Explaining why the Chicago Bears can’t seem to win games consistently over the past decade comes from a variety of factors. Health is one. Lack of talent is another. Bad coaching. All have left their mark on the organization at various intervals. However, if you want an overarching theme that seems to encompass it all, look no further than a recent stat that came up. Every NFL team was listed by how many games with less than 200 yards passing they’ve had over the past two seasons. Some surprising members were among the top 10 like Pittsburgh, New England, Baltimore, and Atlanta. A few years ago, that would’ve been inconceivable.
Yet none of them could hold a candle to the Bears, who sat comfortably on top with a whopping 28 games. Keep in mind they played 34 games total over the past two seasons. That means a staggering 82.35% of them ended with fewer than 200 yards passing.
For those curious, Justin Fields was responsible for 18 of those games. If you’re still wondering why the Bears opted to move on from him, this stat is a perfect reminder. The harsh truth is he couldn’t move the ball through the air.
The Chicago Bears know they must be able to throw to win.
That is the nature of the modern NFL. If you can’t throw the football with any consistency, you’re not going to win enough games. Over the past five seasons, only two of 25 teams who finished in the bottom five passing managed to make the playoffs. Both times, it was the Baltimore Ravens, greatly aided by Lamar Jackson’s unique rushing ability. Every other team failed. GM Ryan Poles understands this league. If you can’t throw the ball consistently, you won’t ever challenge for a championship.
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It was never a coincidence he chose to invest heavily at wide receiver this off-season while also drafting Caleb Williams at quarterback. Never mind the fact they hired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator, who crafted a dynamic passing attack in Seattle. Running the ball remains important, but these Chicago Bears have to get with the times. That means passing more often. One can only hope they start racking up more games that eclipse the 200-yard mark.
@nono More lame excuses. I guess that’s how you explain since 2021, JF had the most 4Q interceptions, the worst completion %, and the worst passer rating in the whole NFL. Yeah, blame the receivers (even the wide-open ones.) Maybe he sucks because he can’t read a defense (same thing he’s currently shown in Pittsburgh) or maybe he sucks because he takes all day to throw a pass, or maybe he sucks because he can’t accurately anticipate routes. Yeah, that’s all the receivers’ fault (both in Chicago and Pittsburgh.) I recall all the JF lovers saying the Bears got fleeced… Read more »
Say what you will, but Fields only had 1 real receiver his last 2 years. It’s hard to move the ball with passes like that. Let the down votes begin!
We don’t need to hear this again – everyone gets it. Fields sucked and continues to suck. The Bears moved on, so we don’t need to keep hearing how bad Fields was/is. We all saw what the NFL thought of him. After three years as a starting QB, his trade value was a measly 6th round pick. Enough already…maybe the Steelers can get him to return kicks or be the guy that catches the football after made field goals. Let’s focus on current Bears players and not on crumby has-been castoffs.