10 thoughts after the Chicago Bears stopped a three-game losing streak with a convincing 20-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night at Soldier Field.
The biggest takeaway to me is how the Bears took it to the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense from the get-go in the trenches. Missing guards Kyle Long (strained triceps) and Josh Sitton (ankle), where the team has invested the bulk of the money on the offensive line, the Bears turned in the best performance of the season against the best defense in the league. Some feared Cutler might be under siege against a defense that rushes the passer well. The Vikings, led by creative defensive wiz Mike Zimmer, were on their heels from the start and never recovered. Eric Kush started in place of Sitton at left guard and Ted Larsen filled in for Long at right guard, flanking rookie center Cody Whitehair.
The Bears totaled 158 yards on 29 carries for a 5.4-yard average against a defense that entered No. 3 in the league vs. the run allowing only 81.7 yards per game. Who expected the Bears – minus Long and Sitton – to come in and find elusive balance for the gameplan? They did and from the start they imposed their will on Minnesota with rookie Jordan Howard piling up 153 yards on 26 carries.
“They kind of got after us up front and they controlled the game and controlled the tempo of the game,” Zimmer said.
Howard’s 69-yard run on the third play from scrimmage was a tone setter. The Vikings had picked up two first downs before punting and pinning the Bears on their own 7-yard line. The line went left in the zone scheme with Larsen picking up defensive tackle Linval Joseph. Kush blocked defensive end Everson Griffen and there wound up being a nice cutback lane for Howard after Smith dove and missed him at the 20-yard line where it would have been just a 2-yard gain. At that point, Smith, defensive tackle Shamar Stephen and linebackers Chad Greenway and Eric Kendricks were all piled up in one spot. Rookie safety Jayron Kearse took a terrible angle and Howard was off to the races.
“That’s how the zone stuff works if you can create a seam,” Larsen said. “You don’t always have to get everyone blocked if you can get a seam.”
From there, the Bears kept hitting the Vikings with the run and had enough success to keep the down and distance in order. They faced third and manageable and that opened up the playbook for offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. It allowed him to get Cutler on the move with some rollouts and the offense converted 7-of-14 third downs. It all started in the trenches.
“You expect a tough matchup and it was,” Larsen said. “Their strength is rushing the passer for sure. You keep them in third and manageable when we can play action it, it really helps. We’re just trying to impose our will. That is how the game gets set, the tempo gets set. Me and Kush in there, we tried to bring a little attitude. Everyone did a good job.”
Said right tackle Bobby Massie: “It was a damn good game. Those guys, it’s like Kyle and Josh never left. They stepped on the field and filled the spots.”
It was just the third career start for Kush, who was claimed off waivers from the Rams at final cuts and was tabbed to replace Sitton on Oct. 20 at Lambeau Field. He was still jacked up after this win.
“We had a good gameplan,” Kush said. “We said, ‘Let’s get out here and have cold blooded execution.’ That was our motto of the week. Do your (darn) job, excuse my language. Make sure you have your (stuff) together on each play and stick with it and just go. We worked as a team and we kept working and working and working.
“It was a huge opportunity and I just worked my butt off from Day 1 here. They gave me an opportunity and I did my best. When an opportunity knocks, you open that door and come crashing through. That’s what I tried to do.”
The greatest testament to the play of the line came in the fourth quarter when the Bears took over the ball on their own 15-yard line with 5:37 remaining. They ran nine plays, gained 50 yards and four first downs, and chewed up all but the final four seconds of the game. That’s getting it done.
In the front office, one of the things the team has been talking about over the past month has been looking for silver linings with all of the injuries that have piled up. Finding players down the depth chart that can contribute. If the Bears can build a little depth along the offensive line, something that’s been missing for some time, that will be a welcome discovery.
2. The pass rush and coverage was synced up for the first time this season. Yes, the Bears also had five sacks in their loss at Indianapolis back in Week 5 but this had a totally different look and feel. In that game, they got to Andrew Luck on occasion but when they didn’t (and that was the majority of the time), he had all day to survey the field and make a throw. Here, the defense was credited with nine hits on Sam Bradford to go along with the sacks and the coverage matched with pressure on the receivers.
“It’s like a marriage, man,” cornerback Tracy Porter said. “If they are both good to each other, we are going to have a great day. If one is good and one is not so good, then they won’t get along. We were finally able to put a full game together.”
Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee looked a world better than he did in the Oct. 20 debut at Green Bay. That goes to show you what just a couple legitimate practices can do for him after all the time missed. McPhee picked up his first sack of the season and got credit for four QB hits and one forced fumble. The forced fumble came when he got to Bradford on third-and-6 from the Vikings’ 46-yard line in the second quarter. The ball squirted loose and the Bears made the unacceptable mistake of assuming it was an incomplete pass. Vikings receiver Adam Thielen recovered. More on that gaffe later on.
