DJ Moore, Bears eager to 'put on a show' vs. 49ers
With music playing amid the usual chatter of the Bears locker room on Friday, you’d never know this was a team on a six-game losing streak that just had its head coach fired after a contentious post-game meeting with Matt Eberflus following the 23-20 loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field.The Bears are over it, and ready for the 49ers.“You hear it? It’s like a brighter day in here,” wide receiver DJ Moore said. “We’ve still got time to put some wins out there and stack ‘em. That’s what everybody’s looking forward to.”Moore is among several players who tacitly if not directly welcomed the coaching change, with offensive coordinator Thomas Brown replacing Eberflus. It’s the first in-season change in the Bears’ 105-year history.“The mood is great. You could see it throughout practice. You can definitely feel it in the locker room,” Moore said. “Nobody wants to see change. But change can be for the better and I feel like this is a good move, and we’re gonna go out there and put on a show.”Still, safety Kevin Byard was a little more cautious about embracing the notion that the coaching change has been a breath of fresh air at Halas Hall.“Yes, the vibe has been up, but still have to gou there and win,” Byard said. “Because if we don’t win, people are still going ot be upset. There’s still going to be a locker room with frustrated people.“So I don’t want to that all of the sudden, just because we’ve got Thomas Brown, it’s a breath of fresh air. We’ve all enjoyed him. Everybody likes this guy, the way he commands the room. That’s been refreshing. But we still have to go out and win.”Injury reportMoore (quad) and running back D’Andre Swift (quad) were limited in practice Friday and are questionable for Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium.Wide receiver Keenan Allen (ankle), right tackle Darnell Wright (knee), Byard (shoulder) and center Coleman Shelton (knee) had full participation and are expected to play.Safety Elijah Hicks (ankle), ,guard/center Ryan Bates (concussion) and running back Roschon Johnson (concussion) are out.With Johnson out, Travis Homer will “take a bigger role,” Brown said. Homer has three carries for 16 yards this season — none since Week 2.Lynch: Shanahan not on trade blockChatter that the 49ers could part with coach Kyle Shanahan — or even trade him to the Bears or someone else — has always seemed far-fetched. Niners GM John Lynch laughed off the notion in a radio interview Friday with KNBR in San Francisco.“I sit back, and I try to be focused, but I’ve found the whole discussion on Kyle and some of the stuff rather comical,” he said. “We have won four of the last five division championships. We’ve been in two Super Bowls.“Look, the standard here is to win championships, and we’ve fallen short of that. I understand. But we have an excellent head coach. And the fact people are talking about stuff like that, I do find it comical.”Taking chargeCornerback Jaylon Johnson said he felt he was representing his teammates when he cut off Eberflus’ post-game talk with an emotional outburst that was part of a testy locker room scene.“We all kind of had the same feelings. It was kind of a matter of who’s going to be the one to say it,” Johnson said. “And I feel like I often find myself being that person to say it. So [I was] speaking for myself, but also speaking for the locker room, speaking to those frustrations. It was everything that everybody agreed with.”
With music playing amid the usual chatter of the Bears locker room on Friday, you’d never know this was a team on a six-game losing streak that just had its head coach fired after a contentious post-game meeting with Matt Eberflus following the 23-20 loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field.
The Bears are over it, and ready for the 49ers.
“You hear it? It’s like a brighter day in here,” wide receiver DJ Moore said. “We’ve still got time to put some wins out there and stack ‘em. That’s what everybody’s looking forward to.”
Moore is among several players who tacitly if not directly welcomed the coaching change, with offensive coordinator Thomas Brown replacing Eberflus. It’s the first in-season change in the Bears’ 105-year history.
“The mood is great. You could see it throughout practice. You can definitely feel it in the locker room,” Moore said. “Nobody wants to see change. But change can be for the better and I feel like this is a good move, and we’re gonna go out there and put on a show.”
Still, safety Kevin Byard was a little more cautious about embracing the notion that the coaching change has been a breath of fresh air at Halas Hall.
“Yes, the vibe has been up, but still have to gou there and win,” Byard said. “Because if we don’t win, people are still going ot be upset. There’s still going to be a locker room with frustrated people.
“So I don’t want to that all of the sudden, just because we’ve got Thomas Brown, it’s a breath of fresh air. We’ve all enjoyed him. Everybody likes this guy, the way he commands the room. That’s been refreshing. But we still have to go out and win.”
Injury report
Moore (quad) and running back D’Andre Swift (quad) were limited in practice Friday and are questionable for Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen (ankle), right tackle Darnell Wright (knee), Byard (shoulder) and center Coleman Shelton (knee) had full participation and are expected to play.
Safety Elijah Hicks (ankle), ,guard/center Ryan Bates (concussion) and running back Roschon Johnson (concussion) are out.
With Johnson out, Travis Homer will “take a bigger role,” Brown said. Homer has three carries for 16 yards this season — none since Week 2.
Lynch: Shanahan not on trade block
Chatter that the 49ers could part with coach Kyle Shanahan — or even trade him to the Bears or someone else — has always seemed far-fetched. Niners GM John Lynch laughed off the notion in a radio interview Friday with KNBR in San Francisco.
“I sit back, and I try to be focused, but I’ve found the whole discussion on Kyle and some of the stuff rather comical,” he said. “We have won four of the last five division championships. We’ve been in two Super Bowls.
“Look, the standard here is to win championships, and we’ve fallen short of that. I understand. But we have an excellent head coach. And the fact people are talking about stuff like that, I do find it comical.”
Taking charge
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson said he felt he was representing his teammates when he cut off Eberflus’ post-game talk with an emotional outburst that was part of a testy locker room scene.
“We all kind of had the same feelings. It was kind of a matter of who’s going to be the one to say it,” Johnson said. “And I feel like I often find myself being that person to say it. So [I was] speaking for myself, but also speaking for the locker room, speaking to those frustrations. It was everything that everybody agreed with.”
What's Your Reaction?
