The Chicago Bears couldn’t consider it. Any of it. The Bears couldn’t fathom that they let a 10-point fourth-quarter lead get away, couldn’t comprehend that they kicked away a day-saving miracle on the sport’s closing play, couldn’t fairly course of that Sunday’s devastating 20-17 highway loss to the Cleveland Browns torpedoed their energized chase of a playoff berth. Instead, they had been left with one other gut-wrenching disappointment to just accept and one other emotionally testing regrouping mission for Week 16.
On Christmas Eve, the Bears will play the hapless Arizona Cardinals at Soldier Field with each alternative to get again on the successful monitor. But the sting of Sunday’s loss goes to depart a mark and will create some undesirable resignation as properly. The coming week will problem the Bears’ focus, unity and emotional stability.
As Tribune writers Colleen Kane and Dan Wiederer get their arms round all of it, they interact in a “true or false” to kind via 4 vital subjects.
True or false? The Bears’ loss to the Browns might make the end-of-season evaluations simpler for GM Ryan Poles.
Kane: True. I don’t imply straightforward in that it will ever be a breeze to maneuver on from coaches or gamers. Of course that’s tough.
I imply that if Darnell Mooney had caught Justin Fields’ Hail Mary cross, the win might have put a optimistic spin on a Bears effort that was probably not worthy of a lot reward, particularly on the offensive finish. Such an end result would solely muddle the dialog when the reality is the Bears weren’t adequate Sunday, similar to they haven’t been adequate so many different instances this season.
That’s on Fields. That’s on offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. That’s on Mooney and Robert Tonyan and every other variety of gamers who didn’t make performs once they wanted to. And that’s on coach Matt Eberflus, whose group has now blown three double-digit fourth-quarter leads in a single season. It’s unacceptable.
And that’s the place the analysis turns into simpler — understanding one thing wants to alter. As we’ve talked about earlier than right here, it’s higher to not be too reactionary about one recreation, this one in opposition to a superb Browns protection. And possibly the dialog will change once more within the closing three video games in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers. But standing right here now, Poles should know: Such a efficiency on offense can’t stand.
Wiederer: I used to be struck by Eberflus’ feedback instantly after Sunday’s loss when he left a shocked and crushed locker room at Cleveland Browns Stadium and relayed the message he delivered to his gamers. “My main message to them was this, ‘Hey, you always fix your mind and fix your focus on the fundamentals and details of your position,’” Eberflus stated. “That’s what wins football games.”
With gamers reeling and questioning a number of of the teaching selections of the day, Eberflus’ message appeared a bit stiff and disconnected and didn’t really feel like one that may resonate. It was additionally notable that, following his thirty first recreation as Bears head coach, he was nonetheless stressing the necessity for his group to carry extra focus, focus and elementary polish to the crucial moments of shut video games.
That was speculated to be Eberflus’ calling card with a detail-oriented and effort-based strategy to every little thing. Yet nonetheless, with video games on the road, the Bears are persistently faltering. We’ll dive into the Fields efficiency evaluation subsequent. But Eberflus’ Bears at the moment are 3-12 in one-score video games over two seasons. They have had too many heartbreaking collapses and have persistently turned so many winnable video games into dejecting losses. It can be tough to disregard that in any big-picture analysis.
True or false? Justin Fields’ incapacity to shut out winnable video games will speed up his exit from Chicago.
Wiederer: True. For Bears followers, this has been the elephant within the room for too lengthy. But Sunday’s loss registered as Fields’ thirteenth one-score defeat over his three seasons beginning and got here with the Bears being outscored 13-0 within the fourth quarter.
The offense had 5 possessions that ended within the fourth quarter Sunday and the outcomes had been as follows: turnover on downs, three-and-out, punt, three-and-out, Hail Mary interception.
The Bears’ closing two possessions Sunday got here with a possibility for a go-ahead or game-tying rating. But Fields was simply 2-for-7 passing for 33 yards on these drives and couldn’t assist produce factors.
The quarterback’s fourth-quarter passer score is now 55.3 this season and simply 62.4 for his profession. In the ultimate 8 minutes of video games over the previous three seasons, Fields has had alternatives to steer the Bears to a game-tying or go-ahead rating on 23 possessions however succeeded simply 3 times.
Overall, he has thrown 10 fourth-quarter landing passes whereas committing 18 fourth-quarter turnovers.
This is the NFL. More usually than not, video games are going to be shut deep into the fourth quarter and the groups which have persistently productive quarterbacks who excel within the late phases of tight video games are those that get pleasure from sustained success. The Bears, although, have been on the flawed facet of that equation far too often and had been outclassed Sunday by a 38-year-old quarterback taking part in behind a patched-together offensive line and with a middle-tier core of offensive playmakers. That made Sunday’s loss sting much more.
Kane: I get that Flacco mainly climbed off the sofa to begin taking part in once more and that he’s greater than a decade faraway from his Super Bowl MVP run. But this can be a man who began 183 NFL video games. So I don’t know that we ought to be shocked that his expertise and poise confirmed up within the fourth quarter. Or that he can nonetheless make lovely passes just like the landing to Amari Cooper or heads-up performs just like the third-and-15 cross to David Njoku.
