http://www.redeyechicago.com/sports/ct-biggs-bears-spt-1006-20141006,0,4221712.story
www.redeyechicago.com/sports/ct-biggs-bears-spt-1006-20141006,0,4221712.story
redeyechicago.com
Nothing going right, Bears season could turn ugly
Brad Biggs
7:35 PM CDT, October 5, 2014
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It would be convenient and tidy for the Bears if playing "Pin the blame on Mel Tucker" would solve all the challenges facing this team.
If the defense was all that ailed the Bears, they would feel better about themselves after a gut-wrenching 31-24 loss Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, a defeat that came after they took a 21-7 lead over the previously stumbling Panthers.
But far too much went wrong for the Bears to pretend real issues don't plague the offense and special teams alike. Marc Trestman's team has arrived at 2-3 by collectively underperforming and did so again Sunday.
The offense had turnovers on its final three possessions and four for the game. The defense failed to get timely stops against an offense using its fourth and fifth running backs and an undermanned corps of wide receivers. Special teams was a disaster as the Bears allowed a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown by Philly Brown and were let down by usually reliable Robbie Gould when he missed wide right on a 35-yard field goal, part of a 10-point swing just before halftime.
A headline in Sunday's Charlotte Observer read, "Hold your breath, Panthers season could turn ugly." That is what they were bracing for after Carolina (3-2) had allowed 75 points in losing its previous two games. Suddenly, it's worth wondering if the Bears are the team in danger of having its season slip away. Good teams don't give games away like this and now they've been blitzed for 69 points in the last two games while scoring only a total of three second-half points in those games.
Did the Packers and Panthers outscheme Trestman and his staff with some halftime adjustments or simply seize momentum and not give it back? Either way, it's indictable.
"I've got to take accountability for our failure to get it done in the second half in all three phases," Trestman said. "That starts with me."
The Bears don't have anything to hang their hat on right now. For all the weapons on offense, they have scored 116 points — 29 fewer than they did through the first five games last season. Cutler is tied with a handful of other quarterbacks for the NFL lead with six interceptions. Matt Forte is averaging 3.9 yards per carry and his 36 receptions are far ahead of Alshon Jeffery (26) and Brandon Marshall (19). A big-time passing offense works the other way.
Part of that is because the Panthers used a two-deep shell, the kind of primary coverage the Bears show, in order to influence Cutler to throw it underneath. Forte had a career-high 12 catches for 105 yards, but remove the 56-yard screen before halftime — when he would have scored if tight end Martellus Bennett would have thrown a block — and his other 11 catches went for 49 yards. Just what the Panthers wanted.
A week after being owned by the Packers, the defensive line was better. Willie Young got his fifth sack, forcing a turnover, and Stephen Paea had one as well. The line deflected three Cam Newton passes with one tip by Ego Ferguson turning into an interception by Lance Briggs. But Newton chewed up the secondary in the middle of the field, taking advantage of lacking safety play. The pass rush wasn't good enough to prevent Newton from throwing for 255 yards when his top target, rookie Kelvin Benjamin, was limited to three catches for 38 yards on 11 targets, largely because of fine play by first-round pick Kyle Fuller.
The Bears are combing the street and practice squads of other teams for help on special teams, but it hasn't been enough. The return game is supplying next to nothing, and it's difficult to explain how after Bears newcomer Teddy Williams blasted Brown before the punt arrived that Brown was still able to scoop the ball up and go 79 yards to the end zone. It kind of looked like Jarrett Boykin scooping up Aaron Rodgers' fumble in the season finale last year and scoring a touchdown, didn't it?
The Bears have five of their final seven games at Soldier Field, but if they're forced to chase, there's no reason to believe they'll be able to make up ground. This is a team that couldn't finish last season — getting embarrassed at Philadelphia before choking away a loss to the Packers — and now it's doing far too much wrong to win with any regularity.
"It is not like we are getting beat," Forte said. "We are beating ourselves. If we can get out of our own way, we can win some games."
