Tag: Wanda Wiedman

ProFootball Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Jim Covert

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

James “Jimbo” Covert will finally be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, some 20 years after his first PFHF nomination in 1996. The former Pitt All-American left Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka with only one choice in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft. “Jimbo is the guy we wanted from day one, we put him at left tackle and moved on.”

Covert began his collegiate career as a defensive lineman in 1978. After a shoulder injury sidelined him and the additional recommendation of the offensive line coach, Covert switched to offensive tackle.

He had the job of protecting future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, who was quoted as saying, “There were games when my uniform never got dirty and games that I never hit the ground. That’s incredible.” In 2003, Covert was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

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Grading the Chicago Bears NFL Draft 2020

Wanda Wiedman
Chicago Bears Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

The much anticipated 2020 NFL Draft exploded on Thursday night in the most unique way. With social distancing in full swing, the NFL was forced to conduct its yearly draft virtual style.

Despite all the mock drafts, the day finally came when General Manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy put together a board of players that would make an immediate impact on all sides of the ball.

Speed, athleticism, strength, and heart were all tangibles the following players possessed.

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Chicago Bears: Determined to get it right

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

If you are a Chicago Bears fan, the past decade has been nothing but a roller coaster ride. When the Bears lost the conference game in 2010 against the Green Bay Packers, it was heartbreaking. Two years later, head coach Lovie Smith was gone and the nightmare of head coaches losing regard plagued this team. 

But when head coach Matt Nagy came in, flashy exciting plays and giving the team a 12-4 record in 2018 it was the breath of fresh air fans needed. The problem is that when you give Bears Fans that kind of high then crash and burn the following season, it makes this fandom exhibit dual personalities like no other.

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Bears Preview Week 3: can Chicago silence the noise in Washington

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

With 53 seconds left on the clock, Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky moves in the pocket and fires a bullet to an open wide receiver Allen Robinson, who immediately falls to the ground. Both Trubisky and Coach Matt Nagy are hitting the timeout switch leaving one second on the clock.

The young kicker Eddy Pineiro was on the sidelines waiting for that chance to be the hero, to show this Bears team that he was worthy to be trusted and that he had their back.

From 53-yards the KICK IS GOOOOOOD!

The entire Bears team, coaches and fans jumped for joy as they Bears win, on the road in the toughest stadium to play in. (Cue applause meter.)

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Who Will Win in Week 2: NFC West

 

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

There was a ton of excitement from these division teams last week including one team ended with a tie to break in the season. But even though the underdogs of this division lost, they proved that they can give the opposing team a run for their money.

Each of the NFC West games this week may not be so concrete as who will win their matchup.

LA Rams vs Saints/Sunday, 4:25pm ET

Why not start Week 2 with an exciting game as it will be a rematch of the controversial game from last season’s playoffs. Remember, it was the bad pass interference call that cost the Saints the game and sent the Rams to the Super Bowl. But now with the new rule change of reviewing pass interference calls, let’s see if the game can stay clean with these two teams.

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Bears preview week 2: It’s Fangio verses his former team

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

Week one of the regular season is over. It’s time to move on to week 2.

Especially those Bears fans who have spent every single day dissecting every decision, throw and play call made or didn’t make against Green Bay. The Chicago Bears have chosen to learn from it and move on to Week 2…and so should we.

And despite several blowout games throughout the NFL, Bears fans will not let the loss to the Packers die. So now it’s on to Denver and a matchup with former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as head coach.

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Bears offense stalls while the defense grinds

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

Packers 10 – Bears 3

The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers kicked off the 2019 NFL season at Soldier Field with the hype that was electrifying from a city celebrating 100 years in the NFL. Bears fans were excited to see the current kings of the NFC North take the field.

Experts and sportswriters were convinced that with the absence of Vic Fangio from the Bears defense, that they would regress. But that was not the case as the defense sacked quarterback Aaron Rodgers 5 times. Not one sack came from linebacker Khalil Mack but two of them exploded from LB Leonard Floyd. The defense wasn’t completely perfect, as some open space was left for Rodgers to manipulate.  As a result, he put up the only touchdown of the game.

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Trades, cuts, and kickers to the curb

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman //@WandaW63

On Saturday all 32 teams finalized their 53-man roster, releasing and waiving players in a surprising frenzy. The big news, of course, was the blockbuster trade of Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Texans were willing to pay roughly half of Clowney’s $15.9 million salary for 2019 despite the franchised tag they placed on him. I would call that a win for Clowney and he gets to be a part of a newly built Seahawks front defense that now consists of Clowney, linebacker K.J. Wright, DE Ziggy Ansah, defensive lineman L.J. Collier, and LB Bobby Wagner.

But the Texans didn’t stop there.  They went on to trade two first-round picks and a second-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills. The Dolphins came away with special teams Johnson Bademosi and tackle Julie’n Davenport.

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Preseason may shed some light on a Bears Super Bowl run

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

The Chicago Bears have a lot to celebrate this season. As one of the oldest franchises in the NFL, the Bears celebrate 100 years of electrifying, heart-stopping plays, both good and bad.

But this year seems different. The Bears won the NFC North division in 2018, after a lack-luster 2017 season. The defense topped the league in an unexpected fashion. But like every off-season, players come and go, whether it be via free agency or trade.

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An early projection of the Bears 53-man roster

Wanda Wiedman,
NFL Reporter

By Wanda Wiedman // @WandaW63

After the Chicago Bears lost their first preseason game of 2019 to the Carolina Panthers, it was clear who worked for that roster spot. After a few practices, skirmishes and then some, it’s safe to say that for the most part, the depth chart has been set, but with a few surprises.

Quarterback (2): Mitchell Trubisky, Chase Daniel (Tyler Bray may get a practice squad spot)

Running Back (4): Tarik Cohen, Mike Davis, David Montgomery, Ryan Nall (Kerrith Whyte PS)

Whyte displayed some flashes of speed against the Panthers with six carries for 35 yards. But Nall has a bigger upside in his receiving skills, big body and can be interchangeable in position. 

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