NFL 2026 Season Preview - CHICAGO BEARS

CHICAGO BEARS                                                                                         

 

2025 Record - 11-6-0 

Head Coach - Ben Johnson

2025 Offensive Rank - 370 YPG (6th); Rushing - 145 YPG (3rd), Passing - 225 YPG (10th) SCORING - 25.9 PPG (9th) 

2025 Defensive Rank - 362 YPG (29th); Rushing - 135 YPG (27th), Passing - 227 YPG (22nd) SCORING - 24.4 PPG (23rd) 

Key Player Additions - Coby Bryant (DB), Devin Bush (LB), Garrett Bradbury (OL), Scotty Miller (WR), Cam Lewis (DB), Neville Gallimore (DL), Dillon Thieneman (DB)

Key Player Losses - DJ Moore (WR), Jaquan Brisker (DB), Andrew Billings (DL), Kevin Byard III (DB), Drew Dalman (OL), Tremaine Edwards (LB), Nashon Wright (DB), Olamide Zaccheaus (WR) 

OFFENSE - Third year quarterback Caleb Williams is back after a good season in 2025, when he passed for 3,942 yards along with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Williams also rushed for 388 yards and scored three touchdowns. Running backs D'Andre Swift (1,087 yards, 4.9 YPC, nine TD) and Kyle Monangai (783, 4.6, 5 TD) will look to lead a solid rushing attack which was third in the NFL last season. The wide receivers are Rome Odunze (44 receptions, 661 yards, six TD), Luther Burden III (47, 652, two TD) along with tight ends Colston Loveland, who led the team with 58 receptions last year for 713 yards and six touchdowns and Cole Kmet, who had 30 receptions for 347 yards and two scores. Scotty Miller, Zavion Thomas and Jahdae Walker will look to add depth.  

DEFENSE - Defensive End Montez Sweat (10 sacks), Gervon Dexter (six sacks) and Austin Booker (4 1/2 sacks) lead the way up front along with linebackers Devin Bush (124 tackles and three interceptions with Cleveland), D'Marco Jackson and T.J. Edwards. The secondary features Coby Bryant (free agent from Seattle) at safety and he had four interceptions last year along with Elijah Hicks and rookie Dillon Thieneman (Oregon). The cornerbacks are Jaylen Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon. The Bears defense led the NFL with 23 interceptions a year ago and had the best plus/minus turnover rate with a plus-22 in the 2025 season. 

2026 SEASON OUTLOOK - It was a season for the ages in 2025 as the Bears staged so many comeback wins, including a huge effort against the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round as they overcame an 18-point deficit to win.  Second year Head Coach Ben Johnson proved to be a difference maker with his offensive prowess and the way he showed Caleb Williams how to do it in crunch time. The big question for this year will be can the Bears do it again? 

The offense looks solid coming into training camp, but the defense will have to step up after being one of the worst units in the league last year. The Bears did lead the NFL in takeaways but that cannot be the foundation for a defense again after finishing 29th overall, allowing 362 yards per game while getting just 35 sacks. The team let their three leading tacklers go during the off-season as well as the three players who had the most interceptions, so the replacements coming into this season must be ready to go, including Devin Bush at linebacker and highly touted rookie defensive back Dillon Thieneman and Neville Gallimore on the defensive line. 

Playing in the NFC North, the Bears were able to win the division last year, but Green Bay, Detroit and Minnesota all had winning records and this division traditionally is very competitive. If the Bears want to get back to the post-season, they will need to remain strong with the running game and show much more consistency on defense. Relying on fourth quarter heroics for a second straight season could lead to disappointment when January rolls around, but as long as Williams is healthy and playing well, this team should be in the mix for the playoffs again.   

TEAM SCHEDULE 

Week One - at Carolina 

Week Two - vs. Minnesota 

Week Three - vs. Philadelphia 

Week Four - vs. N.Y. Jets 

Week Five - at Green Bay 

Week Six - at Atlanta 

Week Seven - vs. New England 

Week Eight - at Seattle 

Week Nine - vs. Tampa Bay 

Week Ten - BYE 

Week Eleven - vs. New Orleans 

Week Twelve - at Detroit 

Week Thirteen - vs. Jacksonville 

Week Fourteen - at Miami 

Week Fifteen - at Buffalo 

Week Sixteen - vs. Green Bay 

Week Seventeen - vs. Detroit 

Week Eighteen - at Minnesota  

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL 2026 Season Preview - KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS                                                                     