If they don't start soon, it will turn ugly. If there was just one man to blame, a solution would be much simpler.
bmbiggs@tribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs
Copyright © 2014 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC
www.redeyechicago.com/sports/ct-biggs-bears-spt-1006-20141006,0,4221712.story
redeyechicago.com
Nothing going right, Bears season could turn ugly
Brad Biggs
7:35 PM CDT, October 5, 2014
| |
<tbody>
</tbody>
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It would be convenient and tidy for the Bears if playing "Pin the blame on Mel Tucker" would solve all the challenges facing this team.
If the defense was all that ailed the Bears, they would feel better about themselves after a gut-wrenching 31-24 loss Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, a defeat that came after they took a 21-7 lead over the previously stumbling Panthers.
But far too much went wrong for the Bears to pretend real issues don't plague the offense and special teams alike. Marc Trestman's team has arrived at 2-3 by collectively underperforming and did so again Sunday.
The offense had turnovers on its final three possessions and four for the game. The defense failed to get timely stops against an offense using its fourth and fifth running backs and an undermanned corps of wide receivers. Special teams was a disaster as the Bears allowed a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown by Philly Brown and were let down by usually reliable Robbie Gould when he missed wide right on a 35-yard field goal, part of a 10-point swing just before halftime.
A headline in Sunday's Charlotte Observer read, "Hold your breath, Panthers season could turn ugly." That is what they were bracing for after Carolina (3-2) had allowed 75 points in losing its previous two games. Suddenly, it's worth wondering if the Bears are the team in danger of having its season slip away. Good teams don't give games away like this and now they've been blitzed for 69 points in the last two games while scoring only a total of three second-half points in those games.
Did the Packers and Panthers outscheme Trestman and his staff with some halftime adjustments or simply seize momentum and not give it back? Either way, it's indictable.
"I've got to take accountability for our failure to get it done in the second half in all three phases," Trestman said. "That starts with me."
The Bears don't have anything to hang their hat on right now. For all the weapons on offense, they have scored 116 points — 29 fewer than they did through the first five games last season. Cutler is tied with a handful of other quarterbacks for the NFL lead with six interceptions. Matt Forte is averaging 3.9 yards per carry and his 36 receptions are far ahead of Alshon Jeffery (26) and Brandon Marshall (19). A big-time passing offense works the other way.
Part of that is because the Panthers used a two-deep shell, the kind of primary coverage the Bears show, in order to influence Cutler to throw it underneath. Forte had a career-high 12 catches for 105 yards, but remove the 56-yard screen before halftime — when he would have scored if tight end Martellus Bennett would have thrown a block — and his other 11 catches went for 49 yards. Just what the Panthers wanted.
A week after being owned by the Packers, the defensive line was better. Willie Young got his fifth sack, forcing a turnover, and Stephen Paea had one as well. The line deflected three Cam Newton passes with one tip by Ego Ferguson turning into an interception by Lance Briggs. But Newton chewed up the secondary in the middle of the field, taking advantage of lacking safety play. The pass rush wasn't good enough to prevent Newton from throwing for 255 yards when his top target, rookie Kelvin Benjamin, was limited to three catches for 38 yards on 11 targets, largely because of fine play by first-round pick Kyle Fuller.
The Bears are combing the street and practice squads of other teams for help on special teams, but it hasn't been enough. The return game is supplying next to nothing, and it's difficult to explain how after Bears newcomer Teddy Williams blasted Brown before the punt arrived that Brown was still able to scoop the ball up and go 79 yards to the end zone. It kind of looked like Jarrett Boykin scooping up Aaron Rodgers' fumble in the season finale last year and scoring a touchdown, didn't it?
The Bears have five of their final seven games at Soldier Field, but if they're forced to chase, there's no reason to believe they'll be able to make up ground. This is a team that couldn't finish last season — getting embarrassed at Philadelphia before choking away a loss to the Packers — and now it's doing far too much wrong to win with any regularity.
"It is not like we are getting beat," Forte said. "We are beating ourselves. If we can get out of our own way, we can win some games."
If they don't start soon, it will turn ugly. If there was just one man to blame, a solution would be much simpler.
bmbiggs@tribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs
Copyright © 2014 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC
