After the Chicago Bears threw the ball solely 11 occasions in a 27-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, readers need to know if the coaches doubt quarterback Justin Fields’ potential within the passing recreation — in addition to questions on Kyler Gordon’s rookie struggles and whether or not Week 3 in opposition to the Houston Texans is a “must-win.” Brad Biggs solutions these questions and extra in his weekly mailbag.
Aaron Rodgers appeared to focus on receivers matched up in opposition to rookie Kyler Gordon. He was additionally ineffective in run assist. What was his efficiency grading within the recreation? How lengthy will this teaching workers be affected person with a rookie CB that wants growth? — Ryan Y., Libertyville
There had been a handful of questions on Gordon, the second-round choose from Washington, this week and that wasn’t stunning as a result of he had a tough go Sunday evening at Lambeau Field. Gordon additionally made some good performs within the recreation and nobody requested about a number of the higher snaps he had, such because the cross breakup within the nook of the tip zone when Rodgers was attempting to attach with Allen Lazard.
The Packers ran 4 vertical routes on the play from the Bears’ 18-yard line. That idea is designed to emphasize a Cover-2 look from the secondary. Gordon was in a position to jam Lazard on the line of scrimmage after which sink. He may have been a bit of extra aggressive along with his jam and compelled Lazard inside as a result of he had some assist from the inside. But Gordon did a fantastic job of flipping his hips, monitoring Lazard downfield and attacking the soccer for a cross deflection. That was a veteran-level play.
The dangerous outweighed the nice, and Gordon let Lazard get inside on an RPO close to the objective line that resulted in a 5-yard landing cross. He additionally had some poor matches in opposition to a well-oiled Packers floor recreation that rolled up 203 dashing yards. That’s an enormous complete, and in 4 seasons because the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, Matt Eberflus’ protection allowed that many solely as soon as — Nov. 29, 2020, when the Tennessee Titans ran for 229 yards.
After the sport, I requested Gordon in regards to the play on the objective line.
“We’re playing with leverage and we have help in a certain area,” Gordon mentioned. “I guess just being able to read keys faster and see it beforehand, have that accelerated vision.”
With extra expertise, Gordon goes to have higher pre-snap recognition and understanding of the place the receiver is aligned, what routes ought to be keyed when contemplating the down and distance and the place his teammates are within the scheme.
The Bears have put rather a lot on Gordon — having him play on the surface within the base protection, which the Bears had been in 31% of the time in opposition to Green Bay — and within the slot within the nickel bundle. So, Gordon is studying two positions and that shouldn’t be missed when contemplating his growth.
Looking particularly at this recreation, what did you suppose was going to occur? As a four-time NFL MVP, Rodgers is aware of the place the inexperienced gamers are on the sector on each snap. He is aware of the matchups and learn how to exploit them, and he’s going to problem youthful gamers. If he thinks he and his vast receivers have an edge, he’s going to maintain going that path.
There are going to be rising pains for a younger cornerback. Gordon goes to get beat. He’s going to be out of place at occasions. There are going to be ups and downs. I believe everybody — the coaches included — anticipated that. The Bears will not be going to need to defend in opposition to Rodgers each week.
“It’s everything I say to every young player … that’s gone through these moments,” Eberflus mentioned Monday. “There’s going to be ebb and move over the course of a rookie season and that’s the best way it’s. It doesn’t matter in the event you’re coping with a man that’s rookie of the yr or not, there’s going to be these issues. What you inform them is, ‘Take one experience at a time and put it in your file.’ You need to be taught from that.
“So go back and look at all the plays that you made, all the plays that you want to correct and then put them in a file and say, ‘What would I have done?’ Put those to memory. Making sure you study those things and visualize those things as you go during the course of this week coming up so you can make those corrections. Because a good pro doesn’t make the same mistake twice. They get better and they improve and that’s how they become a better pro in Year 4, Year 5 and then become an All-Pro.”
