Chicago Bears Week 11: What To Look For

Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The defense needs to communicate better.

Yes, I know that Mel Tucker is the easy target for the Bears’ struggles, and people say that they just do not have the talent on defense. But I feel they do have the talent. How the plays are going from the sidelines to the players is of great concern, though.

Don’t get me wrong. I think Tucker has done an awful job as defensive coordinator in Chicago. I was one of his few defenders, wanting to see what he did with his own system. He has not done much and will probably be gone after the season.

“As they do from time to time, they tried to change the coverage up, but not everybody was on the same page.” –Aaron Rodgers

There is a problem going on with communications, however. I don’t know what is going on between the time Lance Briggs receives the plays and he gives the signals to the rest of the defense.

Take this quote from Rodgers as an example on the first touchdown thrown to Jordy Nelson. “As they do from time to time, they tried to change the coverage up, but not everybody was on the same page,” Rodgers said. “So you had Tim Jennings playing two-high coverage and the safety was playing single-high.”

Basically you had Jennings expecting help up top on the play, while the safety thought it was a single coverage. Jennings let Nelson run right past him, and no one covered him. Easy touchdown.

As bad as Tucker has been, I don’t think he called two different coverages on that one play. Someone got the call right. Or Briggs got the signals wrong (he has practically admitted that he has checked out for the season, so there’s that).

I’ve written about Briggs’ troubling words and actions this season. He is not the future of the Bears, and he is already thinking about being a former Bear, so let him do it from the bench. .

Let the young linebackers show what they can do. They were all in against the Atlanta Falcons in their only win in almost two months, so put them in again. They may still be Bears next season, so let them audition during actual games.

The communication cannot be worse than what it is now, so let’s see if they can repeat their success. In a season that is practically lost, let’s see what diamonds in the rough the Bears can find.