Chicago Bears gamers have the weekend off to regroup between Thursday’s loss to the Washington Commanders and their Oct. 24 journey to play the New England Patriots on “Monday Night Football.”
As coaches and gamers mirror on the primary six video games of the season, our crew of writers dig into 4 key matters surrounding the 2-4 Bears.
1. The greatest downside with the Bears offense is ________.
Brad Biggs: Layered, which makes an answer problematic.
The passing sport is as unhealthy because it will get within the NFL. The Bears are final within the league in completion proportion and final in web passing yards regardless of enjoying yet another sport than 30 groups. Justin Fields hasn’t performed nicely sufficient. The offensive line hasn’t carried out a ok job defending him. The extensive receivers are undermanned and haven’t performed nicely sufficient.
I’d liken this to a chicken-or-egg dialogue, however the issue is there are three causes to the passing sport’s ineffectiveness and none of them presents easy in-season fixes. Fields is struggling to function effectively within the pocket when there may be time to undergo his progressions or house to climb the pocket and make a play. He’s dropping his eyes too typically and within the 12-7 loss to the Washington Commanders on Thursday evening, too typically the perfect play was for Fields to make one learn, pull the ball down and take off. That’s not a sustainable offensive method.
Rookie fifth-round decide Braxton Jones has had a troublesome time when not given chip assist at left sort out. That’s not overly shocking and it complicates issues, particularly with veteran left guard Cody Whitehair sidelined with a proper knee damage. Darnell Mooney is the one extensive receiver Fields appears to have a reference to and he’s not getting sufficient possibilities to make performs, though he was focused 12 occasions towards the Commanders. With an opportunity to win the sport within the closing moments, he bobbled a move on the objective line. It doesn’t seem that there’s an efficient plan to contain tight finish Cole Kmet, who has been focused 15 occasions (2.5 per sport) after having 93 targets (5.5) per sport in 2021. Where to start out for the teaching employees throughout a mini-bye week? Everywhere.
Colleen Kane: Everything, apart from possibly the operating backs.
The Bears are averaging 15.5 factors and 293.7 yards per sport, each ranked twenty ninth within the NFL. An offense doesn’t get off to a begin like that with just one factor unsuitable. There has been a lot arguing on social media among the many Bears fan base in regards to the root reason for the struggles. Guess what: a number of issues could be true.
Justin Fields has at occasions performed indecisive and anxious within the passing sport. Coaches Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy at occasions haven’t helped Fields sufficient. The offensive line has failed to guard Fields nicely sufficient. The extensive receivers have dropped balls and made psychological errors. The final two are a mirrored image of normal supervisor Ryan Poles’ roster selections to depend on a younger offensive line and a gaggle of principally unproven receivers. There are a variety of issues. But not less than David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert have been robust.
Dan Wiederer: Everything. Absolutely every part.
Offensive line instability: verify. A scarcity of playmaking move catchers: verify. Quarterback inconsistency: verify. Missed alternatives: quadruple verify. The Bears have a top-three speeding assault and have carried out some fantastic issues on the bottom by means of six video games. Still, they’ve a bottom-five scoring offense and are one in every of 4 groups that hasn’t reached 24 factors in a sport this season. In a phrase: ugly. U-G-L-Y. The Bears haven’t topped 200 web passing yards and have been held under 160 web passing yards 5 occasions. Justin Fields has been sacked 23 occasions and has a passer score of 72.7. (That ranks thirty first.) Their main receiver, Darnell Mooney, has 241 yards — which ranked forty eighth within the NFL heading into Sunday even with the Bears having performed yet another sport than 30 groups. With a spot between Thursday’s loss and a Monday evening sport at New England in Week 7, Bears coaches should intensify their troubleshooting efforts.
2. To take a real step ahead, Justin Fields should ________.
Biggs: Start hitting on the simple throws and quick completions.
