Hub Arkush: Chicago Bears are a 7-9 team, plus a few more ...

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Whether youre a hard-core fan, a more casual observer but with a very clear allegiance, a bettor, a Fantasy Fanatic" or a member of the media we all share one favorite pastime, predicting the future of our favorite game.

So what will the Chicago Bears record be this year?

I like what the Bears did in free agency this past offseason except that the second I heard it I reported, I thought waiving Matt Slauson after signing Manny Ramirez and Ted Larsen was foolish.

Although Im not sold on Bobby Massie being anything more than a journeyman at right tackle, him there with Kyle Long back at right guard is a huge improvement over Long at right tackle and Vladimir Ducasse or Patrick Omameh at guard.

Akiem Hicks is the first true five-technique the Bears have had since Vic Fangio brought his 3-4 base defense to town. In signing Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman, the Bears went from the worst inside linebacker group in the NFL to contention for the best.

I was encouraged by the draft, although I was unhappy when the Bears traded up to jump in front of the Giants in the first round and then left Laremy Tunsil on the board to select Leonard Floyd.

Cody Whitehair, Johnathan Bullard, Deon Bush, Deiondre Hall and Jordan Howard all appeared to be excellent value for where the Bears drafted them.

I had no opinion on the choice of Dowell Loggains to replace Adam Gase because although it seems like a huge stretch for a young coach who isnt widely revered or for that matter known around the league, John Fox has an excellent record hiring assistant coaches and is probably due the benefit of the doubt.

I really thought we were looking at an 8-8, maybe even 9-7 team that if everything went right . . .

Then we went to Bourbonnais and the great majority of the roster showed little to generate excitement in practice. The team was somewhere between bad and awful in its four exhibition games.

As the Bears went to make the final cuts, my expectations plummeted and I thought 6-10 was probably realistic and 5-11 a real possibility.

Then the Josh Sitton signing and Robbie Gould cut happened and I was thoroughly confused.

I think the way the Bears handled Gould sucked, but based on his 2015 season and 16 training camp I cant objectively say the Bears are better or worse with Connor Barth.

Sitton on the other hand represents a potential sea change on the offensive line. The Bears went from potentially one of the scariest O-line groups in the league to the best at guard and even though hes a rookie, Whitehair at center should be a big upgrade over Larsen at center.

Now I am close to paralysis through analysis but out of time and required to climb out on the limb. I believe the 16 Bears are a 7-9 football team.

And hey, if Im going to risk looking stupid why not do it for all 32 teams?

So heres how I see the 2016 NFL regular season.

Source: http://journalstar.com/sports/football/hub-arkush-chicago-bears-are-a---team-plus/article_65ecfd33-2063-537c-908b-1c38ff08e640.html

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Robbie Gould Pens Thank You Letter to Chicago Bears Fans

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Former Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould was abruptly released by the team earlier this week, but despite the shock of his exit he still says he will have fond memories of his time with the team.

In a letter to fans that Gould posted to his website, he thanked Bears fans for their support and the team for giving him an opportunity to play in the NFL when his career began in earnest.

His letter reads:

As my time as a Chicago Bear has come to an end, I wanted to take a moment to write a letter to sincerely thank the entire city for the past eleven years of my career.

I arrived in Chicago in 2005, feeling both lucky and excited for the opportunity to fulfill my childhood dream of playing for a first-class NFL organization. I cannot thank The McCaskey Family enough for making the start of my dream come true.

I know I have not been perfect, so I thank you for supporting me during the ups and downs of my career. Thank you for cheering for us when we won, and thank you for your words of encouragement when we didnt. I have the most amazing job in the entire world, and you have made it easy for me to love every single minute of my time here.

It is my hope that the Chicago Bears bring home a Super Bowl win this year, each and every one of my teammates throughout my career has worked laboriously to bring home a Lombardi Trophy for you. For that reason, this town deserves it.

On a personal level, I have been incredibly fortunate during my journey here, from marrying my wife, to the birth of my two sons. Each and every day is a blessing here for us. Chicago will always be home.

Thank you, from the bottom of my familys heart, for the laughs, the tears, the experiences, and the memories. It has undoubtedly been some of the best years of our lives.

Once a Bear, Always a Bear,

Robbie, Lauren, Griffin, and Gavin.

Gould played for the Bears for 11 seasons, including their NFC Championship season in 2006. Over that time, he made 85.4 percent of his field goals, the 10th best percentage in NFL history, and scored a total of 1207 points, a Bears team record.

Published at 1:16 PM CDT on Sep 9, 2016

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Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/robbie-gould-pens-thank-you-letter-to-bears-fans-392904231.html

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Bears rookie DL Jonathan Bullard adjusts to NFL life

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- First-year defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard relied heavily on an explosive first step in college.

That approach worked at Florida, where Bullard won unanimous First-Team All-SEC honors in 2015 prior to the Chicago Bears drafting him 72nd overall (third round). But upon arriving in Chicago, Bullard learned quickly that life is different in the NFL.

