Written by: John Stocco
Twitter: @realJohnStocco
After 10 weeks the Bears finally figured out one thing. Do simple better. This offense doesn’t have to be revolutionizing, they don’t have to recreate the wheel, all they have to do is execute the simple plays and make the simple throws. The Bears did that against the Lions and they walked out with the victory. It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done. That’s the Chicago Bears way, and that’s been the Chicago Bears way for 22 years of my existence. Bears are 4-5 and coming up next Sunday they travel to the coliseum and take on the LA Rams who are struggling just as much as the Bears. It’s a must win for both teams, as a win could put both teams in a great spot to make that second wild card in the NFC, and a loss could spell the end. The Bears need to win and they need a lot of luck to get back to the playoffs. This is how it happens.
Mitch Trubisky wasn’t great, but he also wasn’t terrible, and that’s okay. I know you’re probably saying “jeez John way to set the bar high to the sky.” Listen that’s where we’re at right now. Mitch Trubisky literally just needs to be average, and the Bears are going to be fine. Mitch Trubisky has to limit the mistakes and keep the Bears in a position to score points. Sure Mitch Trubisky missed some very makeable throws, and at times he held onto the ball for too long and took the sack, but for the most part Mitch Trubisky played well enough to put the Bears in a position to win the game. Trubisky went 16-23 on Sunday for 173 yards, 3 TD’s, 0 INT’s, and a QB rating of 131.0. Mitch Trubisky looked strong in the pocket, his feet were composed, and his throwing motion was cleaner.
Trubisky’s mechanics looked better which resulted in deep throws down the field to Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Ben Braunecker. I also thought this was Matt Nagy’s best game as a play-caller this season. He balanced the running game just as much as the passing game. He kept it simple for Trubisky, fed Montgomery, and got Tarik Cohen more involved in the game plan. The offensive line continues to be awful, but besides that, Matt Nagy played to his strengths, and he made the proper adjustments throughout the game to keep his team ahead. Honestly, there is nothing more you can ask for from Nagy and Trubisky. It is no secret. The league has figured them out, and it’s forced the Bears to adjust and change their style as they’re playing. Keeping it simple will get the job done, and Nagy did just that, but I want to see the Bears get creative in a way to get Mitch Trubisky scrambling out of the pocket. I want to see Trubisky show off his wheels and beat defenses with his speed. If the Bears can establish a running game with Montgomery, Cohen, and Trubisky, then it could open up the passing game for Trubisky. Keep it simple, and execute on the run. If the Bears offense can do that then we’re right back to being a dangerous football team.
On the other hand, I’m a little disappointed in this defense. Nick Williams and Nick Kwiatkowski showed up and they played like monsters on Sunday. They came off the bench and they forced Chuck Pagano to keep them on the field. If Danny Trevathan is out of the season then I’m perfectly okay with have Kwiatkowski out there on the first team. I’m disappointed in them because we’re not seeing the same intensity we saw last year. Leonard Floyd and Eddie Goldman look great one day, and the next they disappear. Khalil Mack isn’t having the same impact as he made last year. And also our secondary isn’t creating enough turnovers to help out the offense. Yesterday was a brutal performance by Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara. The defense has to clean up some of the sloppiness in their game. We need to see the fire, and the intensity back on this side of the football. The Bears have a chance to shock the world and the defense has to lead them there.
The Bears upcoming schedule:
@ Rams: The league has figured them out, and without a running game, Jared Goff is in trouble. This is a game where the defense can show why people called them elite just a year ago.
Giants: Good teams beat bad teams, and the Giants are a really bad team.
@ Lions: If Stafford doesn’t play then I don’t see why or how the Bears lose this game.
Cowboys: At Soldier Field, under the lights, if the Bears shut down the running game, and force Dak Prescott to win the Cowboys this game, just like the Vikings, it will be a low scoring slugfest and the Bears have the advantage in those games.
@ Packers: Payback time.
Chiefs: Mahomes vs. A healthy Chicago Bears defense as this will probably be the game where Akiem Hicks returns. This is a game where we can truly establish the run and that can open up the passing game for Trubisky.
@ Vikings: Winner takes all.