A de facto game to see who remains in the playoff hunt on Sunday evening took place as the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams squared off in primetime. After a back and forth game, the Rams landed the final blow, scoring a touchdown in the final few minutes to secure the win 17-7, effectively ending the Bears playoff hopes as they fall to 4-6.
It was the same old story for coach Matt Nagy’s squad. The offense continued to sputter when the team needed a spark, and their defense played well enough to keep the team in the game until the final minutes when Rams coach Sean McVay and quarterback Jared Goff orchestrated a 4 minute drive that resulted in a touchdown.
From starting out with two missed field goals to finishing with a potential quarterback controversy, there was a lot to unpack in this game. Here are my five takeaways from the Bears loss.
1. “Benching” quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was a cowardly move by Matt Nagy
You can call it a hip injury, but I’m calling it a benching. Down 10 points and following the Rams’ final touchdown, Trubisky was removed from the game in favor of backup quarterback Chase Daniel. The team sent out a memo, saying he was dealing with a hip injury and Nagy explained in his press conference he hurt it in the second half, but Trubisky says the injury occurred in the first half.
Those reports do not add up and the situation did not pass the eye test after seeing Nagy talk with his quarterback on the sideline and watching Trubisky walk off the field when the game ended. I could end up being wrong, but I’m not buying the injury. I saw a coach attempt to save his skin by playing his backup and a dejected (potentially former) starting quarterback look like someone told him his dog had died.
Benching Trubisky does nothing at this point in the season except raise more questions and create unrest in the locker room. Trubisky didn’t light it up tonight, but until the final couple of drives, he played alright and was plagued by drops from his receivers. Still, in my opinion, the decision to remove Trubisky with three minutes to go was the wrong move, and I’m not buying the injury excuse.
2. After further review, kicker Eddy Pineiro is NOT the answer
Remember Week 2 when Eddy Pineiro was a Chicago hero after nailing the game-winning kick against the Broncos? Those days, like the Bears playoff chances, are long gone.
Pineiro’s struggles continued on Sunday, as he missed a pair of field goals that would have changed the game and likely led to a Bears victory. Pineiro is now 12-of-17 on field goals on the season, including 3 of his last 7 field goals and ranks near the league bottom in field goal percentage with 71%. He also missed an extra point last week against the Lions.
Pineiro is clearly trending in the wrong direction. After his first miss, Nagy appeared to show little confidence in his kicker as he chose to keep the offense on the field for a fourth-and-nine in the first quarter. Given the well-documented kicking issues during the Ryan Pace era, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears moved on from him in the near future.
3. The Bears receivers continue to (literally and figuratively) drop the ball
Coming into the season, the Bears’ receiving corps was hailed as one of the deepest groups in the league. The expectation was that it would be a “pick your poison” scenario with Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Taylor Gabriel and Javon Wims.
Instead, they’re responsible for the most drops in the league. Gabriel and Miller continue to not be able to hold onto the ball, with Miller’s drop turning into an interception after he was called for offensive pass interference. In addition to the drops, many of them appeared to quit on certain routes.
With under :30 left in the first half for the Bears on a 3rd down, none of the wideouts turned up field when Trubisky was chased in the pocket, resulting in a sack to end any scoring threat. In the third quarter, Gabriel stopped running on a deep pattern when he may have had a shot at a long gain. Their play has been inconsistent all season, but the drops have always been there. It’s no secret Trubisky hasn’t been great this year, but his wide receivers aren’t doing him any favors.
4. Roquan Smith is back to his old self
We saw flashes of Roquan Smith playing like the linebacker the Bears envisioned he would be earlier this year following his brief hiatus from the lineup. But there were still moments of trepidation when he attempted to make plays.
Sunday’s game against the Rams was his true “I’m back” moment as he flew all over the field, meeting ball carriers head on and snagging his second career regular-season interception. With his running mate inside linebacker Danny Trevathan shelved for the foreseeable future, the Bears needed Smith to play at a high level and he delivered.
He led the defense in tackles and was active from start to finish. Smith can continue to build on his strong performances and prove he’s the next great linebacker in team history.
5. It’s time to start planning for next season
As I said before, this game was de facto playoff game for both of these teams. Coming into Sunday’s game, the Bears’ playoff hopes were already a long shot. Now, at 4-6, they’re on life support.
With so many teams ahead of them in the standings, it’s time to start evaluating for 2020 to see where this team goes from here. The 2019 season was supposed to be the next step in building and maintaining a Super Bowl-caliber team with many of the same pieces in place. Instead, flaws have been exposed at every level and everyone has six games remaining to see what can be salvaged.
Financial decisions at many positions are coming, most notably with Trubisky. After his benching/injury, how will the Bears handle his final few games of the season? Will the defense move on from cornerback Prince Amukamara, who despite having a solid season, could be a cap casualty? Has the team seen enough from Robinson to offer him a lucrative contract extension? There are many questions to be answered and with the playoffs now effectively out of sight, the Bears need to find their answers.