The point is if McPhee is back, and the folks I talked to felt it was just a matter of him getting used to running around on the field again, that could mean big things for the front seven because first-round draft pick Leonard Floyd was active again in getting another sack. He’s got 3 1/2 now and if he’s better in the second half of the season, it’s easy to imagine a season with eight or nine sacks. I think anyone would classify that as a success for a rookie, a nice launching pad into Year 2.
Defensive end Akiem Hicks had two sacks as well. Let’s remember the Bears aren’t going to face many teams down to their fourth and fifth tackles on the season like the Vikings. Minnesota had protection issues up front and the Bears exploited them. But this was a real positive sign and something we’ve been waiting to see happen.
3. Jay Cutler looked a little bit off early in the game and that’s not a surprise given the long layoff that he had. A couple balls went high and there was the pass that went off the back of Alshon Jeffery’s helmet. But he settled into a groove and was really comfortable, especially on the move. He made good decisions and kept drives alive allowing the Bears to win time of possession for a chance.
“I think we just threw a lot of things at them,” Cutler said. “Keeper game. Did some hurry up. We spread them out. We were protecting the pocket. They’re very multiple, especially on third down. They’re going to throw a lot at you and guys made some big plays. Guys were making plays tonight.”
It’s a reminder of how things can click when Cutler is playing well. He got tight end Zach Miller involved and finally we saw Miller moving down the field to make some plays. He made seven receptions for 88 yards and there was a 21-yard gain on a pop pass. Miller caught the ball moving down the field and that’s what the Bears need to do more of to take advantage of his athletic ability that makes him a mismatch for a lot of defenders in space.
It was an efficient game from Cutler and you felt like the Bears were in command nearly from start to finish because of the tempo and flow the offense had throughout.
4. The midpoint of the season is a good time to take inventory on where the roster is at. Typically, teams will invest time during the week off on self-scouting, a process that is really ongoing throughout the season, in search of ways to improve. When you consider where the Bears are at right now and what is to be gained in the remaining eight games, I think it’s all about development for the future. The coaches and the players in the locker room are going to be working as hard as possible to turn this season around, a very difficult task considering a 2-6 record. In the big picture, I think you’re looking to the future. What can they discover in the remaining eight games to feel good about building to 2017? It goes without saying the draft picks that are playing need to put down roots.
Let’s examine some areas, beginning with the offense:
- The return of Jeremy Langford didn’t steer the coaching staff away from Jordan Howard and also didn’t lead them to any back by committee approach. That’s a good thing as far as I am concerned. The idea of having three backs you can use in a shared backfield where the hot hand is the one that gets the bulk of the playing time each week is a nice one. In a practical world, when I hear a team has three running backs, the first thing I think is they actually don’t have one at all. If one back isn’t good enough to rise above the rest and become the clear choice for the majority of the playing time, then you are probably shuffling through a stable of backs that while adequate don’t offer a ton in the way of upside. Howard was slowed down since 100-yard games against the Lions and Colts. But that wasn’t all on him. He had 22 carries combined against Jacksonville and Green Bay and got going in a big way here with 26 carries for 153 yards. Langford did not get a carry although he caught one pass and Ka’Deem Carey had two carries. Howard now has 505 yards, putting him on pace for 1,000. He looks like the player to be featured and with three 100-yard games, how can he perform with more consistent usage down the stretch?
- There have been a lot of moving parts on the offensive line since the opening training camp but left tackle Charles Leno has remained in place. The Bears opened the season with big expectations for Leno and he hasn’t disappointed. Maybe he hasn’t been as good as they had hoped, but the arrow is still pointing up. Leno has a chance to solidify his standing for the future with a solid second half. At the same time, Bobby Massie is going to have to be better. He had a rough first month of the season and has come on a little bit lately. But for $18 million over three seasons, the Bears need to feel better about him moving forward.
- It’s too early to say if Kevin White will have an opportunity to return from injured reserve in December. Even if he does, there will be plenty of playing time for Cameron Meredith the remainder of the way. With opponents zeroing in on Alshon Jeffery, can he take advantage of No. 2 cornerbacks? If White comes back, can he shake off the rust again to clear what will be a mental hurdle looking ahead to his third season?
5. What to look for on defense in the remaining eight games:
- No player’s development is more important in the remainder of the season than first-round draft pick Leonard Floyd, who followed up his two-sack effort at Green Bay with one more sack. The Bears think Floyd can make a real jump next season after he gets a full offseason in an NFL weight program but he needs to grow in the final eight games and become the kind of star building block the team envisioned when it traded up into the top 10 to select him. Floyd’s play has been uneven but that’s been due in large part to time missed by a variety of injuries, the most recent a calf strain. If he can get on a roll, that will be a very good sign.
