Tag: Zacch Pickens

What Bears DC Eric Washington wants to see from Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens by training camp

New Bears DC Eric Washington has high expectations for second-year defensive tackles, Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens.

The Chicago Bears have high expectations to live up to in 2024. While a lot of that will fall on the offense, featuring some new talent, the defense will also play a crucial role.

After getting off to a rough start during the 2023 season, they ended the year on a high note as one of the NFL’s top units (following the addition of Pro Bowler Montez Sweat).

The key to the defense’s success will be the continued growth of their young talent, including second-year defensive linemen Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens. New defensive coordinator Eric Washington recently explained what he wants to see from the pair by training camp.

“I want to see polished fundamentals,” Washington said. “I want to see things that I know will allow them to be as disruptive and as efficient with their rush fundamentals as possible. We’re talking footwork, alignment adjustments based on the down and distance, and when we’re in an obvious passing situation. It’s more awareness and just a great coordination of fundamentals that I know that are going to give them a chance to really win that particular rep and down.”

This is good news for Chicago’s defense. They are looking to improve, and many young players will be counted on. If Washington gets his wish from Dexter and Pickens, the unit might be even better than we thought.

With the way that general manager Ryan Poles and his staff are building this team, it is clear that they expect a lot. That’s important when trying to produce a winning football team. If everyone does their job, they will get it done. Dexter and Pickens are talented players, but now it’s about taking it to the next level.

With the right work ethic, they will do it because the leaders are asking that of them. Nobody is content with “good enough,” and that is the way it should be.

Behind enemy lines: Previewing Bears/Vikings w/Bears Wire

We spoke to Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire to get the lowdown on the Chicago Bears before they face the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are facing a pivotal game in week six against their NFC North division rival Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon.

It’s a huge game for the Vikings and Bears, as they both sit at 1-4 and a loss will crater their playoff chances. Both teams had aspirations of a playoff berth but it hasn’t looked like it’s going to happen to this point.

Despite their record, the underlying metrics for the Vikings look good. They have played good football outside of their 12 turnovers and -9 turnover differential. That fact gives them a glimmer of hope for a potential playoff berth.

Going into Sunday’s game, we spoke to Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire to get the lowdown of the Bears.

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.

4 key matchups ahead of Bears vs. Chiefs in Week 3

The Bears take on the Chiefs in Week 3, and we break down all the key matchups to watch for.

The Chicago Bears face their biggest challenge of the season against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and the obstacles the team faces are just as prevalent off the field as it is on.

The Bears are under much scrutiny for the events that unfolded over the last couple of days: quarterback Justin Fields gave a quote that was taken out of context and it got a rise on social media, left tackle Braxton Jones was put on IR with no clear timetable for his return, and things took a dark turn when defensive coordinator suddenly resigned with no indication as to why.

General manager Ryan Poles said it best: the Bears are facing a ton of adversity at this moment. Even so, a win can ease many of the issues Chicago faces. Let’s go over the four key matchups ahead of Bears vs. Chiefs in Week 3.

3 key matchups to watch as Bears battle the Packers in Week 1

The Bears will look to get the upper hand in three key matchups against the Packers in Week 1.

The Chicago Bears kick off the 2023 NFL season by hosting their long-time rival Green Bay Packers Sunday at Soldier Field, and both teams are looking drastically different than they have in year’s past.

Chicago now boasts a star wide receiver in DJ Moore, a scary running back group and tenacious linebacker unit. The Packers, on the other hand, have turned over the offense to former first-round pick Jordan Love, who now carries the fanbase’s expectation of being the next great Green Bay quarterback.

The two teams both have strengths and weaknesses that the opposing squad can exploit, so let’s discuss those matchups that will inevitably come into play on Sunday. Here are three key matchups to watch for in Week 1.

3 keys to a Bears victory vs. Packers in Week 1

The Bears will play the Packers at home to kick off the season, and the Bears will need to do three things to get the win.

The Chicago Bears host the hated Green Bay Packers to kick off 2023 NFL season this Sunday at Soldier Field. For the first time in years, the playing field is even. Not in the literal sense, of course (though Soldier Field’s natural grass is tough to play on). But the two teams seem to be evenly matched now that the Grim Reaper of Chicago, Aaron Rodgers, has moved on.

Though the Packers now have a new signal-caller under center, former first round pick Jordan Love, it would be unwise for Bears fans to already pencil in a win for Chicago. Green Bay is still a tough opponent that’s had the Bears’ number for a long time, which means Chicago needs to execute in several areas to take down their long-time rival.