I wouldn’t be overly involved about Gordon’ proper now. The pattern dimension is extremely small and he has the type of athletic traits that the Bears can not coach. He has wonderful change of path. He has actually good dimension at 6-foot, 200 kilos for a slot nook and he’s a keen tackler.
I perceive frustration with Gordon by means of two video games, however I imagine he has a vibrant future and suppose lots of the errors he’s making might be issues he can shortly right. He’s a bit of aggressive at occasions retaining his eyes within the backfield and that’s a pitfall practically each younger cornerback experiences. The Bears are higher off having Gordon be taught as he goes than contemplating a alternative.
How impressed had been you with David Montgomery’s efficiency Sunday evening? He had the recent hand. — @just_acy
The eighth 100-yard recreation of Montgomery’s profession must be one his greatest. He ran for 122 yards on 15 carries and has topped that yardage complete solely twice (146 at Minnesota in 2020 and 135 in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019).
All of Montgomery’s strengths had been on show. He ran with nice contact steadiness, he was bodily and he completed each carry. He additionally ran with wonderful imaginative and prescient and was extra decisive than he was within the opener in opposition to the 49ers within the slop at Soldier Field. It was honest to surprise if Khalil Herbert was a greater match within the offense after Week 1. You don’t need to make knee-jerk reactions after one recreation, but it surely was a official dialogue, in my thoughts. Questions about Montgomery’s match, nonetheless, had been definitively answered at Lambeau Field.
As you mentioned, he had the recent hand and that’s not taking something away from Herbert, who additionally ran effectively with 38 yards on 4 makes an attempt. Interestingly, the Bears are 4-4 in video games through which Montgomery has topped 100 yards.
Non-sarcastic query: Given how little the staff has allowed Justin Fields to play soccer, is it honest to surprise if Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus are tanking in an effort to have the next draft choose? Everyone has conceded the season way back. Is draft place factoring into recreation plans? — @jickbaggins
You will not be the one one who has questioned in regards to the Bears angling for draft place this season. Personally, I believe that could be a attain and never correct. As you recognize, the Bears have turned over the roster underneath Poles, going from the second-oldest on kickoff weekend in 2021 to the eighth-youngest this season. Nothing goes to develop younger gamers extra shortly than success. As Poles and Eberflus work to develop the nucleus of a staff that may compete, they need to discover constructing blocks for the long run — 2023, 2024 and past. Building a championship roster isn’t one thing that occurs in a single day and they aren’t going to seek out optimistic solutions of their seek for gamers on each side of the ball with out them stepping ahead and taking part in effectively.
Sure, Poles and his workers would like to have a excessive draft choose come April. You know what they would favor? To see a bunch of the younger gamers on the roster actually develop and achieve a foothold on positions they’ll maintain for seasons to return. If they don’t discover these solutions as they undergo this season, they’re going to get to the tip of the yr with a ton of younger gamers and practically as many questions as they started the brand new period with. Where would that go away them realizing the excessive draft picks in Rounds 1 and a pair of are going to reply perhaps two of these questions?
Moreover, the concept offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is holding again Fields as a result of he desires the Bears to tank is approach off. If the Bears offense can take a significant step ahead — and early returns from a really small pattern dimension will not be encouraging — Getsy goes to be on the radar as a candidate to develop into a head coach. So, do you actually imagine Getsy is contemplating draft ramifications when crafting a gameplan through the week and calling performs on a Sunday? I don’t. In my thoughts, Getsy is making selections he believes offers the staff one of the best likelihood to win every week and on every play. That is the one approach he can method his job.
