Author Archives: Tom Shannon

Turf for Soldier Field? Ask the Players.

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

A column for Chicago Sun-Times weighed in on the natural grass Vs. artificial turf debate at Soldier Field: “Soldier Field may be the league’s worst, but that doesn’t mean Bears players want the team or park district to do anything about it. … Continue reading →

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In Defense of Jeff Fisher

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

I always like reading Mike Florio’s profootballtalk.com blog because he isn’t just aggregating news.  He bring sometimes very strong opinions.  And he feels pretty strongly about Titans coachJeff Fisher: “Some think that, if Fisher is fired in Tennessee, he’ll end up getting the job … Continue reading →

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Lockout Threat Has Owners Hiring “Interim” Head Coaches Early

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

Jaguars owner Jerry Richardson is promising changes in a letter to PSL holders in Jacksonville (via Steve Reed at the Gaston Gazzette).  But Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com questions Richardson’s commitment: “‘I want all of you to know that we plan to look at every aspect of our organization,’ … Continue reading →

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Urlacher Confident Despite Big Plays by Lions

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

From Brian Urlacher via Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune: “I was pissed off a halftime (of the Lions game), too. But it was three plays: the long run by Jahvid Best and the two passes, with the Calvin Johnson touchdown. That’s all they had … Continue reading →

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Penalty or Not, Lions Lack of Discipline Yet Another Reason Why They Don’t Win

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

Kudos to Brian Van Ochten writing for the Grand Rapids Press at mlive.com for nailing the real issue behind Ndamukong Suh’s unnecessary roughness penalty: “In the fourth quarter, referee Ed Hochuli didn’t hesitate to toss his flag upon seeing Lions superstar rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh take what appeared … Continue reading →

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Bears Ability to Stop the Run Huge in Lions Victory

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

That may sound like a rather obvious and mundane headline.  But its not.  Here’s why via Dan Pompei at the Chicago Tribune: “The Bears played their nickel defense on 72 percent of the Lions’ snaps. “The Bears used nickel in … Continue reading →

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Bears Road Game Against the Lions Had Home Game Feel

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

From The Detroit News: “Chants of ‘Let’s go, Bears,’ rang throughout the day, occasionally getting shouted out by Lions fans. At several points Bears defensive players were imploring the crowd to make some noise. “‘Chicago is a close town, only … Continue reading →

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Vikings Peaking at Wrong Time for Bears

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

Though the Bears have generally met teams at the right times this year, their luck may run out against the Vikings on the road in two weeks.  The Vikings played like dogs early in the season, most notably losing twice to … Continue reading →

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Earl Bennett Tries to be “the Quarterback’s Friend”

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

Fred Mitchell at the Chicago Tribune got this interesting quote from wide receiver Earl Bennett after Sunday’s game: “I try to be the quarterback’s friend and he just kept throwing me the ball. I just want to make plays. The coaches kept calling great plays and … Continue reading →

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Bears Contain Lion’s Playmakers in Win

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Tom Shannon

Its hard to point to one but Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune pointed out what I thought was probably (collectively) the most important reason why the Bears beat the Lions yesterday in hisFour Downs feature: “The Bears were resilient on defense. Charles Tillman blew outside contain … Continue reading →

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