CHGO Digest: Cole Kmet wins NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Good morning, friends!

It’s nice to enter the bye week on a win. Hasn’t happened much for the Bears in recent memory.

Since 2013, Chicago is 4-8 the week before the bye, and just 2-9 after the week off. Only once since Lovie Smith’s departure have the Bears won both weeks. That was last year.

In and out of the bye, Marc Trestman was 1-3, John Fox was 1-5, and Matt Nagy was 1-7. Matt Eberflus? 3-2.

… Just in case you needed another reason to believe that these Bears aren’t those Bears.

4-2 – with momentum – into the bye.

Onto Week 7 – the last weekend without Bears football until the week between the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl.

— Patrick Norton

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Special Teams extraordinaire… Cole Kmet?

Cole Kmet can do it all. In six games, the Bears tight end has 26 catches and 289 receiving yards – on pace for career-highs in both categories. But Kmet’s two touchdowns in London against the Jaguars took a backseat to the Golden Domer’s main storyline.

Football is a game filled with “next man up” moments. When long snapper Scott Daly suffered a knee injury during a punt on the first drive of the game that would sideline him for the rest of the day, Kmet was the next man up.

The 25-year-old wasn’t exactly thrilled to have the responsibility, but when the offense and special teams needed him most, Kmet came through on the international stage. Now back home and enjoying the bye week, the emergency long snapper is adding a historic accolade to his collection: NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

• Receiving the award on Wednesday, Kmet is the first recipient to win it due to his long snapping. He’s also the first player to score a touchdown and then snap for the extra point since Mike Bartrum of the Eagles did so in 2005. It’s the second time a Bears player has won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week this season – Tory Taylor’s punting masterclass earned him the honors in Week 4.

• Long snapping runs in the family. His uncle – and Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach – Jeff Zgonina long-snapped briefly after coming into the NFL as a Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick. Doing a Q&A with a Steelers blog in 2021, Zgonina said, “Well the funny thing is I was drafted to be a long-snapper. [Bill] Cowher asked me if I could long-snap before the draft so I said yeah! No way I was going to say no.” However, Zgonina’s days as a specialist were limited. “I actually skipped a snap in the last preseason game and Cowher said that was enough of the long-snapping for me.”

• On Tuesday’s episode of The Eighty Five with Cole Kmet, long snapper, and the longest-tenured Chicago Bear of all time, Patrick Mannelly, joined Kmet and Adam Hoge for a full breakdown of the tight end’s emergency work. Asked by Mannelly about the rush from high-fiving the kicker and holder after a successful attempt, Kmet smiled and said, “It was an electric feeling, I’m not gonna lie to you. When I turned around and those two gave me the fist pump, I’m like, ‘Fuck yeah, let’s go’. I did get juiced up for it for sure.”

🎧 SPOTIFY | APPLE PODCASTS | YOUTUBE | Patrick Mannelly joins Cole Kmet and Adam Hoge, breaking down each of Cole’s emergency snaps.

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🐻⛳The Desert Duel🌵🏈

Coming with us to watch Caleb Williams and the Bears take on Kyler Murray’s Cardinals? Join us on the links for an unforgettable ALLCITY battle between CHGO and PHNX at Raven Golf Club in Phoenix. Still debating making the trip? What are you waiting for!?

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Roundup: Jerry Reinsdorf in talks to sell Sox, Lonzo returns to Bulls

• Quick storytime: It’s 3:56 p.m. yesterday. Our CHGO White Sox show begins in four minutes. The episode’s topic? White Sox top prospect Colson Montgomery. I’m on the other side of the office when I see a tweet on my timeline. After a quick double take, I walk over to the set as Sean, Herb and Vinnie are settling into their chairs and ask, “Have you guys seen the report from The Athletic?” Sean said, “That’s extremely vague.” Vague? Sure, but their response was a dead giveaway that they hadn’t seen it.
  
  They quickly pulled out their phones, read Britt Ghiroli’s report, and off they went for an hour. The report? White Sox chairman and majority shareholder Jerry Reinsdorf is “open” to selling the team, and is apparently in “active discussions” with a prospective ownership group led by former major leaguer, Oakland native, and MLB-to-Nashville lobbyist, Dave Stewart.

• Sidelined for 1006 days after suffering a knee injury against the Golden State Warriors, Lonzo Ball is finally back. The point guard entered to a strong ovation almost six minutes into the first quarter of the Bulls’ preseason game against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night. On a minutes restriction, Ball scored 10 points, adding a rebound, assist, steal, and block. After the game, Ball said, “Felt a lot better playing than watching, I’ll say that much.”

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Thank you, Bears fans!

#CHGOLondon was a smashing success! 🇬🇧

Thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey across the pond, watched our shows, and support what we do. None of this happens without YOU! 💯

And shoutout to @traveltruefan for an epic trip!

Arizona trip on deck! 🌵 JOIN US! pic.twitter.com/NqgTODXW6o

— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) October 15, 2024

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Join us for an upcoming CHGO event!

🌵 11/1 – 11/4 | CHGO Bears Road Trip to Arizona, including Desert Duel
🍻 11/10 | CHGO Bears Tailgate at Wabash & Cermak! — Week 10 vs. Patriots