The Chicago Bears (3-3) will host the Los Angeles Chargers (2-5) Sunday at Soldier Field, and the Bears’ offense needs a victory itself.
It won’t be enough for the Bears to simply win this game. The offense needs to show marked signs of improvement after arguably their worst outing of the season against the New Orleans Saints (6-1).
So how do the Bears get their offense on track?
Here are three keys for the Bears’ offense in Week 8’s contest vs. the Chargers.
1. Get QB Mitchell Trubisky into a rhythm fast
Mitchell Trubisky is at his best when he’s not thinking. Which is why he’s struggled this season. Too much time spent in his head and not enough time just reacting.
Trubisky took the brunt of the heat from NFL pundits this past week, where he’s being labeled as a bust after perhaps the worst game in his NFL career against the New Orleans Saints.
Since the Bears remain committed to Trubisky at least through this season, they need to find a way to get their young quarterback comfortable — and quickly. Help him out by simplifying the offense, connecting on some quick passes and by running the football. Another poor start will serve to further deter his confidence and drive the offense into the ground in a game that the Bears should win.
2. Run, run, run the ball
And just how do you get your young quarterback into a rhythm quickly? Establish the run. As in, run the ball more than seven times in a game. You’d think it would go without saying.
While Nagy insisted the Bears would certainly run the ball more than seven times this week, history shows that when they Bears run the ball 20-plus times this season, they’re 3-0.
While the offensive line remains an issue in the run game, not running the ball is not going to help them get better. The Bears are wasting a draft pick in rookie running back David Montgomery, who got a mere two carries last week. If the Bears are going to have any chance in this game, they’re going to need to run the ball. It’s as simple as that.
3. Play angry — and execute
The Bears offense is the laughing stock of the NFL after six games of what could simply be described as mediocre and frustrating. This for an offense that’s in its second season in Nagy’s scheme, which was expected to make significant strides. Instead, they’ve made significant regression.
So what’s the best thing for the Bears offense to do Sunday? Go out there against the Chargers and play angry. Play like the entire NFL world is against you. Play like your jobs are on the line, as some of them are. Just play football and do your job.
Easier said than done for a unit that’s been met with significant frustration. But every week is a new opportunity for this offense to find its identity and ride that through the season.
