Chicago Bears: Taking a Major Step Backward

As last night’s 31-17 loss against the Dallas Cowboys indicates thus far, the Chicago Bears have done nothing to change their disappointing narrative.

The Chicago Bears are now 0-3 to begin this 2016 season after being embarrassed and outplayed by the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were starting both a rookie quarterback and rookie running back, and yet both players ended up carving their way through the Bears’ defense at sheer ease.

This has been the pattern for the Bears during the early portion of this season. They have been alarmingly inconsistent on both offense and defense. Injuries to key players certainly don’t help alleviate the constant aches and pains that come now with watching a Bears’ game, but surly there was hope that the team would improve in Year Two under head coach John Fox. Right?!

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Well…so far that hasn’t been the case. Coming off a 6-10 season just a year ago, many felt that the Chicago Bears were due for an improved season. While there was little optimism that the Bears would be a playoff contender this season, it was still widely accepted that the Bears would be a team hovering more around the .500 mark.

Unfortunately, expectations for this Bears’ team have now changed dramatically (Only took 3 games to figure this out). Instead of being a franchise on the upward rise, it is now safe to conclude that the Bears are heading towards a rather steep decline.

Their offense struggles consistently protecting the quarterback, whoever that may be. The running game which sets up the Bears’ passing game has been mere average at times, but for the most part really disappointing to watch, as Jeremy Langford has not progressed at all in Year 2. The receiving game is still very much a work in progress, despite good performances last night from tight end Zach Miller, Alshon Jeffery, and rookie wideout Kevin White.

The Bears’ defense struggles mightily to bring forth consistent pressure on opposing QB’s, giving them plenty of time to survey the field to make plays. Their cornerbacks are prone to allowing big plays made by opposing offenses, usually during key moments in the game. Sad…given that John Fox is a “defensive-minded” coach. Overall, on both sides of the football, the Bears are a mess: one which doesn’t look to be cleaned anytime soon.

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For the time being, (although it’s still too early to make erasable conclusions), it appears that the Bears’ organization, led by second year general manager Ryan Pace, is struggling mightily to build a championship caliber team from the ground up (or even a team that garners some promise for fans to be excited for on a weekly basis), based off the roster moves they have made thus far. While we as fans knew to expect growing pains with this Bears’ team, given that they are only in Year 2 of the rebuilding process, being winless thus far while looking completely over-matched by 2 rookie quarterbacks in consecutive weeks is clearly as bad as it gets right? Or is it merely a sign of further struggles coming the Bears’ way.

As a longtime Bears fan, it is rather frustrating to watch this team play now on a week-to-week basis. The Bears through the draft these past two seasons under new management, have consistently neglected the most important position in football: the quarterback. Observing 4th round rookie QB Dak Prescott light up the Bears’ defense is concerning, given that the Bears have been reluctant to draft any young QB to groom and play in case of another Jay Cutler injury (which to no surprise has already happened).

The Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears display a perfect contrast to what happens when both teams’ starting quarterbacks go down with injuries this season. The Cowboys, much like the Bears last season, were coming off a disappointing losing season, and currently have a middle-aged, injury-prone QB in Tony Romo. So, to address this yearly concern, they’ve drafted a young rookie QB this year who thus far has outperformed a $100 million dollar quarterback by the name of “Jay Cutler”.

The Bears also have a middle-aged, injury-prone QB in Jay Cutler, but have ignored all the warning signs that have come the team’s way for all these seasons with Cutler at QB. Once again, Cutler is injured, and while Brian Hoyer is a decent backup, that’s what he is: a middle-aged backup.

The Bears’ organization will tell you that all the players they draft now are designed to fit immediate player-position needs, but why they continue to ignore drafting a young quarterback with potential upside is beyond my comprehension, given the uncertainty of their QB position from week-to-week, let alone year-to-year. One thing is certain with the Bears, for not only this season, but also in seasons’ past: the team’s success ultimately has hinged on who’s managing the huddle. And until the Bears’ fix that glaring problem of uncertainty from a week-to-week basis, they will continue to play in a state of pure mediocrity, thus further delaying their so-called “promising” rebuild.

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