When the 2019 NFL schedule came out over 6 months ago, the Chicago Bears circled Nov. 3 on their calendar: a rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that ousted them in last season’s playoffs with a chance at revenge.
Instead, a reeling Bears team came into Philadelphia at 3-4 and played their worst offensive half in nearly 40 years as they lost to the Eagles 22-14, their fourth straight loss.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky struggled mightily while his counterpart, Carson Wentz, was able to move the ball all day on the Bears defense, thanks to his running backs and tight ends.
The Bears now stand at 3-5 with questions mounting as they see their season slip away. Here are 5 takeaways from the Bears loss to the Eagles.
1. The offense failed in every category in the 1st half on Sunday
After having their best game of the season statistically against the Chargers, the Bears offense followed it up with a performance for the history books. The Bears totaled just 9 yards of offense, the worst output of any Bears team in the last 40 years, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Trubisky missed open receivers, the running backs dropped passes and found little running room and the offensive line committed too many penalties while failing to protect the quarterback. Excluding an assist from an Andrew Sendejo penalty, the Bears only had one true first down in the first half.
Everyone involved in the game plan and execution is at fault for the ineptitude, and while it’s likely too late to make a change for a playoff push, something needs to be done going into next week’s game to salvage anything from this season.
2. The Bears defense isn’t special anymore
The defense had a good run, but it’s time to face the reality that this unit is just good, not great. The Eagles offense was able to move the ball downfield with ease and while the deficit going into halftime was only 12-0, the defense opened the second half by giving up an 84-yard touchdown drive.
When they needed a critical stop to give the offense a chance to win the game, they surrendered a 16-play, 69-yard drive resulting in a field goal that took more than 8 minutes off the game clock.
Dating back to last season’s playoff game, this is the fourth time the Bears defense has failed to stop an opposing offense from scoring late in the game. Aside from that, however, is the fact the Eagles were able to put together long, sustained drives all day.
Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano wasn’t able to game-plan for the screens and dumps the Eagles were calling. Does that sound like an elite defense? Whether it’s Pagano, the player execution, or both, this defense is not playing up to it’s standards.
3. Tight end must be a focus this offseason
When the Bears drafted wide receiver Riley Ridley in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, my first reaction was “why?” While Ridley was thought to be a steal, my hope was that the team would draft a tight end to push Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen. Alas, they did not and we continue to see that the position is a glaring problem.
Burton, facing his former team for the first time, was held without a catch and Shaheen, while also not catching a pass, fumbled away any chance the offense had of scoring in the final minute on the Eagles kickoff following their third field goal.
Burton could be cut this offseason with a $7.5 million cap hit, according to Spotrac, but chances are he’ll remain with the team. Shaheen, on the other hand, is much easier to move on from in the offseason, with just $600k in dead cap space. The Bears could look to free agency to find another option, with players such as Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry, and Eric Ebron set to hit the market. Or they will target someone in the draft who can push Burton. Either way, this position continues to a problem and the solution is not on this roster.
4. It’s time to see what the 2019 draft class can offer
Outside of rookie running back David Montgomery, the Bears’ 2019 draft class is very unknown. Sixth-round pick cornerback Duke Shelley is the only other player to see any meaningful snaps this season and he hasn’t played since Week 4. Ridley has been inactive each game and seventh-round picks running back Kerrith Whyte Jr. and cornerback Stephen Denmark are both on the practice squad.
With the team now at 3-5 and the playoffs likely out of reach, why not see what some of these other players can do? Ridley was touted as one of the more NFL-ready receivers in the draft and while he may still need to develop, he could be of use later in the season. Shelley could also benefit from more special teams opportunities and playing in dime packages.
This isn’t to say players such as wide receiver Javon Wims or nickelback Buster Skrine are playing poorly, but rather, it would behoove the Bears to see what they have with their rookies. The number of picks aside, when only one player is contributing from a draft class, it’s a problem.
5. Matt Nagy is in a lose-lose situation with Mitchell Trubisky
Continue playing Trubisky? Bench Trubisky? Whatever the decision, the Bears and coach Matt Nagy lose either way. Trubisky had another rough outing Sunday, completing just 10-of-21 passes for 125 yards, 53 of them coming on one deep ball to wide receiverTaylor Gabriel.
Trubisky was inaccurate and uncertain in the pocket, unable to make much of anything happen. The calls to bench him in favor of backup quarterback Chase Daniel going into halftime were loud, but Nagy stuck with the third-year pro and indicated he will start next Sunday as well. Nagy is in a tough situation because at this point in the season, the likelihood of making it to the playoffs is slim-to-none.
Nagy could stick with Trubisky to truly evaluate him and see if he can regain any confidence that he had in 2018, but risk alienating his players by doing so. Or he can start Daniel, benching Trubisky and likely putting the nail in the coffin of his career as a Chicago Bear.
A benching could have ripple effects in the locker room and create a divide in Nagy’s relationship with the quarterback. It’s not ideal either way and Nagy has some tough calls to make before the season is done. No matter what happens, though, the offense is creeping towards a crossroads.
