways from the Bears win over Washington.

Our long national nightmare has finally come to an end. The Chicago Bears have won a football game for the first time in 346 days, beating the Washington Commanders 40-20 in prime time to kick off Week 5. Chicago sprinted out of the gates by demanding the ball to start the game and going down to score with ease. They were led by quarterback Justin Fields and DJ Moore, who had himself a career day, to drop 40 points on Washington, the most they scored in nearly three years.

The Commanders offense struggled early and didn’t find their groove until the second half. Though it got too close for comfort at times, they never overtook the lead from the Bears, and Chicago finally got the monkey off their back. A mini-bye week is up next to recover as they look ahead to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6 to potentially start a winning streak, their first one in two years.

But before we look ahead, here are our takeaways from the Bears’ win over Washington.

5 biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Commanders in Week 5

The Bears are looking to snap a 14-game losing streak against the Commanders tonight. Here’s a look at the biggest storylines.

The Bears take on the Commanders in a primetime Thursday night football Week 5 contest, and Chicago has a lot more than just a win or loss riding on this game. The team is on the precipice of a 15-game losing streak, and head coach Matt Eberflus may see his time as the Bears head coach come to an end if he doesn’t break that streak. All is not lost, however: Quarterback Justin Fields is coming off a red-hot four TD performance against the Broncos last week, and the offense as a whole took a major step up.

Though it’s not for the reasons Bears fans had hoped, this season has become very interesting. Let’s examine some of that interest as we break down the five biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Commanders in Week 5.

Chicago Bears Stock Exchange: Who’s up, who’s down entering Week 5?

Let’s take a look at the players whose stock is rising and falling in this week’s edition of the Chicago Bears Stock Exchange.

It’s the beginning of October, and the Chicago Bears still have yet to win a football game after falling 31-28 to the Denver Broncos to start the year 0-4. In fact, it’s been close to 365 days since their last win, and their collective stock has never been lower. The good news, however, is that isn’t the case for all of their players.

Though they suffered a painful loss in Week 4, many of their players had standout performances that helped raise their value. It had been quite a long time since that happened, and perhaps that momentum can carry over into Week 5 when the Bears face off against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.

Heading into that game, here are the players whose stock is up and the players whose stock is down in our latest look at the Chicago Bears Stock Exchange.

A Bears timeline of everything that’s gone wrong in the 2023 season (so far)

Breaking down all the mayhem of the Bears’ nightmare season to this point.

Over the last three decades, the Chicago Bears have been one of the NFL’s worst teams. They’ve won a total of four playoff games since 1994 and have just nine winning seasons in that same time span. Based on the sheer pandemonium the latest iteration has already faced, the 2023 Bears are somehow shaping up to enjoy the worst year of them all.

Below, you will find a timeline of everything that’s gone wrong for the Bears during this extremely young season. We haven’t even seen three games, and it feels like this franchise is about to be swallowed up by a massive sinkhole. Nothing is going right. Everything is broken. None of it is normal. And it doesn’t seem like anyone in a leadership position has solutions to right the ship.

Take a (very) deep breath, and let’s dive in.

Bears designate G Teven Jenkins to return to practice this week

There’s finally some good news out of Halas Hall as Teven Jenkins is coming back to practice this week.

It’s been a bad few weeks for the Chicago Bears for a number of reasons, but there was finally some good news to come out of Halas Hall on Monday. According to Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, the team has designated guard Teven Jenkins to return to practice this week.

Jenkins has been out for the last month and a half due to a lower leg injury suffered during training camp. He went on injured reserve and missed the first four games, but now he is ready to come back and give the line reinforcements after a rough start to the season. Jenkins is set to play a new position for the third time in three years, having moved over to left guard this offseason following the signing of veteran guard Nate Davis. Previously, he played right guard in 2022 and left tackle in 2021.

The Bears have a short week, with a game against the Washington Commanders coming up on Thursday, so it’s unclear if Jenkins will be activated off injured reserve to play in the game. There is a 21-day window to to put him back on the active roster. If and when that happens, he’ll slot in as the left guard and likely push Cody Whitehair back to center, with Lucas Patrick heading to the bench. Both players have struggled at various points this season, making Jenkins’ return that much more impactful.

5 biggest storylines going into Week 2 against the Buccaneers

The Bears are looking to get their first win of the season against the Buccaneers. Here’s what to watch for on Sunday:

The Chicago Bears have the chance to rebound following a brutal Week 1 loss and advance to 1-1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

It’s been a tumultuous week in Halas Hall this week; both defensive coordinator Alan Williams and starting guard Nate Davis will not join the team in Tampa Bay due to personal reasons, and several players admitted that last week’s embarrassing loss to Green Bay was a humbling experience.

