The four most compelling things we heard from Bears position coaches Wednesday:
• Robert Quinn needs to step up. The Bears’ $70 million man recorded a sack on his first snap of the season — and has none since.
Outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino said he expects to see a “jump” from Quinn on Nov. 29 against the Packers. Asked to define one, he was blunt.
“Well, that’s to make one play,” Monachino said. “He has to make one play in the passing game. Before he can make three or four, he’s got to make one. It’s been a long drought. Nobody’s feeling that any more than Robert. …
“You eat an elephant one bite at a time. He needs to start taking bites.”
Monachino was as pointedly critical of Quinn as he’s been all year.
He hopes Wednesday’s position group meeting, which focused on details, will help Quinn, who averaged almost nine sacks per season before this year.
“I think with a player like Robert, we got to evaluate him based on the numbers,” Monachino said. “And right now, his numbers aren’t where he wants them, I want them or any of us in the city wants them.”
• Nick Foles must be more accurate. Quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo said he and Foles are “constantly talking about” ways for him to be more precise with his throws.
Foles’ inaccuracy cost the Bears an interception on the second play of the game Monday night, when he threw high and a bit late to Anthony Miller. It would have taken an “unbelievable” catch for it to be complete, receivers coach Mike Furrey said, before adding that he expects Miller to make it anyway.
In describing Foles’ bad habits, DeFilippo used the royal “we.”
“There are times where maybe our base gets a little too wide,” he said. “Or we’re trying to move in the pocket and our front shoulder gets too high and the ball sails on us. Or we don’t have a definitive reset. Those are examples of terms that we use in our room. So it’s a constant work-in-progress for sure. And Nick has been very, very open to all those things.”
• Lamar Miller might get more chances. The Bears planned to get veteran Lamar Miller a few carries Monday night, but wound up throwing him two passes for six yards. Their three other running backs had at least one rush.
“We’re gonna continue to work him into the game plan, try to get him some carries each week,” running backs coach Charles London said. “But it’s just kinda how things shook out.”
London, who coached Miller with the Texans — but left before his 2018 Pro Bowl season — thinks he looks healthy after tearing the ACL in his left knee.
“Having seen Lamar before, when I coached him before, he’s as close as I’ve seen him to being himself,” London said. “He has all the confidence in the world in his knee. The explosion’s there, the burst is there, so I look forward to getting him going in the future.”
• Alex Bars is in good company. The Bears praised Alex Bars for his performance against the Titans — he started at center after never playing the position at any point in his life — and liked what they saw from him at left guard Monday. He could find a way to stick in the starting lineup, even after Bobby Massie and Sam Mustipher get healthy.
“i know two guys in the last two places I have been that played with passion: Richie Incognito and Marshal Yanda,” offensive line coach Juan Castillo said. “Alex is still young. What Alex did the other night is, he played with passion. He played with heart.”
Yanda went to eight Pro Bowls with the Ravens. Incognito has four on his resume.