2025 Record - 6-11-0

Head Coach - Andy Reid 

2025 Offensive Rank - 321 YPG (20th); Rushing - 107 YPG (25th), Passing - 214 YPG (16th) SCORING - 21.3 PPG (21st)

2025 Defensive Rank - 302 YPG (10th); Rushing - 106 YPG (9th), Passing - 196 YPG (12th) SCORING - 19.3 PPG (6th)

Key Player Additions - Kenneth Walker III (RB), Justin Fields (QB), Alohi Gilman (DB), Khyiris Tonga (DL), Emmett Johnson (RB), Mansoor Delane (DB)

Key Player Losses - Trent McDuffie (DB), Isiah Pacheco (RB), JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR), Jaylen Watson (DB), Jawaan Taylor (OL), Leo Chanel (LB), Mike Danna (DL), Derrick Nnadi (DL) 

 

OFFENSE - The Chiefs will welcome back Patrick Mahomes at quarterback this season after he suffered a season ending knee injury last December. In 2025, Mahomes passed for 3,587 yards with 22 touchdowns and eleven interceptions. He also rushed for 422 yards (6.6 YPC) and scored five rushing touchdowns. The running game will be revamped this season with former Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III joining the team following a big season in which he was named Super Bowl MVP. Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and scored five times while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Rookie Emmett Johnson (Nebraska) will also look to revitalize the Kansas City running game. The wide receivers include Rashee Rice (53 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns), Xavier Worthy (42, 532, one TD) and Tyquan Thornton. Tight End Travis Kelce is back for his 14th season and last year he caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns. Noah Gray (21 receptions, 178 yards) is also available at tight end. 

 
DEFENSE - Chris Jones (seven QB sacks) leads the defensive front along with end George Karlaftis (six sacks) while linebackers Nick Bolton (team high 154 tackles) and Drue Tranquill (103 tackles) man the front seven. In the secondary, safety Chamarri Conner (107 tackles) will team with Alohi Gilman (free agent from Baltimore) and cornerbacks Mansoor Delane (rookie - LSU) and Kristian Fulton will likely start. In addition, Jadon Canady (rookie - Oregon), Jayden Hicks and Melvin Smith look to help round out the secondary.

2026 SEASON OUTLOOK - Kansas City had a rough season in 2025, losing their final six games and Head Coach Andy Reid knows this team can and likely will be back this season as AFC contenders to reach the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes being healthy and returning to top form is the key to everything as the Chiefs look to get back on top of the AFC West division. The running game should get a shot in the arm with Walker coming along this year and as long as Mahomes can still scramble, the running game should be better this season. The passing game is looking to maintain the consistency it has shown in recent years with Mahomes back in camp and reportedly getting the full go ahead after knee surgery. 

The defense was steady last year, ranking in the top ten overall while allowing just 19.6 points per game. Creating more turnovers would be a big boost in 2026 as the Chiefs only had ten interceptions last season and were minus-one in that category. A more fierce pass rush would also help after the team had just 35 sacks last year. If the Chiefs are to get back to being top contenders in the AFC, Mahomes will be the man to lead the way. This team could very well make it back to the Super Bowl, but it won't be easy playing in the tough AFC West, where the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers loom large. The Chiefs should get back to the playoffs, how far they can go from there will rest on Mahomes being his usual brilliant self and the defense maintaining consistency. 

 

TEAM SCHEDULE 

Week One - vs. Denver 

Week Two - vs. Indianapolis 

Week Three - at Miami 

Week Four - at Las Vegas 

Week Five - BYE 

Week Six - vs. L.A. Chargers 

Week Seven - at Seattle 

Week Eight - at Denver 

Week Nine - vs. N.Y. Jets

Week Ten - at Atlanta 

Week Eleven - vs. Arizona 

Week Twelve - at Buffalo 

Week Thirteen - at L.A. Rams 

Week Fourteen - at Cincinnati 

Week Fifteen - vs. New England

Week Sixteen - vs. San Francisco 

Week Seventeen - at L.A. Chargers 

Week Eighteen - vs. Las Vegas  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like Other Media In This Country, ESPN Continues To Go Off The Rails

 

The media landscape in the United States of America has, for quite some time,  been going off the rails. 

The latest example of this is ESPN, the so called world wide leader in sports. That company, which is owned by Disney (ESPN, LLC is 72 percent owned by The Walt Disney Company, 18 percent by Hearst, and 10 percent by the National Football League as of March 11, 2026) continued with staff layoffs this week and some big names were axed, including longtime baseball guy Karl Ravech and also NFL insider Tom Pelissero, who was a big kahuna with NFL Network, before they were absorbed by ESPN in recent months. Along with them, Ryan Clark (NFL Live on ESPN), Cam Newton, David Lloyd (SportsCenter), Stephania Bell, Bart Scott (NFL coverage) and Charles Davis, who like Pelissero, was with NFL Network before the merger, were also let go. And just three years ago, the ESPN network fired Suzy Kolber while NFL Network let go of Michael Irvin from the Sunday GameDay Morning show, which stunned many viewers. 

