The Chicago Bears failed to take down a shaky Minnesota Vikings team in Sunday’s 19-13 loss, and several questions have been raised about the team’s future.
People are concerned on how serious the injury quarterback Justin Fields suffered in the third quarter of the game is, but the whispers of replacing the quarterback in the long term have only gotten more brazen. The same goes for head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who failed to give the team the tools it needs to string together a potential win streak.
Week 6 was an absolute mess, so let’s try to sort through the muck as we go over the good, bad and ugly from the Bears’ Week 6 loss to the Vikings.
The Good
The defense: On a rainy day that saw the Bears once again shrink in the face of an NFC North opponent, the defensive side of the ball was the only part of the team that rose to the occasion. The defense held a booming Vikings offense to only 13 points, playing with more intensity and fire than they had all season. The linebacker unit of Jack Sanborn, Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, as well as Tyrique Stevenson, Jaylon Johnson and Jaquan Brisker particularly impressed.
Cairo Santos: This may seem like reach to some, but I can promise you that it’s not. Santos’ unwavering reliability in kicking footballs through uprights has been a major plus for the team the last few years, and Sunday’s game was yet another example of that. Santos once again made every kick, including one from 53 yards. He’s been kicking at an elite level for the last couple of years, and he’s frankly saved the team from having a more embarrassing box score.
Justin Fields using his legs: Though Fields had a shaky all-around performance before leaving the game due to injury, the offense once again looked to rely on Field’s running ability. On a day where Fields wasn’t finding anyone open, he tapped into the ground game and saved several plays. Fields rushed for 46 yards on eight carries, and the team should continue go to that facet of his game as the season goes on. When he returns.
The Bad
Justin Fields: It’s easy to scoff at his meager passing stat line of only completing 6-of-10 passes for 58 yards and an interception, claiming that his injury didn’t give him a chance to make his mark. The unfortunate reality is he just didn’t play that well when he was in the game. It’s tough to say at this point if Fields was justified in once again holding the ball too long. The All-22 film will reveal how much help he really had from his offensive line and skill players. No matter which way you slice it, however, Fields fell way short of the level of play he achieved in the last couple of weeks.
Tyson Bagent: Who would’ve thought that an undrafted rookie would play badly in his very first NFL game? Some fans were pounding the table for “Agent Bagent” to make his debut in the navy blue and orange, and they were quickly reminded that he has no NFL experience. Still, it would be unfair to pile on Bagent. He was thrust into the game following Fields’ injury and was expected to lead the offense to a come from behind victory. He had some flashes too, throwing with some conviction and capping off a late drive with the infamous “tush push” to get within one score of the Vikings. He still threw a bad interception to the end the game, though; perhaps he’ll be more prepared for next week’s game with Fields doubtful for Week 7.
Receivers have no impact: The Bears wide receivers once again failed to make a ripple on the game, but what’s really surprising is DJ Moore being kept in check most of the game. The star receiver only pulled in five catches for 51 yards, with most of his production coming late in the game. The rest of the group was a non-factor, as it has been the case most of the season. Darnell Mooney had a big early 39-yard catch and run, but that was the last time a receiver made a big play for the remainder of the game.
The Ugly
Luke Getsy: Getsy did it again. Right as the fanbase is beginning to maybe consider allowing the offensive coordinator back into their good graces again, he stuck a dagger right into our back and reverted to one of the worst playcallers in the league. It was back to the classic offenders: nonsensical route concepts, screens galore, and calling plays with no rhythm. How can Getsy see the damage Fields and Moore have unleashed on teams in the last two weeks, and once again scheme plays with such caution and fear? Getsy is dangling precariously close to a potential in-season firing, right alongside another coach we’ll soon talk about.
Offensive line: Speaking of aspects of the team that fell on their face after two solid weeks of progress, the offensive line doomed many offensive drives before they really started. They constantly missed blocking assignments, committed ill-timed penalties, and generally didn’t allow any plays to develop. Tackle Larry Borom and center Cody Whitehair were particularly atrocious in Sunday’s game, with defenders repeating blowing up plays in the backfield after getting past Borom and Whitehair throwing off Fields’ timing with bad snaps. It’s not possible to win in the NFL with a horrendous offensive line, and that fundamental rule was proven true yesterday.
Eberflus fails to prepare his team: Almost every entry in this article can all be traced back to one person: head coach Matt Eberflus. One of the biggest red flags for a football team’s coach is his utter failure to get his guys ready for a big game the following week, and Eberflus continues to fumble that task. He did it through the whole offseason and training camp, somehow allowing his players to come out stiff and unprepared for a momentous Week 1 game against their rival Packers. Chicago got an impressive win last week, had 10 days to get ready for a drowning Vikings squad, and still stepped on the field with no plan of attack. These incomprehensible actions should have consequences, and Eberflus deserves the dishonor of getting sooner rather than later.
