Bears Come Up Short, Barkley Shows Us Something

Marquess Wilson (10) drops a pass in the end zone
in a game against the Titans on November 27, 2016.
(Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki / USA TODAY)

       I didn't get to see the game since I was at work; a reoccurring theme since I work every single Sunday. But I have looked at the stats and watched some replays and I have some thoughts about the game.

       The Chicago Bears (2-9) are off to their worst start since beginning the 1997 season 1-10. It was a lot of the same old stuff from the Bears early on. The offense couldn't seem to get much done besides an early touchdown in the first quarter while the defense played exactly how we're used to. This all changed in the fourth. 

       Matt Barkley, who made his first official start in the NFL, decided he had enough of the mediocrity. He led the Bears on two scoring drives cutting the lead to 6 in the fourth quarter after the Titans looked poised to roll on to victory. With 47 seconds left in the game, Barkley threw the ball to a wide open Josh Bellamy who dropped the ball. There was no excuse for that. We should be talking about how the Bears had an amazing comeback, instead we are talking about their inability to finish another game. Let's get this straight; this loss is on Bellamy. But with the dropped pass coming on first down, the Bears still had 3 more chances to score. After incompletions on the following two plays, the Bears had one more chance. On fourth down, while under pressure, Barkley was able to get a low ball to Deonte Thompson who couldn't handle the throw. Thompson's drop was way more understandable than Bellamy's but he still should have caught it. The final four plays of the game sum up the Bears season as a whole; so close yet so far.

       Although Barkley threw two very questionable interceptions, he deserved to win this game. Despite his receivers combining for 10 dropped passes, he still had the Bears on the edge of victory. Barkley finished the game 28 of 54 for 316 yards and three touchdown passes. 54 passes is a lot, but the Bears fell behind early and the passing game will get you back a lot faster than trying to have a balanced attack. If Matt can play like he did in the fourth quarter and limit his mistakes, maybe the Bears do have a QB they can build around. Don't get me wrong, I want Cutler to stay. But if he departs, as expected, then I hope there is someone who can come in and turn this thing around. We have but a small sample size, but Barkley could get better with a little more time to develop.

       Jordan Howard had an effective game yet again, rushing 18 times for 84 yards. Howard has been one of the most consistent players on this team and it will be fun to have him around for a while. With the multitude of injuries this team has had to deal with, as well as Jeffery's suspension, some young blood got a chance to try playing some wide receiver. There wasn't much to write home about, but we did get to see Marquess Wilson have one of his best games as a Bear. He had 8 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. I have never liked Wilson as a player (I mean he did have 2 drops), but maybe there is more there than I thought. There is one thing we know for sure; Alshon Jeffery is a stud that we desperately need on the football field.

       To sum this all up, I truly believe the Bears have talent. They just can't seem to do anything with it. If they can manage to figure out what is stopping them from reaching their potential, I see a team that will be a force in this league........ in a couple of years.

Bears Suffer Another Loss, More Injuries

The Bears (2-8) lost yet another game, coming up short 22-16 against the New York Giants (7-3) on Sunday afternoon. After putting together a solid first half on both sides of the ball, the Bears couldn't manage much of anything coming out of the break.

Jay Cutler (6) scrambles in a game against
the New York Giants on November, 20 2016
(Credit: Jim McIsaac)

Cutler finished the game 17-30 for 252 yards, with one touchdown, and one interception. His interception came on the Bears final drive when it seemed like he couldn't get enough air under the ball on a 2nd and 29. This throw makes some sense after hearing that Cutler sustained a shoulder injury which could knock him out for the rest of the season. Jordan Howard added 77 yards on 17 rushes, coming up just 23 yards short of his fifth 100+ yard rushing game.

Although Cutler will receive most of the blame due to his interception, this game should fall on the pile of injuries, the sudden disappearance of the running game, and the defense getting beat all over the field. The Bears also managed to get 0 turnovers. 

Monday could not have been any worse of a day after another hard loss. The injuries continue to pile up and one could question if the Bears are cursed. Kyle Long needs multiple surgeries (old news but still), Zack Miller broke his foot, Jerrell Freeman is suspended four games, Josh Sitton left the game with an injury, and Jay Cutler might be out for the season with a shoulder injury.

This really is the Bad News Bears.

This season has now turned into a year of questions. Where will Jay be next year? Will the Bears draft a QB? Is this defense showing enough to prove they will be better in the future? Is Jeffery going to be back? Can the Bears hold a lead.......?

For Bears fans, things have just continued to get worse and worse. Hard to believe anything could get worse when your team has played horribly since the beginning of the season.

Bears, Cutler, Struggle Against The Bucs

Jay Cutler (6) in a game against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 11, 2016
(Credit: Bill Smith)

       The Chicago Bears (2-7) were embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) on Sunday, losing 36-10 in a game they didn't expect to slip away so easily.

      Unfortunately I didn't see much of the game but I do know Cutler had an abysmal game. I kept up on my phone and could tell from the stats that he had a day to forget.

       Cutler was 16-30 for 182 yards, 1 TD, 2 interceptions, and 2 fumbles (one lost). One interception was a typical "Jay off his back foot with a defender right on the receiver" throw that resulted in a pick 6. Did I mention that it was former Bears safety Chris Conte who made the play? The guy who basically couldn't catch a football if it was already superglued to his hands? Yeah. That guy.

       The other interception that Cutler threw wasn't the best of throws but it looked like Jeffery gave up on his slant route and tried to get BEHIND the defender. Obviously if a quarterback is throwing a slant and you go behind your defender, nothing good can happen.

       Jordan Howard on the other hand had a very efficient game, despite his one fumble, running for 100 yards on just 15 carries. This season has been a mess but he is one player to be pretty hyped about on this offense. I see big things for number 24 going forward. 

       To make matters worse, Kyle Long was carted of the field with an ankle injury which has taken him out for the rest of the season, reports said on Monday. Also, Jeffery was suspended four games on Monday for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Good grief....

       There isn't much to say about the defense except the fact that they can't seem to consistently stop an offense. The defense gave up 360 total yards, allowed 27 points (the other 9 points were the result of poor Cutler decisions). Then again, the safety was basically guaranteed once the protection broke. So maybe only 7 points were Cutlers fault.....?

       One might say that the defense couldn't do much because the Bears weren't doing much on offense. But I think they were over-matched and have been most of the season. There are definitely playmakers, such as McPhee and Freeman, but two players can't play every position. Floyd looks to be finding his way in this league as well.

       I think the worst part about this season is that if you give the Bears the win in the two games they probably should have had (Jaguars and Colts) they would be 4-5. Our division leader is only 5-4!!!!! But the Bears have fallen into such a deep hole now that even a miracle couldn't help. But that doesn't mean we won't be hoping for one.