These media/corporate mergers are bullshit and should be condemned as such as the news media and the like continue to go in the direction of monopolies in this country. Monopolies were declared illegal a long time ago and back in the early 1980s, the phone companies were broken up into several smaller entities to prevent such things from happening. But that was back when the U.S. had a moral compass and big business was regulated so it couldn't just run rampant and go roughshod on the citizens of this country in pursuit of their greed. 

That is not the case any longer. 

Ever since that God forsaken decision by the U.S. Supreme Court called "Citizens United" in 2010 that allowed corporations to donate unlimited amounts of money into political campaigns, this country has gone to hell in rapid fashion. The SCOTUS got it all wrong with that one, but remember that current SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas was in on that one and he has been taking bribe money from Southern millionaire mogul Harlan Crow for decades, so that explains a lot. Point is the rule of law in this country has gone out the window for the most part and that is the main reason for who is in the White House right now and why the media sucks in this country. 

Money. Money. Money.  

Having been a member of the fourth estate many years ago, I started seeing the writing on the wall back in the early to mid 1990s and exited stage left by my own choice. I wasn't selling out to corporate greed and being a puppet for the system. No way, no how. 

As a member of the media from 1989 to 1995 while also serving a role with a professional sports team, I was definitely in a unique spot, especially for that time when local media wasn't gushing to be in on the good side of said local sports teams. In other words, being boot lickers which was a term thrown at now Baseball Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson back in the early 1990s when he was blasted for his style of play calling for the Chicago White Sox. He even made fun of himself by waving black and white pom poms during a game to counter his many critics at the time. 

It really is sad to see the gradual takeover by corporate media in this country and that continues to ooze into the sports world after so many news media outlets have been gobbled up by these corporations that continue to want to dominate how things are presented to the masses. 

Remembering the late George Carlin comedy bit about it all.  

Infotainment was a term designated to the industry many years ago as the news coverage became more and more maudlin in presentation over time (a perfect example of that is right where I live in Chicago with the WGN Morning News on TV, which is an embarrassment with the way they present news) to viewing audiences. Entertain people like a bunch of clowns and in recent years, ESPN and also NFL Network Sunday pre-game coverage of pro football has gone off the rails with the stupidity and buffoonery of the skits they do. 

Just cover the games and enough with silliness and one-upsmanship presented to viewers. It really saddens me to have to write this way, but it is the candid truth and I am not swayed in presenting as such seeing how things are in modern day coverage. Bring on the bombastic Pat McAfee, Stephen A. Smith and others from NFL Network merger to entertain people is the way the suits at ESPN see things. 

No corporate boot licking here. Never has been and never will be. There have been numerous advertisers that reached out to me through the years to present themselves on this blog, but I politely refused. 

No monetization on Heftyinfo, which I started as a hobby in 2009 and continues to stay in that lane in my retirement as I see it as the best way for me.

The suits in charge at ESPN and other media in this country have no clue what they are doing as they only care about money. The hell with journalistic integrity.

It is sensationalism they are peddling disguised as journalism. 

Money, money, money is all they care about. Sell it at all costs to the stupid American public is their mantra. 

The hell with any ethics in news/sports coverage. 

Do what we demand or else . . . My way or the highway. 

Sounds a lot like Trump and company in Washington, D.C. politics. 

The greed has been around forever though as is human nature and it continues to get worse. 

I can remember when I was twelve years old and wanting to be involved in some capacity in sports to make a living when I was old enough to do so. I recall there were competing sports magazines at the time (and many of them to choose from at that) but in particular Sports Illustrated and Sport Magazine were the two main competitors for sports nuts back then. There were articles written in each publication in the 1977-78 time span about how greed was ruining sports. And how right they were nearly 50 years ago when those pieces were published. 

Fast forward to today as it continually worsened with the games and in particular college sports, which have become an abomination of what they were as an amateur status decades ago. That topic would require writing a book to go over that history. 

Again, having been a member of the media (sports coverage was my area) decades ago and also being a part of the three-peat NBA champion Chicago Bulls Organization (from 1987-1995) as the sound engineer/Bulls DJ at old Chicago Stadium and part of the first season in 1994-95 at the United Center in the Windy City, I was able to experience first hand the best of both worlds. Championship teams and the spoils of it all while also covering the events. Definitely a unique situation and many memories came from that time. Proud to have been a part of it all and again I speak from experience when I see the current state of events regrading the media in the present day. 