- It’s been a lost first half of the season for nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who sat out his sixth consecutive game with a high ankle sprain. He’s looked like a really good young player and needs to get back in action.
- Rookie third-round pick Jonathan Bullard had 1 1/2 sacks in preseason and flashed an explosive first step but was struggling until this game. He entered the game with 120 snaps (24.3 percent playing time) and hadn’t made much of an impact. Bullard was jumping the snap count against third-string quarterbacks in preseason and starters in the regular season are much more savvy.
Bullard came up big late in the first quarter when he stopped Matt Asiata for a 1-yard gain on second-and-3 and then held him to another 1-yard gain on the following snap, leading to a punt.
“The first one we just had a little movement on,” Bullard said. “I kind of could tell the tackle (T.J. Clemmings) was about to block down so I hit him with a quick outside move because that is what I was supposed to do. Then I just knew the ball was going to be a trail type play so I knew I had to redirect real fast.”
On the next snap, Bullard stood up right guard Brandon Fusco and then stacked up Asiata.
“I’ve got to get used to that,” Bullard said. “I am the little guy on the D-line, so I know short yardage they are coming for me. I just pinned my ears back and knew I needed my get off to get into him before he could use his power.
“Coach Fox came up to me in practice this week and said, ‘Just let it go. Just go. It’s OK if you mess up, just do it 100 percent.’ So I knew they expected a little bit more and tonight it was that go, just mess up going fast if I was going to mess up. Just go and use your speed. That is why they drafted me.”
- Cornerback Tracy Porter has battled through a knee injury to be out there every game but opposite him it’s been a rotating combination of up and more often down play. I think Bryce Callahan has some real upside but he’s been battling a hamstring injury since training camp. It won’t go away and it was probably a good idea to sit him down Monday night. He didn’t practice this past week so he will have at least two full weeks of rest. Rookie Cre’Von LeBlanc continues to impress the coaching staff with his play in practice. He’s constantly challenging wide receivers and getting his hands on the ball and with Callahan inactive, LeBlanc got the start on the outside. They are both worth monitoring the rest of the way and then if De’Vante Bausby and Deiondre’ Hall can have a little growth, that will bode well. At safety, Adrian Amos and Harold Jones-Quartey need to get around the ball more or they look like players you can play with but will always been seeking to improve on.
6. What to look for on special teams in the remaining eight games:
- Special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers has said he believes the team is close on kickoff returns but that’s been a weak spot. Deonte Thompson ranked 14 out of the 15 qualifiers (minimum of 1.25 kickoff returns per game) entering Monday night with an average of 21.2 yards. He had one return for 7 yards, taking a knee when the Vikings had popped a kick high and the Bears were on the lookout for an onside kick, meaning the blocking wasn’t there for him,. They’ve got to be seeking a returner after this season.
- Kicker Connor Barth can probably create a spot for himself if he kicks well the rest of the way. He’s got to be more consistent.
- Punter Pat O’Donnell has had a fine first half and enjoyed another solid game with three of his four punts landing inside the 40-yard line and a net of 41.4 yards for the game.
7. The Bears continued their ongoing search for depth at tight end when they claimed Daniel Brown off waivers from the Ravens on Oct. 24. It was the third time since the start of the season the Bears tried to land Brown, an undrafted free agent from James Madison in 2015. The Bears tried to sign Brown to their practice squad when Baltimore released him at final cuts. Brown weighed his options and decided to stay where he was because he knew the system and believed there might be an opening in the near future. Then, the Bears attempted to sign Brown off the practice squad in Baltimore but the Ravens wound up promoting him to their 53-man roster on Oct. 5. Brown was on the 53-man roster for two weeks and when the Ravens waived him the day before their Oct. 23 game against the Jets because of needs at defensive back, the Bears struck.
“It was kind of off and on (with the Bears),” Brown said. “Looking back on it now, I think (Baltimore promoted me to the 53) to hide me. We had injuries at tight end in Baltimore, so I thought maybe there was a chance I could get activated pretty quickly there and play. We ended up staying pretty healthy.”
The interesting thing about Brown is that he was a wide receiver last season when he appeared in six games for the Ravens at the end of the season. He caught six passes for 64 yards and that was coming off an impressive preseason when had two touchdown receptions and blocked punt.
When the Ravens released Brown at final cuts in 2015, he drew some interest from other teams and the feedback was similar. They thought the 6-foot-5, 218-pounder would be an interesting developmental prospect at tight end. Brown wound up remaining with the Ravens as a wide receiver and a rash of injuries at the position helped him earn a shot late in the season. Brown was a proven red-zone target at James Madison with 84 receptions and 15 touchdowns in his final two years. But he didn’t get a lot of traction leading into the draft and had only a tryout with the Ravens.
When the season ended him, the Ravens told Brown they were tendering him a contract for 2016 as a tight end. So he went to work bulking up, spending the offseason in Florida working out. He added 25 pounds to get to where he is at now at 243.
“It wasn’t as hard as I thought,” Brown said. “I felt pretty gross doing it. I was drinking 2,000 calorie protein shakes at 11 o’clock at night. I was just laying in bed feeling gross. Ultimately, it turned into good weight and wasn’t just heavy weight.”
Brown will need to learn to be a better blocker but he’s got natural skills as a receiver and the Bears are looking for someone like that to develop behind Zach Miller. It will be interesting to see if Brown can earn some playing time in the second half of the season.
8. It’s impossible to imagine the Bears not fighting for the ball when Pernell McPhee stripped Sam Bradford with a power rush in the face of the quarterback. The ball fluttered loose and defensive end Akiem Hicks jogged by. Credit to rookie Leonard Floyd for trying to recover the ball that Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen fell on. It still would have been a punting situation had the Bears not been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Referee Gene Steratore announced the penalty on Cornelius Washington for leaving the bench. He said he came on the field to celebrate not knowing it was a live ball.
“I just got a little excited,” Washington said. “I wasn’t the only one on the field. They just called it on me. (Josh) Bellamy was on the field. Coach was like 6 yards on the field. It happens. It’s a lesson learned, for real. Keep your ass back. That is what I am going to do for the rest of … well, forever.”
Hopefully the Bears will be more attentive scrambling for loose balls.
9. I think the Bears were really throwing a lot at undrafted rookie Cre’Von LeBlanc. He started on the outside at cornerback and moved inside to the nickel in the sub package when Da’Vante Bausby came on the field. Then, he was the one charged with fielding punts with Eddie Royal sidelined by a toe injury. That didn’t work out so well when a Jeff Locke punt in the first quarter went a little longer than he anticipated and landed at the 23-yard line before rolling and bouncing to the 5 where it wound up being a 71-yard punt that backed the offense up.
As special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers typically does, he brought in a left-footed punter to practice on Saturday. Locke kicks with his left foot and given the different spin off the foot of left-footed kickers, Rodgers likes his returners to be prepared. So the Bears had former Purdue punter Cody Webster in for a tryout to give LeBlanc a look.
The rookie was getting help from Royal during the game on alignment and he just didn’t get deep enough.
“I had to run back and it was away from me and (Rodgers) said we want the ball no matter what happens,” LeBlanc said. “So I didn’t want to risk trying to grab it and muffing it.”
10. As the Bears search to find silver linings in a season that has gone wrong, they’re looking closely at young players that can be a part of a brighter future. That’s why they’re going to try to keep fourth-round draft pick Deiondre’ Hall in the mix while he recovers from a right ankle injury that has had him in a cast and using a scooter at Halas Hall. Hall did not have surgery but the injury requires him to immobilize the ankle and the hope is he could return in December. Hall got 52 snaps in the first four games when the coaches were more comfortable using since demoted Jacoby Glenn. He also got 40 snaps on special teams. There’s no saying what the position group will look like down the stretch run. The Bears would like to, at the minimum, see what Hall looks like on the practice field with the hope he can play in some games. He rolled the ankle in practice and is missing valuable time. Roster management has been tricky as injuries have piled up as the team has had games where only one of the seven inactive players has been healthy. The good news? Coach John Fox said there were no injuries to report coming out of the game.
10a. Boy, I don’t know if Mike Zimmer’s plan to fire up his offensive line by calling them “soft” and “embarrassing” last week in a loss at Philadelphia was the way to go. They look bad with Jake Long at left tackle and T.J. Clemmings at right tackle. I think Minnesota will be a little better up front when they’re playing at home but that’s going to be a real issue for that offense the rest of the way. There is only so much offensive coordinator Norv Turner can do to try to scheme for protection.
10b. The Bears were going to have a normal day following a game on Tuesday and then practice on Wednesday before players would get a four-day break for the bye week. After the victory, coach John Fox gave them off until Monday.
10c. After a week off, the Bears will be action on Nov. 13 at Tampa Bay. The Fox Sports team of Sam Rosen, David Diehl and Holly Sonders will be on the call. Diehl, of course, is a Brother Rice and Illinois product that had a successful career with the Giants blocking for Eli Manning. It’s a noon kickoff for the Bears/Bucs and the remaining eight games are all scheduled for noon.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-10-thoughts-jay-cutler-bears-biggs-20161101-story.html
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