Bears at Vikings: Top Storylines for Week 15
By Grizz.
Special Teams Aren’t So Special
Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Robbie Gould may be fooling us all. Maybe he is the Robbie of old, maybe he is the Robbie of new.
Gould missed another game winning field goal this past Sunday, and Chicago has gone crazy regarding the fan favorite.
Do the Bears cut him? Trade him? Keep him? What is the answer?
As we know, the Bears have not brought in any kickers to compete with Gould. This would be an oddity as the season has progressed thus far, but look for the Bears to bring in legitimate competition this coming offseason.
Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
One player that seems to have some juice is Deonte Thompson. Thompson looked to have a return score versus the 49ers, but was called back because of a penalty.
Thompson looks like he may be the answer to the Bears return issues. However, one may wonder why he is still not returning punts. That job is still veteran Marc Mariani‘s – though that duty should have been stripped away a long time ago.
Mariani used to be a reliable returner that wasn’t flashy, but trustworthy. That has come and gone, and now Mariani is more of a liability than ever.
This past Sunday, Mariani was seen fair catching a punt inside of the ten yard line. We all just sat, holding our head in our hands.
Thompson should be returning both kicks and punts. His speed and elusiveness not only make him a threat to score each return, but also can help Chicago in the field position battle.
Look for the Bears to switch things up this Sunday, and even more so over the offseason.