That will put the offense in higher down-and-distance conditions and maintain drives alive. Fields started making among the “cheap completions” as offensive coordinator Luke Getsy termed them within the Week 5 loss at Minnesota however there weren’t rather a lot towards the Commanders when he accomplished 14 of 27 makes an attempt. Wipe out 4 display screen passes and his completion proportion on balls thrown past the road of scrimmage was unacceptable. He missed wide-open tight finish Ryan Griffin off a fantastic play faux in the long run zone, and on the ultimate possession Mooney was open for a walk-in landing on second down if Fields would have lofted the move over the defender. His 54.7 completion proportion is unacceptably low and the best means to enhance it’s to start out selecting the simple throws and passing on just a few downfield pictures. It requires higher presnap recognition of what protection the protection is in and the place the open man goes to be.
Kane: Make incremental enhancements in a number of areas.
Fields wants to indicate poise within the pocket and never pull the ball down and run too rapidly. He must execute within the crimson zone. He must not wildly miss open receivers, and that features making changes if these receivers usually are not within the actual spot he expects them to be. There’s rather a lot to work on, however I’m not at the entire camp that is able to rely out Fields after simply 16 profession begins, though he has accomplished 57.7% of his passes with 11 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and 59 sacks in his profession. I’m additionally not of the group that’s going to write down off Getsy after six video games.
Everyone got here into this season understanding it could be a rebuilding one, however some individuals panicked when the Bears truly appeared like a rebuilding crew. It’s laborious to do in the course of the highs and lows of the season, however I’d recommend saving the panic till the top of the season. If Fields doesn’t present any progress by then, possibly it’s time to speak about what the Bears do subsequent.
Wiederer: Continue to work on his pocket poise.
If the yoga respiratory strategies Fields just lately adopted aren’t sufficient, he should discover one thing — something! — to extend his calm within the pocket. That’s simpler mentioned than carried out with the safety not persistently dependable. But Fields appears uncomfortable, has been hesitant to tug the set off at occasions and is just too typically tucking the ball and scrambling with out seeking to first make performs as a passer. The path to changing into a real standout NFL quarterback requires top-notch really feel within the pocket — when it’s clear and when it’s cluttered. Bears coaches consider expertise will assist Fields in that regard. But he has to start out exhibiting extra constant composure whereas giving the Bears’ needy passing assault some rhythm.
3. Over his first six video games as Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus has proven ________.
Biggs: Consistency in his messaging and that’s the type of factor gamers reply to.
I believe one of many issues Eberflus offered normal supervisor Ryan Poles on was the position of the coach and his employees as academics, a theme Eberflus has touched on just a few occasions, together with on Friday.
“We need to look at each individual guy,” Eberflus mentioned. “We’re spending time during this mini-bye to evaluate each guy first. We come up with three things they’re doing well right now and three things they need to improve on. And the plan for each guy fundamentally to improve on that. That’s a very important piece for us to grow as a football team.”
Does that imply there will likely be important enchancment towards New England? Not essentially, however it’s one thing Eberflus and his assistants are routinely centered on. And within the lengthy haul, participant improvement will likely be an enormous factor for a roster that was eighth-youngest within the league on kickoff weekend.
Kane: A businesslike method and a capability to get his gamers to work laborious and play with grit.
The work laborious half is clearly anticipated of knowledgeable crew, however we’ve seen the coaches’ dedication to the hustle and depth a part of the HITS precept present up late in video games. The Bears have been inside hanging distance late in three of their 4 losses and have proven a capability to make comebacks from tough begins, a credit score partly to coaches’ in-game changes. Of course, ending within the fourth quarter has been elusive at occasions. As the season wears on, the massive job for Eberflus is to keep up these requirements and the buy-in from gamers. The Bears have a variety of powerful video games remaining on their schedule, together with the Oct. 30 street journey to Dallas and back-to-back December dwelling video games towards the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. If the losses get actually ugly, can Eberflus maintain this crew motivated?
Wiederer: He needs to have a crew stuffed with tough-minded and resilient grinders.