I assume that’s solely actually on matter as a result of it was one other good instance of what fourth-quarter clutch quarterback play appears like — and what has been lacking in lots of video games for the Bears.
There was quite a bit that went flawed within the fourth quarter on offense past Fields. He was underneath constant strain from the Browns. There had been blocking points up entrance. The run recreation went nowhere. There was that actually dangerous Tyler Scott jet sweep on third and 1. It felt like a full-unit failure.
But the numbers you current can’t be ignored within the analysis of Fields.
It needs to be so irritating for the Bears as a result of all people sees the wonderful performs. The 5-yard landing cross to Cole Kmet by which Fields escaped strain from Myles Garrett and delivered an excellent strike on the transfer was one other stunner. But there weren’t sufficient merely good performs Sunday, particularly within the fourth quarter. And that occurs too usually.
True or false? The Bears ought to have let Cairo Santos attempt for a 55-yard area purpose on the finish of the primary half as an alternative of making an attempt a Hail Mary.
Kane: False. I modified my thoughts on this one after studying our colleague Brad Biggs’ dialog with Santos after the sport.
I do query the concept of getting immovable kick traces set by the coaches in a scenario like that. It appeared to me prefer it’s a a lot better wager that Santos — the kicker who has made all six field-goal makes an attempt from 50-plus yards this season — might knock one in from 55 yards than the Bears might come via on a Hail Mary play. And that may have given the Bears a 10-7 cushion going into halftime.
But Eberflus famous after the sport that the wind was blowing 15 mph Southeast at kickoff, and that area purpose was towards the West finish zone. And Santos instructed Biggs he felt like he possibly might have made one from 52 yards relying on the wind gusts. “I could have taken a shot too (from 55) but I still think that it would have been short with what I saw in pregame,” he stated.
Santos is a Tenth-year veteran who has made 93.1% of his area objectives this season. If he’s saying it will have been quick, we must always in all probability belief him on that.
Wiederer: I spent a while down on the sector throughout pregame and was struck by the moist and windy situations, each of which clearly have an effect on a kicking recreation. It didn’t really feel like a day the place regular guidelines would apply and Santos acknowledged as a lot to his coaches after going via his personal warmup take a look at run. Thus, within the second, I didn’t even actually suppose twice concerning the Bears’ unwillingness to attempt such a protracted kick on that type of day.
There is an argument, in fact, {that a} kick could have a higher probability of succeeding than a Hail Mary cross. But what if the sector purpose try is blocked? Or falls quick with a Browns returner ready? Perhaps most discouraging concerning the sequence is that it got here on the finish of one of many Bears’ finest offensive drives of the sport. They put collectively a powerful march with admirable situational consciousness and clock administration however got here up simply in need of Santos’ vary. On a day the place each yard mattered, the Bears wanted only a few extra in that scenario.
True or false? Darnell Mooney might signal with a brand new group subsequent spring and luxuriate in a bounce-back season in 2024.
Wiederer: True. Mooney is at the moment underneath an avalanche of criticism after failing to safe a closing play, game-winning Hail Mary from Justin Fields on Sunday. That was the most recent and best disappointment for a slumping receiver who’s lower than two years faraway from an encouraging 1,000-yard marketing campaign in his second season. But over the previous two seasons, Mooney has had solely 69 catches, 902 yards and three touchdowns. And together with his rookie contract expiring in March, his future in Chicago stays unsure at finest, notably with no readability on who the Bears coach and quarterback will likely be for 2024.
Could the Bears give Mooney an extension earlier than free company begins? Absolutely. That ball is in Ryan Poles’ courtroom. Is it additionally attainable the group might permit Mooney to hit the open market within the spring? Yep. At this stage, if that had been to occur, Mooney would seemingly be in line for a one-year, prove-it deal someplace. But if he landed with a brand new group in a well-stocked offense, his capability to be a velocity risk and luxuriate in a rebound 12 months is feasible.
Kane: Sunday was a tough recreation in a tough season for Mooney. He had simply two catches on eight targets for 14 yards and had the successful landing in his palms — earlier than it popped out.
I’m not the one one who has been ready all season for Mooney to string collectively extra constant manufacturing after his 2022 marketing campaign was lower quick by an ankle harm. But his finest recreation was 5 catches for 82 yards in opposition to the New Orleans Saints whereas taking part in with backup quarterback Tyson Bagent. He hasn’t had greater than two catches in a recreation since.
It’s a preferred matter of debate about whether or not that lack of manufacturing is on Mooney or Fields or the Bears offense or just DJ Moore and Cole Kmet having good seasons and getting the soccer extra. (It’s in all probability E: All of the above.)
But for Mooney’s 4 seasons right here, coaches have talked usually about how he works like a professional and handles the ups-and-downs with poise. If the Bears don’t carry him again, I feel he actually might go some place else and put collectively a bounce-back 12 months, although that’s in all probability not a lot comfort proper now after such an outing.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com