Da Windy City
Fansided

Chicago Bears “improve” but results are the same

By Carlos Nazario

facebooktwitterreddit

The Chicago Bears took the field against the Green Bay Packers in their season opener on Sunday. While they did not get utterly embarrassed, they still could not stop Aaron Rodgers, and the bad Jay Cutler took awhile but made his appearance with the game still on the line late in the game. 

Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears /

Chicago Bears

Over the past three seasons, the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers has been unstoppable against the Chicago Bears. Taking out the one game in 2013 where he got injured, he has completed 110 of his 162 passes (68 percent completion rate), with 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

The Bears, with a new general manager, a new head coach and a heavily revised roster, looked to change things.

For awhile, things looked different for the Bears.

The Bears offense was moving pretty well. They gave the ball to Matt Forte, who had 24 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown.

The ball-control offense that head coach John Fox usually employs was working. The Bears were eating up time off the clock and they were keeping Rodgers off the field.

When Rodgers was on the field, however, he was still the same unstoppable force against the Bears.

Rodgers was 18-of-23 for just 189 yards, but he threw for three touchdowns.

With Rodgers throwing touchdowns, Mason Crosby, who usually spends games against the Bears in the clubhouse sleeping or eating, only got in TWO punts in the game.

Pat O’Donnell did not work much, either, but that was because the Bears went for it on fourth downs and got three field goals from Robbie Gould.

As the Packers scored touchdowns, the Bears moved the ball until they got in the red zone, where things broke down and they settled for field goals. The touchdowns they scored came after an offsides call on a field goal attempt and a garbage time touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett.

Yes, it was encouraging to have the Bears control the ball with Forte, but what happened on the series when the Bears had first-and-goal, then ran four plays without involving him at all?

Cutler looked good as a game manager for most of the game, but when called upon to make plays late in the game, his tendency for turnovers got the best of him.

Again, Cutler does not seem to learn from his mistakes. Again, he drops back and looks at his primary target all the way, allowing a defensive back, this time Clay Matthews, to know where the ball was going and getting a crucial interception.

Despite the critical interception late in the game, offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod felt Cutler still did a good job.

“I think he did a tremendous job of managing our game, getting us in the right position, making the right calls, and protecting the ball for us. When it was his time to get back there and throw the ball, he did. He did a good job. We’re all trying to get better. I think we have to build off this. I’ve been in this locker room, and we’ve had losses, and I just don’t want to talk to anyone. But we fought and competed, and that’s all we can ask for.”

This was the fourth straight game the Packers put up 30+ points against the Bears. Having the Packers offense on the bench prevented the Bears’ defense from getting pounded again. Rodgers missed on only FIVE passes! He was still burning the Bears’ secondary (I am looking at you, Kyle Fuller), and even when they were there to make a play, the passes thrown were just perfect (poor Alan Ball was so close to having a great game).

The Bears did show that they are making progress. The same problems, though, are showing up. Until those old problems are finally taken care of, these new players will end up with the same results that have hurt the franchise.

Let’s hope the Bears can get to Carson Palmer next week.

Next: Packers vs. Bears, 31-23: Final Thoughts, Final Score And More

More from Da Windy City

Home/Chicago Bears