1) There is something oddly refreshing about the new celebration rules in the NFL. Forget that defense is becoming extinct or that gambling—in its many forms—is driving the viewership and ratings Sherrick McManis Color Rush Jersey , but the No Fun League is starting to have some fun in the form of celebratory dances. Many of these dances or routines are clearly choreographed, so I am glad to see that the NFLPA is cool with players spending extra time practicing this but not football. If you are into that sort of thing, check out this Twitter feed, which features the various dancings of NFL players. 2) The Super Bowl hangover is a thing. The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles just got taken behind the woodshed by the Saints, and even the 48-7 score wasn’t really that close. The Eagles are currently 4-6 and appear to be on the outside, looking in on the NFC East race. While you typically see the Super Bowl loser have the biggest hangover, as the “Loser’s Curse” has been especially evident since the 2001 season, it appears to be hitting the Eagles especially hard this year too. 3) I feel really bad for Alex Smith. By all accounts, he is a pretty good dude and a pretty decent quarterback as well. While he was not playing particularly great this season, he was still keeping the division-leading Redskins in games. Based on what we know of the injury, there is a decent chance that this is the end-of-the-line for Smith, whether he knows that or not. But the strangest part of the whole thing is the eerie similarities with another Redskins quarterback, Joe Theismann. 4) Come on Cam, do the Bears a favor and make this throw!! Better yet, Ron Rivera should have opted for the extra point and sent that game into OT. Imagine the short turnaround for the Lions if they had to play extra time against a good Carolina team...5) In the AFC, the playoff picture certainly looks like it’s shaking itself out, although I did NOT see the Chargers losing to Denver. With the Chiefs loss on Monday night (more on that game in a minute), the Chargers still remain in the hunt in the AFC West. The Steelers have rebounded nicely, while the Jaguars are still reeling. That Ravens team looks pretty legit too. I can’t believe the 2017 Bears beat both the Steelers and Ravens...6) Hats off to Roy Harp...er...Russell Wilson for putting Aaron Rodgers and the Packers one game closer to vacation. Man Charles Leno Jersey , Mike McCarthy’s seat has got to be getting pretty toasty these days, although that probably feels nice in this cold weather! I wouldn’t be shocked to see McCarthy end up in Cleveland, although...7) How about that Monday night game, huh? That was something. The biggest thing I took away from that game is this: defense is dead in the NFL in 2018. Yes, there were 3 defensive touchdowns scored, and yes Aaron Donald exists, but the rest of those turnovers...woof!8) I was not overly impressed by the young guns(lingers) in that game either. Sure, both Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes put up gaudy numbers, but they also had receivers more open than I have ever seen before. There weren’t a lot of contested throws being made, an awful lot of missed throws, and the pocket presence...yikes! Don’t get me wrong, both of these quarterbacks are really damn good, but you saw exactly how to beat them both: pressure. While I don’t typically enjoy shootout-type of games, where each team scores over 50 points, that game was wildly entertaining. The future of the NFL is bright, and it’s the quarterbacks that will drive it, Mitch Trubisky included. 9) Well, perhaps defense isn’t totally dead, at least not in Chicago. If there was any doubt about how good the Bears defense has been this season https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/Joel-Iyiegbuniwe-Jersey , look no further than this:10) With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, let’s take a moment to give thanks. We have the pleasure of rooting for a first class organization. It may not always have been the most enjoyable football to watch, but they are constantly doing the right things for their current and former players. From the way they handled the Zach Miller injury......to the way that they continue to do their part to improve the community, the Bears are an organization that we can all be proud of, and for that, I am thankful. LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have a different view of the draft this year.A worst-to-first jump last season left them staring down at the rest of the NFC North, and loaded with one of the league’s best defenses and banking on a more creative offense led by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to improve in coach Matt Nagy’s second season.As good as it all sounds, general manager Ryan Pace wasn’t resting easy the past few months.“You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse,” he said at the combine in February. “We want to make sure we are getting better.”The Bears have a chance to do just that in the draft even with a long wait.That’s because they won’t be selecting until the third round, at No. 87 overall, unless they make a trade. Chicago also has one pick each in the fourth and fifth rounds and two in the seventh.The Bears’ first-rounder went to Oakland in the blockbuster trade for All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack just before the start of last season. New England now has Chicago’s second-round selection from a trade last year.But even if they’re little more than spectators in the early going, the Bears still have some work to do. They need a running back after trading Jordan Howard to Philadelphia and could use help in the defensive backfield, on the edge and at kicker.But overall, the Bears have to like this view. They won their division at 12-4 in Nagy’s first season after four straight last-place finishes and ended a playoff drought that dated to 2010.Here are some things to know:RUN GAMEThe Bears created their biggest draft need when they traded Howard.A poor fit for a scheme favoring pass-catching running backs, he set career lows in yards rushing (935) and attempts (250) in his third season. But he still had more carries than the four running backs currently on Chicago’s roster — Tarik Cohen, Mike Davis, Taquan Mizzell Sr. and Ryan Nall.If Chicago goes for a running back with its first pick, Penn State’s Miles Sanders and Auburn’s Damien Harris might be possibilities.ON SECOND THOUGHTThough the Bears signed safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and cornerback Buster Skrine to replace Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan Nick Kwiatkoski Color Rush Jersey , they could still use help in the defensive backfield. Iowa safety Amani Hooker and Michigan cornerback David Long could be options in the third round.ON EDGEDon’t be surprised if the Bears go for an edge rusher with one of their first picks. Sure, they tied for third in the league with 50 sacks. But with Leonard Floyd set to enter the fourth and final season of his rookie contract, Chicago might want to draft a potential replacement.LATER SUCCESSPace has done some of his best draft work in the mid to late rounds since he was hired in January 2015, so there’s a good chance the Bears get an impact player or two even despite having no early picks.He hit in the fifth round in 2015 on Amos, who left for a $37 million, four-year contract with Green Bay in March. The Bears got Howard in the same round the following year, and he made a Pro Bowl while giving them two 1,000-yard seasons.In 2017, Chicago took safety Eddie Jackson and running back Tarik Cohen in the fourth round. And both were All-Pros this past season — Cohen as a punt returner.Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols had three sacks and seven quarterback hits in 14 games after being drafted in the fifth round a year ago.“The job that (our scouts) do is remarkable and they help set the board, and you’ve got to give them a lot of credit,” Pace said.KICK ITIt’s no secret the Bears need to find a reliable kicker. And keeping Cody Parkey was not an option.If hitting uprights on six misses, including that double-doink off the upright and crossbar in the wild-card loss to Philadelphia at Soldier Field, didn’t punch his ticket out of town, a “Today” show appearance a few days after the season did. He couldn’t provide the consistency the Bears have been seeking since they let Robbie Gould go prior to the 2016 season and got released after one rough season in Chicago.The Bears have three kickers with no NFL experience after signing Redford Jones, Chris Blewitt and Elliott Fry. Whether they draft another, they might add a veteran at some point.