The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Atlanta Falcons, 27-24, which marked their fourth straight loss of the season.
With that defeat, the Bears are now 3-8, and their playoff hopes are all but dead and gone. Chicago had multiple chances to put Atlanta away and take control of the game, but with every step forward they took, they followed it with two steps back.
It doesn’t help matters that quarterback Justin Fields suffered a left shoulder injury that puts his health in question. After all, what’s more important this season than Fields?
Here are our biggest takeaways from the Bears loss in Atlanta:
1
Justin Fields is the best QB of his draft class
Of the five first round quarterbacks taken in the 2021 NFL draft, Justin Fields is undoubtedly the best of the bunch. He had another big day on the ground, but also made some solid throws and has shown progression with his arm. When Chicago enters the red zone, his dual-threat ability is making it a near guarantee that six will be put on the board. He made a good throw to Darnell Mooney for a touchdown early in the game, and finished a drive with a short touchdown run later in the second quarter. He’s still got kinks to work out, every young quarterback does. Nonetheless, he is the best playmaker at the position to come out of his class thus far.
2
The Bears rely too much on the run
It’s great that the Bears have had so much success on the ground. On Sunday, though, we saw what happened when they become too one-dimensional. Chicago averaged just 3.9 yards per carry on 41 attempts. Justin Fields also had 18 attempts, which is just too many for the young quarterback. Chicago should use Fields as a runner, but not as exclusive as a starting running back.
3
Bears run defense continues to be an issue
The Falcons took full advantage of the Bears’ spotty run defense. Cordarrelle Patterson averaged over five yards a carry, and Tyler Allgeier averaged just under seven yards per run, including a 26 yard carry. Chicago also let Marcus Mariota get loose for a touchdown scramble in the red zone, which proved to be a big difference maker. Their run defense needs to be better- simple as that.
4
Jaquan Brisker is going to be a star
Chicago traded away their two defensive leaders this season, sending Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith to Philadelphia and Baltimore, respectively. Those are big shoes for a young defense to fill, but Brisker is quickly becoming their best defender. He plays all over the field, and excels at multiple levels. The Bears are a unit that has holes to fill on defense, but the rookie out of Penn State has turned out to be a great find.
5
The Chase Claypool trade was a waste
Chase Claypool has the potential to be a good receiver if used properly. The Bears gave up a second round pick for the former Steeler, and you’d be forgiven if you completely forgot about him. The former Notre Dame wideout had just two catches for 11 yards on Sunday. For someone that was acquired for a high-round draft pick, there is zero excuse for the lack of usage for Claypool in the offense.
6
Bottom line
Chicago came into the season with a lack of large expectations. Losses are hard, and moral victories aren’t what fans are looking for. However, the fact that Fields continues to improve is a huge plus, as is the fact that Brisker looks great. They still need to find balance offensively, though, as well as figure out the issues with stopping the run. Ending the season on a strong note will do this young roster a lot of good.