What do the Bears need to do to score a triumphant win over the Packers? Here are three keys to a Chicago victory:

Oklahoma target David Stone among ESPN’s top 10 prospects in the next three cycles

ESPN ranked the 25 best prospects over the next three recruiting cycles, with David Stone landing in the top 10.

The class of 2024 is kicking off their final seasons of high school ball this week or next. For those fortunate enough to play football at the collegiate level, their college decisions have mostly been made. One of the best senior prospects in the nation, defensive tackle David Stone, plans to announce his decision on Saturday. He’s a consensus top-10 recruit nationally and a five-star across the board.

ESPN ranked the 25 best high school prospects of the next three cycles. Oklahoma’s number one target, [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], came in at No. 9.

ESPN (ESPN+) had this to say about David Stone.

Uncommitted | 2024 ESPN 300 ranking: 5

IMG Academy (Florida) has produced a large quantity of FBS talent over the years, and Stone has the physical tools to be the best DT the elite program has ever produced. Over the past three years, he has continued to develop his frame, going from 259 pounds in 2021 to a solid 278 back in March. For a defender with his bulk, he moves exceptionally well — he ran the shuttle in 4.6 seconds — with great initial quickness and body control. Stone is a disruptive presence of size and explosiveness on the interior who should develop into an elite Power 5 defensive lineman.

Player comparison: Zacch Pickens, South Carolina

Stone is a talented prospect that the Oklahoma Sooners must land on Saturday.

Great defensive tackles are transformative and can elevate defenses to new heights. He has the size, speed, and explosiveness to be a problem for SEC offensive linemen as early as next year.

Momentum for Oklahoma has been present for a while now. Still, a recent 247Sports crystal ball prediction from a Michigan State insider has furthered the belief that the Sooners may be pulling away in his recruitment.

Stone is set to pick between Oklahoma, Michigan State, Miami, Florida, Texas A&M, and Oregon.

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8 takeaways from the Bears’ preseason loss to the Colts

This game didn’t provide many answers, but it raised plenty of questions. Here are our takeaways from the Bears 24-17 loss to the Colts.

All good things must come to an end. For the first time in over two years, the Chicago Bears have lost a preseason football game, snapping their five-game winning streak as well as head coach Matt Eberflus’ undefeated streak since becoming head coach. Okay, it’s not that dramatic but the Bears did fall to the Indianapolis Colts 24-17.

The game was dominated by the backups as neither team played many of their starters, including the quarterbacks. That was very apparent in the first quarter with no scoring of any kind. It wasn’t until the second quarter where things began to heat up. The Colts and the Bears traded long touchdown drives thanks to Gardner Minshew and Tyson Bagent, respectively, and were tied up at 7-7 going into halftime.

Following a field goal and another touchdown from the Bears in the third quarter, it appeared Chicago was on its way to another win. But Sam Ehlinger and the Colts had different plans. Indianapolis orchestrated scoring drives on their final three possessions to secure the win.

In a game with no starters, it can be tough to find noteworthy takeaways. This matchup may not have provided many answers, but it raised plenty of questions. Here are our takeaways from Saturday’s loss.

7 biggest storylines to watch for in Bears vs. Colts

The Bears are gearing up to take on the Colts in Indianapolis for preseason Week 2. Here are 7 big storylines to keep an eye on.

The Chicago Bears will play their second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday after collaborating on a couple of joint practices this week. The team only has a few weeks to prepare for their opening game against the Green Bay Packers, which means several concerns and questions will need to be sorted out before then. Several position groups will be looking to build off their solid game from last week, the offense will need to adjust after several starters were confirmed to be sitting out, and there’s even a position battle that still has no clear front runner.

Prepare for the game by taking a look at the seven biggest storylines to watch for in Week 2 of the preseason.

Bears rookie report card from preseason win vs. Titans

How did the Bears 2023 rookie class look during Saturday’s game? Here’s our report card.

When the Chicago Bears took the field against the Tennessee Titans for their first preseason game, it was the first chance many fans were able to see the team’s 2023 rookie class in action. After nearly four months since general manager Ryan Poles made his 10 selections, the rookies took their first test to show their progress at the professional level.

Though veteran stars Justin Fields and D.J. Moore stole the show early on in the Bears’ 23-17 win, it was the rookies who had the majority of the playing time as the game progressed. Some of them shined in their debuts, while others could have gotten off to better starts. Here is our report card of the team’s rookie class after their preseason debut.