In 2000, the Bears were spinning their wheels in Dick Jauron’s second season — 4-11 heading into Week 17 against the Lions in the Pontiac Silverdome — when they suddenly finished with a flourish. Down 10-0 early on the road to a team that needed to win to make the playoffs, the Bears responded like they never had before.
A defense that had little bite and was third-to-last in the NFL in takeaways had two huge defensive plays from an unlikely source — reserve cornerback R.W. McQuarters returned an interception 61 yards for a touchdown and had a sack and forced fumble that set up Paul Edinger’s 54-yard field goal with two seconds left that beat the Lions, 23-20.
It knocked the Lions out of a playoff berth and left Bears fans wondering the same thing many are wondering today after Mitch Trubisky’s career-best performance in a convincing victory over the Cowboys last week: Where has this been all season? It seemed like it was too little, too late. Even Bears players were dubious.
Jauron was hopeful, but after a long, disappointing season his optimism rang hollow: “This team has a lot of character,” he said, “and I’ve said their character will show up in the future.”
As it turned out, he was right. The glorious finish was a harbinger of an unexpected but exhilarating 13-3 season in 2001, when the Bears won games in similar fashion all season. McQuarters heroics were no mirage. The Bears improved from 29th to fifth in takeaways in 2001 and from 15th to first in points allowed.
That doesn’t happen all the time, but sometimes how you finish matters. The Bears are long shots to make the playoffs, but even if they don’t, these last three games matter. Two weeks ago this offense faced an offseason of severe doubt — from Ryan Pace’s ability to identify a quarterback to Matt Nagy’s ability to develop a quarterback to Trubisky’s ability to play quarterback.
That doubt will still be there almost regardless of what happens in the final three weeks. But a strong finish would at least lay a foundation on offense for 2020 that didn’t exist a few weeks ago. And it would provide evidence that, after a season of regression, Nagy and Trubisky are taking steps forward instead of backward — that Nagy can develop an offense that will mature before his defense is past its prime; and Trubisky can still be a functional, productive playoff-caliber quarterback if he never comes an elite one. For Nagy and the Bears’ offense, the 2020 season starts right now.
2. For What It’s Worth Dept.: With four victories in their last five games, the Bears are 11-2 (.846) in the second half of the season under Nagy — 7-1 in 2018 and 4-1 in 2019. Before Nagy arrived, the Bears were 17-39 (.304) in the second half from 2011-17.
3. The Bears’ 31 offensive points against the Cowboys on Thursday night not only were the most this season, but the most the Bears have scored without a defensive takeaway in six years — since a 45-28 victory over the Cowboys under Marc Trestman in the bitter cold at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football in 2013. Josh McCown threw for 348 yards and four touchdown passes.
The Bears were 7-6 after that game as well. But after beating the Browns the following week, they lost their last two games to lose the NFC North title to the Packers and missed the playoffs.
4. Trubisky’s mobility seemed to spark his outstanding performance against the Cowboys — he rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries. The Cowboys have been vulnerable to running quarterbacks this season. The Bills’ Josh Allen (10-43), the Lions’ Jeff Driskel (8-51) and the Giants’ Daniel Jones (6-54) have rushed for 40 or more yards against the Cowboys.
The Packers might be a bigger challenge. They’ve allowed 104 rushing yards by quarterbacks this season — second fewest behind the Vikings. And while they haven’t faced Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray, they have faced three quarterbacks among the top 10 in rushing yards — Jones (six rushing yards vs. the Packers), Dak Prescott (4-27) and Carson Wentz (6-13). Trubisky rushed for 11 yards on three carries against the Packers in the season opener at Soldier Field.
5. Trubisky’s 23-yard touchdown run against the Cowboys was the longest touchdown run by a Bears quarterback since Jim Harbaugh’s 26-yard run against the Buccaneers on Oct. 8, 1986. It was the ninth longest touchdown run by a Bear quarterback since at least 1940. Bobby Douglass’ 57-yard touchdown run in a 17-0 victory over the Browns in 1972 is the longest in that span.
6. Either Cornelius Lucas is in the right place at the right time or he’s an upgrade over Bobby Massie at right tackle. Lucas had the fifth-highest grade among Bears’ offensive players against the Cowboys, per Pro Football Focus. And by the eye test, Lucas, who started three games in five seasons with the Lions, Rams and Saints, has has been effective in two starts in place of Massie the last two games.
Whatever the reason, don’t be surprised if the Bears stay with Lucas for continuity’s sake with the line playing as well as it has all season.
7. Signs of Progress: When the Bears’ defense held the Packers without scoring on five consecutive drives in the season opener, the Bears’ offense scored zero points — and still trailed 7-3.
When the defense held the Cowboys’ offense without scoring on five consecutive possessions following the opening drive Thursday night, the Bears scored 24 points to turn a 7-0 deficit into a 24-7 lead.
8. If defensive end Akiem Hicks returns as expected against the Packers on Sunday after missing eight games with a dislocated left elbow, the timing couldn’t be better for linebacker Leonard Floyd.
In seven career games against the Packers, Floyd has 7.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and his only NFL touchdown.
Floyd sacked Aaron Rodgers twice in the season opener. He has one sack in 12 games since. In fact, in 44 games not against the Packers in his four-year NFL career, Floyd has 11 sacks, 33 quarterback hits, no forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week Award: Robbie Gould kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired to give the 49ers a 48-46 victory over the Saints on Sunday at the Superdome. Gould also kicked a 41-yard field goal with 2:23 left to give the 49ers a 45-40 lead, and was 5-of-5 on PATs.
Though Gould has struggled this season — making 16-of-24 field-goal attempts (66.7 percent), he still has made 98-of-109 (90 percent) field goal attempts since the Bears cut him in 2016.
10. Bear-ometer: 8-8 — at Packers (L); vs. Chiefs (L); at Vikings (W).
