The 2019 Chicago Bears ended their season in Minnesota for the third time in four years, and they beat the Vikings 21-19 on a last-minute field goal by kicker Eddy Pineiro, who had four on the day in all. They finish the year 8-8, good for third place in the NFC North, and begin an offseason with more questions than answers at this point.
The victory seems hollow, however, with no postseason plans and the Vikings resting most of their starters. The Bears defense still forced three turnovers and had a safety, but the offense showed more of the same, unable to convert those turnovers into touchdowns.
This game provided a snapshot of the Bears’ issues plaguing them all season. Here are my five takeaways from this season finale.
1. Matt Nagy has lost faith in Mitchell Trubisky
The big topic this offseason will center around how the Bears will handle Trubisky. Will they pick up his fifth-year option? Bring in competition? Look to trade him? All good questions that will be answered at a later time. But looking at this game and season specifically, Nagy clearly doesn’t trust his quarterback to make the plays needed to win.
In a game with nothing to lose, Trubisky completed 26 passes for 207 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per pass. He was again inaccurate when he did throw deep and struggled against second and third stringers on the Vikings defense. Nagy’s playcalling has come under fire, and for good reason. However, how can he open up the playbook if his quarterback can’t make the throws?
The Bears offense is a mess and they’ll finish the regular season ranked near the bottom in every statistical category. It’s not just one person, but this disconnect needs to be addressed in the offseason.
2. David Montgomery ends the year on a high note
The Bears’ first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft hasn’t had the season we expected, but on Sunday he showed why he was worth the hype back in April with some of his best runs of the season, including his 14-yard touchdown run where he carried nearly the entire Viking defense into the endzone.
Montgomery carried the ball 23 times for 113 yards, just his second 100-yard rushing game of the season. Yes, he was playing against backups, but it was a strong performance and will hopefully carry over into the 2020 season. Montgomery finishes the year with 889 yards on 242 carries, averaging 3.7 yards per carry and scoring seven total touchdowns.
3. Final verdict: Eddy Pineiro is an average NFL kicker
The 2019 season provided highs and lows for the Bears kicking position, especially if you back to January’s Wild Card game from the 2018 season. But after game-winners and losers throughout the 2019 season, it’s safe to say Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro is average.
Pineiro converted 23 of 28 field goals, good for 82%, which ranks approximately 16th in the league. Pineiro did rebound following a disastrous mid-season slump where he missed four field goals in seven attempts to go 11-of-11 over his final six games.
Are the Bears satisfied with those stats after spending months working out a dozen players for the position? It’s likely Pineiro begins the 2020 season as the team’s kicker, but it’s clear the coaching staff still questions his range, as he didn’t attempt a kick longer than 50 yards since his heroic 53-yard game-winner in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. Pineiro is fine as a kicker, but is fine good enough?
4. Nick Kwiatkoski has played his way into a starting role
Raise your hand if you had Nick Kwiatkoski playing a major role in the Bears defense prior to this season. When injuries and other matters forced linebackerws Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith, “Kwit” stepped up in a big way, providing needed stability to the position and didn’t miss a beat.
Kwiatkoski capped off his surprising season with a safety against the Vikings when he stopped running back Mike Boone in his tracks while still in the endzone. The veteran has shown he belongs in this league and should become a starter in 2020.
The question is, will it be here in Chicago or will another team sign him away? With Trevathan’s deal also up this offseason, the Bears have a decision to make. Do they keep Kwit, Trevathan, or let both walk? Whatever happens, Kwiatkoski made play after play this year and deserves a chance to be a starter.
5. Ryan Pace’s pivotal offseason begins
There really isn’t much more to say on this game. The Bears got the win, but let a preseason squad hang around and make it interesting. This was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender and instead they finish 8-8, missing the playoffs for the eighth time this decade. The offense was atrocious all season long and the defense wasn’t able to mask their mistakes with key turnovers.
General manager Ryan Pace faces his toughest offseason yet, now that expectations have been raised and he has many questions to answer. What will he do with Trubisky? Who will he bring in at the tight end position? Which veterans will be released or not re-signed? Who will get extended? Which coaches will not return? The stakes have been raised and this team cannot come back as currently constructed in 2020.
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