Sept. 22--The Chicago Bears were beaten in all three phases in a 48-23 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. Coach John Fox prioritizes improving each week, and the Bears failed to meet that standard, as the Cardinals became the latest team to spotlight the chasm between them and actual playoff contenders.
Here are three things we learned about the Bears in Week 2.
1. The expected pass-rushing depth at outside linebacker has been a mirage.
Two games, no sacks. Only the Bears and Raiders claim such an indignity. That's even more alarming when you consider the Bears have more than 20 percent of their team salary cap total allocated to Jared Allen, Pernell McPhee, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young. Of course, all of them except McPhee were signed to play end in a 4-3, but when big-money players don't produce in an NFL salary system designed to create parity, losses pile up.
Overall, in a repeat of Week 1, the Bears' edge rushers did not consistently beat blocks rushing the passer. That said, the most impactful failed rush Sunday resulted from not finishing.
McPhee's failure to sack Carson Palmer on third-and-10 in the second quarter changed the game, as Brad Biggs noted in his 10 Thoughts. With the score 14-14 and in an obvious passing situation, McPhee and Allen both lined up on the right side of the line. McPhee beat left guard Ted Larsen with a violent two-handed inside move. He breached the offensive line before Palmer reached the top of his drop. Terrific.
But McPhee simply missed the tackle when Palmer slid to his left. The Bears' top free agent this year got both hands on the 35-year-old quarterback and didn't bring him down. Palmer climbed the pocket and completed a 13-yard pass to John Brown, who ran an excellent comeback route against Alan Ball.
Instead of getting the ball back to a Bears offense that was humming, the Cardinals needed just four plays and a (tightly-but-correctly called) defensive pass interference against Ball to take a 21-14 lead they never relinquished.
The outside linebackers did provide some positive moments -- particularly McPhee and Young in run defense and Allen's fantastic individual effort on his interception. But overall, the pressure on the quarterback has not been consistent or sufficient to disrupt the Packers' or Cardinals' quality passing attacks. The secondary has been exposed as a result.
2. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen was not the answer in relief of Jay Cutler, but ...
... let's see how Clausen does after a full week of practice with the first-team offense. Every backup quarterback deserves that patience.
Of course, expectations for Sunday have a low ceiling. Clausen faces one of the toughest assignments any quarterback can in today's NFL -- against the Seahawks on the road. But a few elements of the operation should go more smoothly after Clausen practices with the starters.
From a game-planning standpoint, coordinator Adam Gase will collaborate with Clausen during the week about what plays Clausen likes running and what defenses he's comfortable against. That should also help Gase call plays on Sunday. In the Cardinals game, Clausen was thrust into the game during a sequence that included three straight sudden changes, which limited the Bears' ability to regroup after Cutler's injury.
That said, it's up to Clausen to prove he's more than just a placeholder. He must show the rhythm and timing he's established with receivers down the depth chart, such as Marquess Wilson and Josh Bellamy, in practice over the last two seasons.
Consistency throwing the ball was a major issue for Clausen during the preseason. His accuracy would impress at times, and then he'd miss targets. He'll have a razor-thin margin for error against a hungry Seahawks team, who could put up big numbers because of their speed advantage on both sides of the ball.
3. The Bears are serious about preserving running back Matt Forte for 16 games.
The team planned to play rookie Jeremy Langford for a whole series as part of a season-long effort to lighten Forte's workload and ensure his availability. It occurred on the second drive, as the Bears dialed up the zone-read option. It will be interesting to see whether the Bears consistently spell Forte early in games or pick different spots to give him a break.
It isn't about depressing Forte's numbers and diminishing his value at the bargaining table next offseason. Heck, he still leads the NFL with 48 touches through two weeks.
The Bears' new regime recognizes Forte's ability to contribute on all three downs and in all three phases of the running back position (running, receiving and blocking). They want to keep him relatively fresh -- and effective -- into November and December. The way the Bears see this season, how they finish is much more important than how they start.