I do know it’s a small pattern dimension, however having thrown so little within the first two video games makes me surprise if the coaches have any confidence in Justin Fields as a passer. Is Fields the long run? — @skerr24
The Bears managed to do one thing that hasn’t been finished in 44 years within the NFL: try solely 28 passes by means of the primary two video games. Yes, there’s a mitigating circumstance when contemplating the heavy downpour through the opener in opposition to the 49ers at Soldier Field. Yes, the Bears ran the ball very successfully Sunday evening at Green Bay, however in addition they trailed by two or extra scores for the ultimate 34 minutes. As many have precisely identified, the success on the bottom may have opened up alternatives within the play-action passing recreation.
You elevate a legitimate query in regards to the confidence degree of Eberflus and Getsy in Fields’ potential as a passer and possibly extra importantly their perception within the unit as an entire to function successfully throwing the ball. You’re not going to win lots of video games within the NFL when the quarterback makes an attempt solely 17 passes as Fields did in opposition to the 49ers, and it’s actually troublesome to win with 48 internet passing yards because the Bears had at Green Bay. Since 2000, NFL groups are 17-55 (23.6%) when totaling 48 internet passing yards or much less and 1-13 (7.1%) because the begin of the 2013 season.
That is why you heard Eberflus say Monday the Bears have to have higher steadiness by way of the run/cross ratio.
“At the end of the day, we’d like to be 50/50 in a game,” he mentioned. “It keeps the defense honest.”
As far as Fields being the long run, I don’t know. Fields is the current and the way he develops stays to be seen. There is an immense rush to judgment for younger quarterbacks, who’re pressured onto the sector nearly instantly. Most occasions, highly-drafted quarterbacks are dropped into rosters through which a lot enchancment is required throughout the board. It’s OK to say we don’t know what Fields’ profession arc might be after 12 begins. There is nothing fallacious with that.
What we will do is take a sober take a look at the place he’s proper now, and that’s the place the parents who’ve declared the quarterback and the brand new offense have turned a nook at numerous factors have erred. Fields and the offense should be considerably higher.
Why abandon the run recreation? It was going nice and the Bears may have used play-action. Why throw bounce balls to Darnell Mooney? I believe Dante Pettis ought to be used extra. The Bears have some superb operating backs and an O-line dedicated to run blocking. — @bigten5151
You can try greater than 11 passes with out abandoning the run recreation. As I detailed above, it’s extraordinarily troublesome to win within the NFL while you can not problem an opposing protection with a passing recreation when there isn’t a official downfield menace. That is a straightforward and clear-cut reply to your first query.
I don’t know that anybody is advocating for the Bears to name bounce balls to Mooney. That isn’t his energy as a 5-foot-11, 173-pound vast receiver. Mooney’s greatest attribute isn’t as a contested catch man downfield. He has wonderful velocity, he’s an excellent route runner and he can take the highest off a protection. He wants way over 5 targets by means of two video games. Pettis had 23 snaps in opposition to the Packers and has been on the sector for 46.4% of the offensive snaps. It’s honest to say the entire vast receivers should be used extra when the Bears haven’t been throwing the ball sufficient.
What’s the long-term advantage of rotating Teven Jenkins and Lucas Patrick? I don’t perceive what short-term objective it serves or the way it helps the staff. — @lgparlay
I don’t see this as a long-term transfer by the teaching workers. This is a short-term association that has been made with a pair elements in play.
First, Jenkins is new to the guard place, a transfer that was made late in coaching camp, so he wants all of the expertise he can get. Patrick missed a bit of greater than a month following surgical procedure on his proper thumb, so he wants motion too. As lengthy as Patrick is taking part in with a membership to guard the thumb, taking part in heart and snapping the ball shouldn’t be potential. The Bears are in a position to get two gamers expertise, one which the staff inherited from the previous regime and the opposite signed to a two-year, $8 million contract by the present regime.
The query dealing with the teaching workers is what is going to the road appear like when Patrick is totally wholesome and in a position to snap the ball? Will he be inserted at heart? Will he keep at proper guard? One factor we’ve got persistently heard from the coaches because the spring is a objective of getting one of the best 5 gamers on the sector. So the short-term objective is fairly clear to me. They need each gamers to get some expertise to judge them. I don’t know if it serves a “long-term” plan but it surely does inform the coaches as they decide who will play within the close to future.
