The Chicago Bears are sitting at 3-2 following the first five weeks, but considering the expectations for this season, it’s not particularly a comfortable 3-2.
The Bears will face to wait two weeks to redeem themselves after a disappointing 24-21 loss to the Oakland Raiders, which elevated frustrations on offense and saw the defense’s first stumble of the season.
But this bye week comes at the perfect time where injured players can get healthy and where Matt Nagy and his staff can self-scout the team and focus on correcting issues the team faces.
Here are four questions facing the Bears in the bye week:
1. How do the Bears respond after disappointing loss?
There’s nothing worse than heading into a bye week with the stink of a disappointing loss. Now, the Bears have two weeks to sit on that 24-21 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
Now, it’s up to Matt Nagy and his staff to figure out how to fix the concerns that plague this team, particularly on offense, and how to get their team ready for the rest of this 2019 season.
We’re about to see what this coaching staff and what this team is made of as the Bears head into a rough part of their schedule. The remainder of the season includes games against the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and division games against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
If you want to be the best, you’re going to have to beat the best — and play your best in the process.
2. What’s wrong with the offense?
The Bears offense has been incredibly disappointing in the first five weeks of the season. And given the expectations — a unit with an entire season under its belt — it’s become increasingly frustrating.
Chicago has one of the worst offenses in the league, ahead of only the Dolphins and Jets, who are winless and facing massive changes this offseason. The Bears are averaging 17.4 points per game (28th in NFL), 4.5 yards per play (30th), 86.3 passer rating (24th), 5.2 yards per attempt (30th), 80.6 rushing yards per game (26th) and 3.4 yards per rush (29th).
While the Bears offensive line is coming under attack, and rightfully so, for its involvement, they’re not the only issue facing the Bears offense. Everyone needs to step up, including quarterback Mitch Trubisky, running backs, tight ends and receivers, outside of Allen Robinson.
Fixing the offense will no doubt be an emphasis for Matt Nagy and his staff during the off-week and beyond.
3. Are there changes coming on the offensive line?
One thing that has become abundantly clear over these first five games is that the Bears offensive line isn’t the same unit from a season ago. Which would be fine if not for the fact that it’s the exact same group from last year. A group, mind you, that the Bears have invested a lot in.
The Bears run game continues to be ineffective, and the offensive line is a big reason for that. It was easy to blame Jordan Howard for the run game’s struggles. But it doesn’t appear that Howard was the problem. Rookie running back David Montgomery hasn’t had a chance to show what kind of player he is simply because he’s getting hit immediately when he gets the ball.
It’s clear that there needs to be changes made to the offensive line. The unit looked its best, which isn’t saying a whole lot, in Week 4 against the Vikings. A game where right guard Kyle Long was nursing a hip injury and Rashaad Coward relieved him.
While Long is far from the only problem on that line — left tackle Charles Leno Jr. is the most penalized player in the league, right tackle Bobby Massie is suspect and switching center James Daniels and left guard Cody Whitehair looks like it’s done more harm than good.
Matt Nagy said that they’re not going to switch Daniels and Whitehair back, and it’s unlikely the Bears bench Leno Jr. The one move they could make — and should make — is benching Long and seeing if Coward can become the long-term guard that he looked like he could be against the Vikings.
4. Can Mitch Trubisky show growth when he returns?
All eyes will be on quarterback Mitch Trubisky when he returns from his dislocated left shoulder — likely in Week 7 against the Saints — to an offense that’s in desperate need of a spark. Not that Trubisky is guaranteed to bring a spark to the offense, but that’s the hope that many should have with Trubisky, who has much to prove if he’s going to be the Bears’ franchise quarterback.
Trubisky has resembled his early-2018 self in all but one quarter of the three games he’s played this season. Despite one great fourth-and-15 throw that set up a game-winning field goal against the Broncos and a three-touchdown second quarter against the Redskins, it’s been more of the same for Trubisky — staring down his first read, struggling throwing the deep ball.
But a good part of this question is also dependent on the rest of the offense. The offensive line needs to do better, as do the running backs, receivers and tight ends. Well, minus Allen Robinson, who has been the offensive MVP.
Things won’t get easier for Trubisky, as he has to learn to play with the pain from his shoulder injury and the challenges that the opposition presents moving forward. But perhaps this is the best test for the young quarterback. He needs to return and play with confidence, as does the entire offense.