And it isn't good. 

Not from this retired American's vantage point. 

What will happen going forward remains to be seen, but as for the corporate greed which will only continue to escalate, I wish all involved the best. But they must do so at their own peril because what they have is definitely a gift and they should choose wisely in their role as the fourth estate or else one day they just might be on the wrong side of history. 

Be well sports and news brethren and in the words of media legend Edward R. Murrow . . . 

Good night and good luck.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Different Names, Same Results

 

Here we go again. 

It's like Deja Vu all over again. 

Pick your phrase because the Democratic party is doing it again when it comes to political races by doing the outdated "When they go low, we go high" routine. 

There are those who will disagree with the take here on the subject, but if you really want the republicans OUT OF POWER in our U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, then stop with the circular firing squad stuff. It seems that another accusation against the Democratic nominee (from Maine) for the U.S. Senate surfaced just in time for the November elections. Graham Platner has been under fire by corporate establishment Dems since he became relevant in that state race for the U.S. Senate seat to get rid of the useless republican senator named Susan Collins.

Granted, there is shadiness to the guy and if indeed he did sexually assault a female, there should be repercussions. However, how many REPUBLICANS do we KNOW (as proved in a court of law or otherwise) that did the same things and either are currently running for political office (Ken Paxton, a republican in Texas) or are still holding their job, like say DONALD J. TRUMP in the White House?  

Can you say Epstein files? 

Point is that the double standards continue to happen and then the same people crying about how bad things are help to make it happen and then make it worse with the finger pointing and "witch burning" as they condemn this guy in Maine or a few years ago pushing then Senator Al Franken (Democrat from Minnesota) out the door over a silly chessecake style photo. On the republican side of things, they just look the other way and their candidates continue on regardless and serve in Congress or on the U.S. Supreme Court. Looking at you Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh.

Stop with the double standards!  

The chances for the Dems to get back the U.S. Senate are not likely to happen even if Platner was to win that Maine senate seat. The party needs to realistically win five seats or more to get back control from the republicans. Currently it's 53-47 for the GOP and the Dems (even with 51 seats) wouldn't really control the Senate because turncoat John Fetterman actually sides with Trump and the republicans. With a 51-49 edge, the Dems would have control over committees and the like, which would help, but on voting over bills and other business, it would be a stalemate as the divide between the party lines has shown so many times. 

Throw into the mix that Trump and his minions in the administration are doing all they can to gum up the works for the upcoming Congressional mid-term elections and it is a recipe for the fascists to remain in control of political power. 

Is that what sane people really want? 

It's no holds barred time folks and the gloves have to be off for good this time around. 

Trump was accused by so many women of sexual assaults and harassment, but still was allowed to run back in 2016 by his party because they don't give a fuck. The same crap happened in 2024 even though he helped lead a coup attempt of our government on January 6th, 2021 in Washington, D.C. 

How does that happen? 

Now is the time for the Democratic party to adapt a new strategy or else they will not win back power. The only hope would be for so many people to turn out and stick it to the traitorous republican party in the elections all across America. The results have gone in favor of the Democratic party in many elections since Trump came back to the presidency, so there is that going for them.

The republicans fear the BLUE WAVE that will take them out of power this November.

Taking back the U.S. House will be a slam dunk for the Dems, but not having the Senate will make it a moot point until Trump is gone from the White House. It's too bad Collins (from Maine) would be the deciding vote to keep republicans in the majority in the Senate. But with all the crap going on now with Platner and the corporate Democratic party leaders, that is the likely outcome.

The younger people in this country will be the ones having to deal with whatever happens this November as far as long term consequences goes, so we will see what's going to happen with the United States of America going forward once the votes are counted. And they will be counted in spite of pedophile Trump and his illegal efforts to thwart a free and fair election. 

Count on it. 

And remember this come election time . . . VOTE !  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

America

 Happy 4th of July my fellow Americans ! 

 

 

Carolina Hurricanes Win Stanley Cup

 

Twenty years after winning their only other Stanley Cup title, the Carolina Hurricanes are once again the 

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS as they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0 to wrap the title up in six games. 

 

Congratulations to the  CAROLINA HURRICANES  -  2025-26 Stanley Cup Champions !!  

AT LAST

For the first time in 53 years, the New York Knickerbockers are the NBA Champions! 

Congrats to the Knicks for getting it done against a young team of the future in the San Antonio Spurs in five games of the NBA Finals.