It’s all culminated in what’s generally perceived as a “must-win” game in only the second week of the NFL season. The dire circumstances are not an over-exaggeration; several jobs, both players and coaches, could be on the line if Chicago’s fails in the same spectacular fashion as they did last week.

From a pure football perspective, the Bears’ game against the Bucs is certainly winnable. Tampa Bay has talent, particularly at receiver and at the defensive line, but Chicago has talent too. The two squads are more evenly matched than many anticipated, and it should make for an interesting game, to say the least.

As the Bears’ soap opera of a week reaches its climactic conclusion, let’s go over the five biggest storylines heading into this Week 2 against the Buccaneers.

Bears RG Nate Davis doubtful for Sunday’s game due to death in the family

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports a death in the family is the reason Nate Davis will likely miss Sunday’s game.

The answer to Chicago Bears guard Nate Davis’ absence has finally been revealed. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Davis had a close family member pass away recently, and that is likely the reason he was downgraded to doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The situation is likely the primary reason Davis missed practice on Thursday, September 7th, as well as other practices during training camp.

Davis signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Bears in March, coming over from the Tennessee Titans to help shore up the interior of the Bears offensive line. He missed a chunk of voluntary workouts as well as training camp practices throughout the summer, with no reasons given until now. Davis did play in the Bears Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers and had not missed any time until Saturday’s news.

With Davis likely missing the game, the Bears will start recently acquired Dan Feeney or second-year guard Ja’Tyre Carter in his place. The Bears are also without their left guard, Teven Jenkins, who was placed on injured reserve due to a lower leg injury suffered last month.

The Bears take on the Buccaneers Sunday at noon CT.

Bears RG Nate Davis doubtful vs. Bucs for personal reasons

The Bears will be without another starting offensive lineman as Nate Davis (personal) won’t travel with the team as they face the Bucs.

The Chicago Bears will be without a starting offensive lineman when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.

Bears right guard Nate Davis won’t travel with the team to Tampa Bay for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. He’s been listed as doubtful.

According to Brad Biggs and Courtney Cronin, Davis is dealing with a death in the family that happened Saturday morning. It was also the reason why Davis missed time this offseason.

As a result, Chicago has flexed offensive lineman Aviante Collins to the active roster from the practice squad. Cornerback Josh Blackwell (hamstring), previously listed as doubtful, has been downgraded to out.

With Davis not expected to suit up, the Bears will most likely turn to Ja’Tyre Carter at right guard. When Davis was sidelined for most of the summer, it was Carter who saw reps with the first-team offense. Plus, Carter is listed as the primary backup at both guard positions.

Davis appeared in three games as a rookie last season, all in a reserve role.

Dan Feeney, who the Bears acquired in a trade with the Dolphins this summer, could also factor into things. Feeney has versatility along the interior, having played all three positions.

Chicago is now without both starting guards — Davis and left guard Teven Jenkins, who landed on injured reserve with an unspecified leg injury.

Meanwhile, the Bears will be without defensive coordinator Alan Williams, who also won’t travel with the team to Tampa due to persona reasons.

8 Bears players to watch in preseason finale vs. Bills

Here are eight players we’ll be watching for when the Bears take on the Bills in Saturday’s preseason finale.

Just as quickly as it started, the 2023 NFL preseason finale is already here for the Chicago Bears, meaning the regular season isn’t far away. The Bears take on the Buffalo Bills on Saturday at noon CT at Soldier Field in a game that will serve as a tune-up for both teams.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus announced that the starters on offense and defense who are healthy will see action, including Justin Fields. Head coach Sean McDermott of the Bills is doing the same with his team before giving way to the reserves.

Saturday’s contest will be the final chance for many players to make their case for why they deserve a spot on the final roster. But it’s also an opportunity to see the starters get game action since most of them sat out last week’s preseason game against the Colts. Here are eight players to keep an eye on when the Bears and Bills kick off.

Bears are hoping to get RG Nate Davis back soon

Luke Getsy said the Bears are “hopeful to get Nate (Davis) back soon.”

The Chicago Bears offensive line struggled to protect quarterback Justin Fields during Thursday’s padded practice.

It certainly doesn’t help that the unit hasn’t had all five starters in pads at any point during training camp. While left guard Teven Jenkins missed a couple of practices, it’s right guard Nate Davis who has been a recurring scratch during practice.

Given Matt Eberflus or his coaching staff won’t elaborate on injuries, we’re assuming Davis is dealing with something. But offensive coordinator Luke Getsy did say the team expects him back “soon.”

“We’re hopeful to get Nate back soon,” Getsy said.

The offensive line hasn’t had a chance to develop continuity this summer. Outside of the first four unpadded practices, Davis has missed eight practices (including six padded sessions).

While Davis’ absence during camp hasn’t been ideal, the most important thing is for him to be ready for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.

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