That"s all I was doing was being a penetrating guy, Bullard said on Thursday. I got a lot off of that penetration, off of getting off the ball so fast that I shock them. Im not the biggest guy (6-foot-3, 290 pounds). I"m probably the littlest defensive lineman we"ve got, so I use that to my advantage. I had to learn to be stouter than just getting off the ball.

Bullard is accepting the coaching given to him.

One of the 2016 rookie-class standouts, Bullard is pushing hard to crack the starting lineup, along with 2015 second-round choice Eddie Goldman, free-agent pickup Akiem Hicks and veteran Mitch Unrein.

I think hes more comfortable in our scheme, whats being asked of him by his coaches, and transforming that into playing fast in game situations, coach John Fox said. Obviously if youre not thinking, youre performing and youre not being slowed down in the mental aspect. I think you just get more comfortable.

"Hes a tough-minded player; hes a tough player, physically. I think from a trait standpoint hes explosive, which helps, obviously, in a pass-rush situation. Thats a lot of the reasons why we drafted him. I just kind of liked his mindset and how he goes about his business so far.

Bullard rejoined the team Wednesday evening and practiced on Thursday after being excused for a couple days in order to fly home and deal with a family issue. The time away is not expected to be much of a setback.

"I kept up on my iPad at home, so Im up to speed on everything," he said. "And I met with defensive-line coach Jay Rodgers and he got me caught up, so Im fine."

Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago-bears/post/_/id/4703425/bears-rookie-dl-jonathan-bullard-adjusts-to-nfl-life

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Chicago Bears welcome Olympic medalists to Soldier Field

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears invited four American Olympic medalists to Saturdays preseason game at Soldier Field, including bronze-medal trap shooter Corey Cogdell-Unrein, who is married to Bears defensive lineman Mitch Unrein.

Olympic Bronze medalist Corey Cogdell-Unrein, who is married to Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mitch Unrein, proudly displays her Rio medal at Solider Field.Jeff Dickerson/ESPN.com

Also in attendance were Chicago-area natives Kevin Cordes (Gold -- men"s swimming, Naperville, Ill.), Kelly Murphy (Bronze -- indoor volleyball, Wilmington, Ill.) and Kelsey Robinson (Bronze -- indoor volleyball, Elmhurst, Ill.).

Olympic medalists Kelsey Robinson, Kevin Cordes and Corey Cogdell-Unrein pose for photos prior to the Bears" preseason game on Saturday.Jeff Dickerson/ESPN.com

Mitch Unrein beamed with pride when recently discussing his wife"s medal-winning performance in Rio. Corey Cogdell-Unrein is a two-time Olympic medalist who also took home a bronze in women"s trap shooting at the 2008 Beijing games.

People are like, "How did you get her to marry you?" Unrein said with a grin. And I"m like, "You know, I"m a smooth talker maybe. I don"t know." I hit a home run when I got to marry her. She"s one in a million. There are not too many times you can say, "My wife is a three-time Olympian and has two medals." It"s so cool to watch her achieve her dreams. It"s so cool that we"re both kind of at the pinnacle of our sports. It really helps our relationship.

Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago-bears/post/_/id/4703440/chicago-bears-welcome-olympic-medalists-to-soldier-field

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Chicago Bears welcome Olympic medalists to Soldier Field ...

2006 MNF Comeback | Bears vs. Cardinals (Full Game) | NFL

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears invited four American Olympic medalists to Saturdays preseason game at Soldier Field, including bronze-medal trap shooter Corey Cogdell-Unrein, who is married to Bears defensive lineman Mitch Unrein.

Olympic Bronze medalist Corey Cogdell-Unrein, who is married to Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mitch Unrein, proudly displays her Rio medal at Solider Field.Jeff Dickerson/ESPN.com

Also in attendance were Chicago-area natives Kevin Cordes (Gold -- men"s swimming, Naperville, Ill.), Kelly Murphy (Bronze -- indoor volleyball, Wilmington, Ill.) and Kelsey Robinson (Bronze -- indoor volleyball, Elmhurst, Ill.).

Olympic medalists Kelsey Robinson, Kevin Cordes and Corey Cogdell-Unrein pose for photos prior to the Bears" preseason game on Saturday.Jeff Dickerson/ESPN.com

Mitch Unrein beamed with pride when recently discussing his wife"s medal-winning performance in Rio. Corey Cogdell-Unrein is a two-time Olympic medalist who also took home a bronze in women"s trap shooting at the 2008 Beijing games.

People are like, "How did you get her to marry you?" Unrein said with a grin. And I"m like, "You know, I"m a smooth talker maybe. I don"t know." I hit a home run when I got to marry her. She"s one in a million. There are not too many times you can say, "My wife is a three-time Olympian and has two medals." It"s so cool to watch her achieve her dreams. It"s so cool that we"re both kind of at the pinnacle of our sports. It really helps our relationship.

Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago-bears/post/_/id/4703440/chicago-bears-welcome-olympic-medalists-to-soldier-field

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DeMarco Murray, Cowboys thump Bears to clinch winning season

Cowboys Run All Over Bears

CHICAGO -- Tony Romo has bigger goals for the Dallas Cowboys, so he wasn't about to get too excited over securing a winning season.

To him, that was just one step.

DeMarco Murray ran for a season-high 179 yards and a touchdown, Romo threw for three scores, and the Cowboys beat the Chicago Bears 41-28 on Thursday night.

The Cowboys (9-4) made it look easy for most of the night against a struggling team that lost star receiver Brandon Marshall to a rib injury. Dallas clinched its first winning season since 2009 and guaranteed it will finish above .500 after three straight 8-8 finishes. But the Cowboys are looking for more, with an NFC East title and first playoff appearance in five years in sight.

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"Other than the fact we still have all our goals in front of us," Romo said when asked about clearing the eight-win mark. "I think that that's more for you guys to do your 8-8 stuff."

Led by Romo and Murray, Dallas rebounded from a blowout loss to the Eagles on Thanksgiving and pulled within a half-game of them with another showdown looming in Philadelphia next week.

The Cowboys took a 14-7 halftime lead and scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter before the Bears (5-8) rallied in the fourth.

With that, the Cowboys improved to a league-best 6-0 on the road, where they have won seven straight since a blowout loss at Soldier Field on a bone-chilling night last December.

Romo, who has been bothered by a bad back, kept checking down and completed 21 of 26 passes for 205 yards. His rating for the game was 138 coming off a rough outing against the Eagles.

Murray, the league's leading rusher, carried 32 times. He also had 49 yards receiving on nine catches.

"Like a lot of great backs through the years in this league, oftentimes these guys get better the more touches they get," coach Jason Garrett said. "I think he's demonstrating that. He just has such a good feel for running the football."

Dez Bryant had six receptions for 82 yards. Cole Beasley caught two touchdowns, and the Cowboys converted seven of 14 third downs along with two of two fourth downs.

For the Bears, it was just another rough night in a disappointing season that likely will end with them missing the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years.

"This team competes hard every day to get better, and it competes hard in the football game," coach Marc Trestman said. "That would be totally disrespecting our football team to think they're not going out and competing as hard as they can."

Marshall's injury was another blow for the Bears.

He was hurt by a knee to the right side from the Cowboys' Barry Church following a reception in the second quarter. That happened moments after he made a spectacular 42-yard catch, juggling the ball with his right hand, to help set up a touchdown.

TV cameras showed him leaving Soldier Field in an ambulance, and Marshall later posted on Twitter, "Thanks for the Prayers. .. I'm Good. #MindOverMatter."

Murray Ties Emmitt Smith Mark

DeMarco Murray topped 100 yards on the ground for the 11th time this season, tying Emmitt Smith's single-season franchise record.

Most Games With 100 Yards RushingSingle Season, Cowboys2014DeMarco Murray11*1995Emmitt Smith111999Emmitt Smith91981Tony Dorsett9*Including Thursday at Bears-- ESPN Stats & Information

Jay Cutler was 32-of-46 for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Martellus Bennett had a career-high 12 receptions for 84 yards against his former team, but the Bears had trouble sustaining drives.

They also did not get much from the run game after managing just eight attempts in the loss at Detroit a week earlier. Matt Forte had 13 carries for 26 yards after tying a career low with five rushes against the Lions.

"You just want to be in it at the end (of the season)," Cutler said. "Unfortunately throughout the year we've done some things to not give ourselves a chance, and we're upset about that."

Murray accounted for 105 yards during a busy first half for Dallas, running for 65 and a touchdown and adding 40 receiving. Romo kept checking down and completed 17 of 21 passes for 123 yards, including a 13-yarder to Beasley in the closing seconds.

That sent the Cowboys to the locker room with a 14-7 lead, and they added to it in the third quarter.

Romo connected with a leaping Beasley for a 24-yard TD early in the quarter after Anthony Spencer stripped Forte near midfield following a screen pass, making it 21-7. The Cowboys increased their lead to 21 minutes later when Romo found Gavin Escobar in the back of the end zone, a 43-yard catch by Bryant setting up that score.

Joseph Randle added a 17-yard TD run late in the quarter to make it 35-7.

Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent played for the first time this season after serving a 10-game suspension and being held out for two more following his intoxication manslaughter conviction.

He hadn't played since Dec. 2, 2012, six days before the drunken-driving crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown.

"I've been blessed to be put back in this position, and I'm gonna take advantage of it," Brent said.

Game notesBeasley, who entered the league in 2012, went into the game with just three career TD catches. ... The Bears held out kicker Robbie Gould (right quadriceps) and defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff (knee). ... Chicago S Chris Conte left the game in the third quarter with a back injury.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId%3D400554349

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