One would think Chicago Bears fans would be upset by the loss to the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Sure a good number of them were. It was a heartbreaking way to lose. Over 10,000 tickets went unused in the game, so clearly fans had no plans to spend their money on a team they felt wasn’t going to win. In truth though this game went about as well as could be hoped.
How so? Well getting the desired results when a season is lost can be tricky. It’s like walking a tightrope. Requires balance, timing and a little luck. Chicago managed all three at least for the second week in a row. It required three keys steps to fulfill. Unsurprisingly it started with their young quarterback.
Mitch Trubisky had another exciting performance
It may not have been a 300-yard passing day but for another week Trubisky took a big step forward in his development. It’s encouraging that arguably his two best performances to date were against division rivals. This game against Detroit was a showcase of his athleticism, his improvisation and his poise under pressure.
On the day he threw for 179 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t always perfect as it rarely ever is for a rookie. Nonetheless he threw some pretty balls and executed some great drives. He added onto that with 53 yards rushing, including an absolutely ice cold scramble for a first down with 28 seconds left on 4th and 13.
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Mitch Trubisky gave Bears fans a glimpse of the future with this amazing play before Barth pissed the game away. pic.twitter.com/VVxm41dIlB
— ✶ Sports Mockery ✶ (@sportsmockery) November 19, 2017
That was another clutch moment that showed his ability to find a way even after a play breaks down. His throw to Inman on the next play to get in field goal range was also dead on. This kid is growing up fast. If the Bears can get some weapons and good coaches around him? The sky is the limit.
The coaches made mind-numbing decisions
Things actually were looking up for the Bears coaching staff early in the game. Dowell Loggains called one of the best first halves of the season, constantly keeping the Lions defense on their heels with creative play designs. They also did the common sense thing by getting Tarik Cohen and Adam Shaheen more involved. Both scored touchdowns.
Then, predictably, it all went away. Chicago reverted back to their predictable offense most of the remaining game. By far the worst stretch though came on the final drive regarding their use of personnel.
#Bears spent the whole game moving the ball successfully with Howard, Cohen and Shaheen. And none of them were on the field for the final drive. There’s just no explanation for that.
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) November 19, 2017
Considering the Lions had few answers for Cohen, couldn’t match up with Shaheen and Inman made the catch to set up the field goal attempt? Yeah it was a level of bewildering that even this staff hadn’t reached before. To say nothing of the fact that Fox stubbornly refuses to find another kicker after Connor Barth let him down yet again on a very makeable 46-yarder.
They lost to maintain great draft position
This is the news that will be most encouraging for Bears fans who enjoy pain. Going into this week Chicago was tied with six other teams at 3-6. That’s why they held the #9 draft spot before their game today. They lost to drop to 3-7 while at the same time other teams with the same record have won. Tampa Bay beat Miami and Houston defeated Arizona. Either Cincinnati or Denver will lose today as well since they play each other. The Chargers are thumping Buffalo as this is being written.
This means the Bears could make a significant climb up the NFL draft pecking order by the end of business today. As high as the top five depending on how the schedule breaks. Given the current strength of this roster, it would be stealing if Ryan Pace got another top five draft pick. Combine that with an upgraded coaching staff and this team becomes something serious.
