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Bears Back to Backup Plan With McCown at QB

November 20, 2013 @ No Comments

Midweek musings: Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will be ready to play … when he is ready to play. When that might be is anybody’s guess. The only certainty seems to be he will not play Sunday at St. Louis against the Rams. That’s what Bears coach Marc Trestman said Tuesday. And he ought to know. The likelihood that Cutler’s injury is more than a high ankle sprain makes it less likely he will be back for the Dec. 1 game at Minnesota.

Something says we might see more of Ellie Gonsalves around here sometime soon.

* Speaking of Bears quarterbacks, the likelihood of Josh McCown supplanting Cutler as the starter is a matter of health and not of time. Anyone who does not recognize that is delusional. Cutler’s ability — and not his high-paying contract — is the reason he was the No. 1 QB. And why he will be the starter when (if?) he returns.

* For those who envision McCown as the 2014 starter — with Cutler gone and his money freed to spend elsewhere to improve the roster — the key acquisition would be a quarterback who can step in next season and perform as capably as McCown has this season.

* If the Rams are looking for a marketing angle for their game against the Bears, how does “Backup Bowl” or “Battle of the Backup QBs” sound? After all, it will McCown against Kellen Clemens, who is filling in for Sam Bradford who suffered a season-ending anterior-cruciate ligament injury early this season.

* For those who keep track of such things, McCown is averaging 7.47 yards per pass and Clemens 7.37. Cutler averaged 7.20. And for fans of Green Bay Packers backup Scott Tolzien, a product of Chicago suburban Fremd is averaging 8.48 yards per pass. In case anyone wants to enter his name into the Bears quarterback sweepstakes for 2014. Injured Packers starter Aaron Rodgers was averaging 8.84. Among QBs with 70 or more attempts this season, Tolzien ranks No. 6, McCown No. 12 and Clemens No. 13. Rodgers is No. 2 to Nick Foles of Philadelphia (9.59).

* Anyone wanting a preview of the auction for Michael Jordan’s home in Highland Park, Ill., may we suggest a glance at one of our favorite females April Rose in the video below (you will have to scroll down to see it).

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For those of you (us) who enjoy the music of Bob Dylan, something new has come out that is worth a few minutes — if not longer — of your/our time. The music video for “Like a Rolling Stone” — 48 years after the tune came out and with a contemporary feel by incorporating current television types in the video.

You can click here to view a sample and hear the complete tune. Definitely worth checking it out.

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As long as we’re going somewhat historical, Nov. 19, 2013, was the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.” Here is what Ken Burns put together for PBS :

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Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the extensive efforts of the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com):

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