Chicago Bears: Why the Bears need a team win this week

The Chicago Bears are struggling after suffering back-to-back heartbreaking loses. It’s time for the team to step up and perform in all facets of the game to get a much-needed win on Sunday.

The Chicago Bears started off this year looking like a completely different team compared to recent seasons. The team showed they could compete with the best, and some glaring weaknesses of the past seemed to be much improved.

It was really exciting as a Bears fan to see a player like Khalil Mack join the squad after a blockbuster trade. He made an immediate impact, and all of a sudden the Bears looked like an elite defense. Even after a heartbreaking loss to the Green Bay Packers in week one, there was hope.

The Bears improved to 3-1 and were alone in first place in the NFC North. But after two tough close losses, it appears that the team still has a lot of work to do if they want to contend for a division title.

The Bears have found some really frustrating ways to lose games over the three weeks that they suffered defeat.

In Green Bay, the team led 20-0 at halftime when star quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a knee injury. Rodgers inexplicably came back after halftime and led the Packers to a 24-23 win. The Bears defense was gassed in the second half and collapsed.

In week six the team was coming off a bye week and heading down to sweltering Miami to face the Dolphins. After struggling in the first half, the offense came alive in the second half and started putting up points. Unfortunately, the defense lost all their energy from the heat and the team ended up losing 31-28 in overtime. It was a frustrating loss in a very winnable game.

Last week against the New England Patriots, the team again struggled in multiple areas of the game. The defense struggled to contain star quarterback Tom Brady and elusive pass-catching back James White. But that wasn’t the main reason for the most recent Bears loss.

Against a Patriots team that had crushed the Bears in recent years, the team was leading in the first half and still hanging around after they lost the lead. Unfortunately, special teams was the part of the Bears that would collapse. They allowed two touchdowns: one on a blocked punt and another on a kickoff return. This cost them dearly in the 38-31 loss.

If the Bears want to beat the New York Jets this week, they need all facets of their team to perform. It’s been a frustrating theme to see the offense start slow out of the gate and pick it up in the second half. The defense that once looked scarily good has regressed substantially. Special teams can’t have a disaster of a game like they did against the Patriots.

If the Bears want to have success, they need guys to step up. Mack is dealing with an ankle injury and may not even play against the Jets. If that’s the case it’s going to be up to guys like Leonard Floyd or Akiem Hicks to pressure the quarterback.

On offense, it’s up to Mitchell Trubisky to show that he’s improving and learning to read NFL defenses more effectively.  He’s looked better in recent weeks but may be without his top receiver in Allen Robinson, who is dealing with a groin injury.

While the season wouldn’t be over after a loss to the Jets, it would be a big blow to a team that started the year so impressively. It’s time for the defense to start pressuring the quarterback again, and for the offense to move the ball efficiently in all four quarters.

No game in the NFL is easy, and the Bears need to be as focused as possible heading into Sunday’s showdown. Keep checking Da Windy City for more pregame and postgame coverage.