And even in a 2-4 begin, the Bears have proven a stage of grit and combat that’s admirable. Aside from the Packers loss in Week 2, the Bears have fought by means of adversity and been in each sport to the top. But now Eberflus faces his greatest problem. With a three-game dropping streak and the thought of returning to .500 at any level this season seeming far-fetched, Eberflus and his employees are going to need to work to retain gamers’ consideration and buy-in. As the losses and accidents add up, that problem will solely get harder.
4. The greatest shock has been
___
Biggs: The resurgence of free security Eddie Jackson.
It’s not typically a participant has declined over an extended time frame — it’s truthful to say Jackson’s efficiency in 2020 and 2021 wasn’t to the usual he set in his first three seasons — and rebounds to a excessive stage. Jackson has turn out to be the man he was within the secondary beneath former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and that could be a credit score to how he’s taken to teaching beneath new coordinator Alan Williams. Jackson embraced the thought of a contemporary begin, and his perspective off the sector has been higher and that’s an essential piece when contemplating how younger the remainder of the secondary is. The Bears hoped a clear slate could be a springboard to improved play for Jackson and it has. Usually, veteran gamers who start to fall off proceed a downward development of inconsistency and he bounced again in an enormous means. Kudos to Jackson and the defensive coaches.
Kane: Eddie Jackson on the optimistic aspect and Robert Quinn on the detrimental aspect.
Since we’ve already talked a lot in regards to the offensive struggles — and it’s shocking to me that the offense has been this unhealthy — I’ll go protection with this one. Jackson’s resurgence, which has included three interceptions, two compelled fumbles and 43 tackles, has been a pleasing improvement after he and coaches billed his sixth season as a contemporary begin. But Quinn’s lack of impression performs after a 2021 season during which he had 18½ sacks is head-scratching. He has one sack, two quarterback hits and 7 tackles, not the follow-up to his franchise record-setting season that I anticipated. The Bears might actually use some game-changing performs from Quinn.
Wiederer: Khalil Herbert.
Credit the second-year operating again for profiting from his alternatives. Once once more Thursday evening, Herbert turned one opening into an enormous achieve, a season-best 64-yard run that pushed the Bears contained in the Commanders 10-yard line. Herbert leads the crew in speeding, is averaging 6.4 yards per try and is on tempo for an 1,100-yard, eight-touchdown season. With a nod to Eddie Jackson on protection as nicely, Herbert has been regular and spectacular.
Biggs: The resurgence of free security Eddie Jackson. It’s not typically a participant has declined over an extended time frame — it’s truthful to say Jackson’s efficiency in 2020 and 2021 wasn’t to the usual he set in his first three seasons — and rebounds to a excessive stage. Jackson has turn out to be the man he was within the secondary beneath former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and that could be a credit score to how he’s taken to teaching beneath new coordinator Alan Williams. Jackson embraced the thought of a contemporary begin, and his perspective off the sector has been higher and that’s an essential piece when contemplating how younger the remainder of the secondary is. The Bears hoped a clear slate could be a springboard to improved play for Jackson and it has. Usually, veteran gamers who start to fall off proceed a downward development of inconsistency and he bounced again in an enormous means. Kudos to Jackson and the defensive coaches. Kane: Eddie Jackson on the optimistic aspect and Robert Quinn on the detrimental aspect. Since we’ve already talked a lot in regards to the offensive struggles — and it’s shocking to me that the offense has been this unhealthy — I’ll go protection with this one. Jackson’s resurgence, which has included three interceptions, two compelled fumbles and 43 tackles, has been a pleasing improvement after he and coaches billed his sixth season as a contemporary begin. But Quinn’s lack of impression performs after a 2021 season during which he had 18½ sacks is head-scratching. He has one sack, two quarterback hits and 7 tackles, not the follow-up to his franchise record-setting season that I anticipated. The Bears might actually MNG-TribPub Wire ()
Source: www.bostonherald.com