Dhruv Koul shares his in-game reactions, thoughts and observations from the Chargers-Bears game at Soldier Field. Follow him on Twitter @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation.
CHICAGO — After a humbling, catastrophic defeat to the New Orleans Saints at home last week, the Chicago Bears spent the week exasperated and soul-searching. Sure, at 3-3 their season wasn’t over yet, but there was no real hope that things would get turned around, especially on offense.
The offense couldn’t move the ball through the air or on the ground (when they tried, at least). The defense, as strong as ever through the first four games, showed signs of faltering in back-to-back losses to Oakland and New Orleans. No one could really blame them, either. The offense’s weight is getting harder and harder for that unit to carry. They HAD to get things right.
Enter the Los Angeles Chargers — a 2-5 team (coming in) that was nowhere near as bad as their record indicates. Injury riddled yet still playing hard, they came into Chicago as desperate as the Bears, hoping to save their season.
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For the Bears, it was simple: Win today, get to 4-3, and buy another week to figure things out and get the season on track. Lose today, and watch the season unravel.
In the end, the Bears … I can’t even speak.
I shared my in-game reactions, thoughts and observations below. Follow me on Twitter @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation.
Thoughts and Observations
1. (Pre-Game) Mitch Trubisky is running out of time and losing his teammates’ trust. After a disastrous showing against the Saints, he absolutely needs to turn things around in these final 10 games. I don’t mean be “just a guy”. I mean take control of the offense. Why should the Bears pay big money to someone who just demonstrates “adequacy” over a 10 game stretch? He’s playing for his career’s trajectory at this point.
2. The Bears forced a three-and-out on the Chargers’ first possession to open the game. Keenan Allen, testing out an injured hamstring, slipped on third down and allowed the defense to get off the field. On the Bears’ ensuing possession, the Bears started with a run by David Montgomery for 10 yards!
And then they proceeded to lose eight yards that included a pre-snap penalty and a sack by Joey Bosa. Bears punted. Very sloppy first possession, but the Bears ran the ball more than they passed on the first possession. Let’s see how long the commitment remains.
3. On the Bears’ ensuing possession (following another three-and-out from LA), the Bears drove down the field and got into field goal range with the help of two consecutive beautiful throws by Trubisky. Those two throws picked up 56 yards. The Bears settled for a 33 yard field goal attempt, that Eddy Pineiro doinked on the right upright. After the Bears’ best offensive drive since the third quarter in London, they got no points. Tough result. This team is hurting at the moment.
4. The next Chargers’ drive, Philip Rivers threw off his back foot and got intercepted by Kyle Fuller. It was a bad decision, but a weak throw, too. I said the following on Friday regarding this after watching the Chargers-Titans game in preparation for this one.
With the ball inside the five-yard line, the Bears gained one measly yard and had to settle for a field goal. That was a disastrous showing for the offense, though. A jet-sweep to Cordarrelle Patterson on first down (that everyone knew was coming) gained one yard. Trubisky was very lucky to not be picked on second down, and on third down, Trubisky missed Adam Shaheen in the back of the end zone. It looked tipped by the defender, but should’ve been completed. Bears up 3-0, but that’s a massive win for LA.
Also, where the hell was the running game near the goal-line? Bad all around.
5. The Bears are largely dominating this game but are just up 6-0. After moving the ball inside the 10 yard line on the ensuing possession, Trubisky missed an open Allen Robinson on the goal line that should’ve been a touchdown. I am also confused by not giving David Mongtomery the ball at all on either of the Bears’ red zone possessions. Absolutely confounding.
6. Naturally, on LA’s ensuing drive, they drive right down the field on a couple of chunk plays and take a 7-6 lead. Melvin Gordon with a great 19 yard touchdown run after a rainbow from Rivers to Mike Williams was somehow caught in double coverage. The Bears should be up three scores and are instead losing at the two minute warning. Absolutely awful turn of events, but absolutely deserved.
7. I have never seen anything quite like what’s happening with the Bears’ offense today. They ran 11 (ELEVEN!) plays inside the Chargers’ 10-yard line. Guess how many TDs they scored? Zero. Gifted with myriad opportunities just before halftime, the Bears couldn’t punch it in despite two gifts from LA’s defense. Unbelievable. The Bears are up 9-7 at halftime but they should be up 24-7 (even accepting Pineiro’s doink earlier). This is absolutely pathetic.
On the bright side, the scoring drive got set up by a beautiful 50+ yard run from David Montgomery. The Bears have been very effective running the ball out of the I-formation today. They should continue with it in the second half.
8. Excellent drive to open the second half for the Bears. Matt Nagy committed to David Montgomery on the ground, and the Bears moved methodically down the field. It required a clutch fourth-down conversion from Trubisky to Anthony Miller to keep it going. And two plays later, following a beautiful deep ball from Trubisky to Robinson, Montgomery rumbled into the end zone to give the Bears their first touchdown of this game. Bears up 16-7 and they chewed almost seven minutes off the clock. Beautiful.
9. Very uncharacteristic drive by the Bears’ defense on the ensuing Chargers’ possession. Having been well rested by halftime and the offense’s first drive, they couldn’t get a pass rush close to Philip Rivers and gave plenty of cushion underneath to LA’s receivers. They used that all the way down the field. In fact, the Bears got bailed out as Mike Williams dropped a wide open pass in the end zone.
Luckily, the Bears stopped them at the two-yard line — a nice tackle by Roquan Smith ensuring the stop. LA kicks the FG to get back to within six points, but the defense needs to put up a better effort there. Time for the offense to give them another rest and hopefully put up some points.
10. Trubisky, one throw after making a confident, chain-moving throw to Taylor Gabriel on third down, threw a floater down the sideline that was picked off by Casey Hayward. It wasn’t a bad decision, but it was brutally underthrown. His feet did not look set live. Just as he was stepping up his game, he made a potentially game-changing mistake. If he had led Trey Burton there, that would’ve been a big gain.
Luckily for the defense, Keenan Allen dropped an end-zone throw (wide open), and then Chase McLaughlin missed his FG attempt wide right. Bears escaped there, big time. With about 11 minutes left in the game, it’s time for the offense to get back into gear.
11. You’ve got to be kidding me. Trubisky airmailed a wide open Taylor Gabriel that would’ve been a touchdown on the ensuing series. I mean, wide open, and he overthrew it by 10 yards. That would’ve likely put the game away. Next play? Trubisky fumbles the ball away and LA recovers on the CHI 26. It’s set up again for the Chargers to take the lead.
Chargers take advantage on the drive to go up 17-16 with about eight minutes left. Bears have absolutely unraveled here, largely due to Trubisky turning it over on back to back plays.
12. Bears had a beautiful drive going with some nice throws by Trubisky after coughing up the lead, but a bad run on second down and a sack on third down where Joey Bosa beat Bobby Massie put the Bears out of field goal range. They had to punt with 2:04 left. Absolutely brutal. The Chargers can attempt to run out the clock now.
13. Bears barely got the stop on a long 3rd-and-12 to give the offense one more chance. This is to save the Bears’ season. And after Mitch did his job, Eddy Pineiro missed. The Bears are 3-4.
14. Heartbroken.
15. The Bears travel to Philadelphia next week. What looked like a fun, revenge game matchup at the beginning of the season has lost all of its luster after disappointing play from both teams this season. Let’s see what happens — too early to analyze it. Picking Eagles because I trust their excellent offensive line to dominate the game, just like what happened to the Bears against Oakland and New Orleans.
Early prediction: Eagles 27, Bears 17.