I’ve seen rather a lot written about Justin Fields, Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet from Sunday. The downside is there was a lot we couldn’t see on that telecast it’s troublesome to know what’s true. Was Fields standing again there and indecisively lacking open receivers? Were Mooney and Kmet unable to get open? Bad mixture of each? — Marc B., Nashville, Tenn.
The passing recreation failed as an entire. There had been openings for Fields to eliminate the ball shortly with decisive reads. That’s obvious while you return and rewatch the sport. Of course, we’re speaking a few tremendous small pattern dimension with 11 cross makes an attempt and three sacks.
The concept that the receivers had been blanketed all through and Fields had nowhere to go together with the ball shouldn’t be true. But it takes a mix of the quarterback making correct pre- and post-snap reads, the receivers profitable their routes and the safety holding up. The Bears didn’t have sufficient of the entire above and blame ought to be unfold round.
For it to click on, Fields should see it sooner and get the ball out in rhythm extra repeatedly. It’s a course of. It’s a brand new offense. We’ll see how the following couple months shake out.
Lots of alternatives to critique an O-Line that begins a number of younger gamers gamers. It certain looks as if Sam Mustipher is an effective child, and he in all probability has overachieved so far in his profession, however he will get “blown up” fairly repeatedly, particularly when cross blocking. Any concept when Lucas Patrick might be cleared to play heart and can it make a optimistic affect? — Jeff Z., Washington, Ill.
I believe Mustipher has performed fairly effectively this season and my hunch is the teaching workers feels the identical approach. Does that imply he stays at heart when Patrick is cleared to snap the ball once more? I don’t know the reply to that. But Mustipher is off to an excellent begin this season and he has improved from a yr in the past.
Yes, Mustipher obtained beat badly on one play by Packers defensive sort out Kenny Clark, who used the previous Reggie White “hump” transfer to get into the backfield. That was one snap and Clark might be among the many high three at his place within the league. He’s an elite inside defender and he’s going to beat facilities on occasion. That’s one bad-looking snap by means of two video games.
The anti-Mustipher crowd has latched on to at least one participant and laid an amazing quantity of blame on him. Basically, everybody that wished Charles Leno run out of city switched to blaming Mustipher for all the pieces that was fallacious with the offensive line. Mustipher is improved this season and the teaching workers is evaluating him primarily based on what he has finished since they arrived. We’ll see who’s taking part in heart when Patrick is totally wholesome.
Facing the 49ers and the Packers defenses is a tricky technique to begin the season, however the first two weeks haven’t instilled a lot optimism within the Bears offense or the quarterback. Is this week’s recreation in opposition to the Houston Texans one thing of a should win? Not simply on the scoreboard, however for Fields dealing with off with one other draft choice in Davis Mills? — Jacob, Chicago
Must win in Week 3 of Year 1 for a brand new teaching workers? No such factor exists. What the Bears want this week is gradual enchancment all through the season. It’s not going to return in leaps and bounds even when it appears prefer it.
Remember the thrill after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recreation in Week 4 of the 2018 season? It was the sixteenth profession begin for Mitch Trubisky and the offense exploded in a 48-10 victory at Soldier Field. Trubisky accomplished 19 of 26 passes for 354 yards and 6 landing passes. The offensive bonanza got here in opposition to one of many worst defenses within the NFL.
My level is that you just’re in search of enchancment by Fields but it surely must be regular progress, not blips right here and there. Poles and Eberflus aren’t going to make some definitive choice in regards to the quarterback primarily based off Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Texans. They’ve obtained a whole season to see him play.
I’ll paraphrase what I mentioned above in regards to the quarterback: It’s OK to say we don’t know what Fields’ profession goes to develop into proper now and we certain as heck don’t have to have a solution — by hook or by crook — by Monday morning.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com