For all of the struggles that have plagued the Bears offense this season, there hasn’t been just one guilty party. It would’ve been easier if it was. Instead, it’s been a plethora of factors that have contributed to the Bears’ offensive deficiencies.
Whether it was the play calling or the poor execution by players, everyone on offense deserves a portion of the blame for the unit’s inability to sustain a rhythm this season.
Let’s take a look at the different factors that have contributed to the offense’s struggles this season:
Play caller Matt Nagy
Ultimately an offense is only as good as its play-caller, and Matt Nagy hasn’t done his unit any favors this season. There have been many times this season where Nagy has been criticized for his aversion to the running game, which has doomed any sort of balance the offense was looking for this season.
He’s also recently come under attack for his inability to cater to his struggling young quarterback’s strengths, among them rolling him out to help both Mitchell Trubisky and the offensive line. The simple fact of the matter is that the responsibility of Matt Nagy’s offense falls on, well, Matt Nagy. And he simply hasn’t put his offense in a position to execute.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky
No doubt the biggest disappointment on the offensive side of the football has been third-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who has regressed rather than taken the next step the Bears were hoping he’d make. Granted, there are a ton of factors in the failure of the offense, but Trubisky still hasn’t shown that he can play good football on a consistent basis.
After a rough start to the season, Trubisky hit a string of six solid performances, including two really impressive performances against the Detroit Lions in Week 13 and Dallas Cowboys in Week 14. Those games flashed the potential Trubisky has, but it was also a reminder that he’s yet to prove he can consistently play at that level.
Offensive line
The Bears have invested a ton of money in their offensive line, and the starting group simply hasn’t played well. They’ve struggled in run blocking and even pass protection, which hasn’t helped the Bears offense and their struggling young quarterback.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the offensive line is that this was a group that was pretty solid a season ago. That continuity was supposed to be a strength of the unit. Instead, this unit has struggled with the basics. Given the money invested in Charles Leno Jr., Bobby Massie and Cody Whitehair — and a second round selection in James Daniels — the Bears need to find a way to fix this current group heading into 2020.
Lack of run game
The blame for the nonexistent run game can be split two ways: Between Matt Nagy’s aversion to running the ball and the offensive line’s inability to run block. If you’re looking for reasons why the Bears offense has floundered this season, it’s because they haven’t been able to run the football. Contrary to Nagy’s belief, running the ball opens up the passing game and takes a lot of the pressure off your young quarterback by presenting a balanced front.
In the games where the Bears committed to the run — running the ball 20+ times — they’ve gone 7-4. For a team that used to get off the bus running, it’s been a struggle to find any semblance of offensive rhythm when this team can’t — and won’t — run the ball.
Lack of tight end production
Tight ends have been virtually nonexistent in the Bears offense this season, and it’s been a huge hindrance considering the importance of the position in Matt Nagy’s offense. Trey Burton is no Travis Kelce, but he couldn’t even replicate his success from a season ago, as he struggled with injuries that eventually landed him on season-ending injured reserve. Former second-round pick Adam Shaheen has been a colossal disappointment, at one time finding himself benched for a game. It was a foot injury that landed Shaheen on IR.
In all, the Bears have three tight ends on injured reserve this season — add third-stringer Ben Braunecker to the list. And while young guys like J.P. Holtz and Jesper Horsted have shown flashes, the tight end position is a serious area of need heading into 2020.
