Bears: Offense better without Taylor Gabriel

After a big win on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys, the questions needs to be asked, is the Chicago Bears offense better without Taylor Gabriel?

Over the last two weeks, if there’s been one thing that’s been noticeable about the Chicago Bears offense, it’s the fact that everything seems to be clicking without veteran wide receiver Taylor Gabriel. Against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, the Bears offense totaled 419 yards on offense, 331 of which came from the passing game.

Then, on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys at home, the Bears put together another stellar performance on offense with 382 total yards and 24 first downs. Besides the first drive that ended on the Cowboys 16 yard line due to a Mitchell Trubisky interception, the Bears offense was efficient moving the ball the rest of the game.

What’s interesting is that all this has come with veteran wide receiver Taylor Gabriel being out due to a concussion. Surprisingly, over the last two games, younger players like J.P Holtz and Anthony Miller have also taken off in Gabriel’s absence.

In 2018, Gabriel was one of the Bears most consistent pieces on offense in terms of production. He had a career year as a starter on offense with 67 receptions for 688 yards, averaging 10.3 yards per reception.

However, in 2019 he’s regressed to the point where the Bears are clearly better off without him. He’s started just seven games and has only caught 60.4 percent of passes thrown his way. Additionally, Gabriel has played just 57 percent of the Bears snaps on offense this year compared to 77 percent a year ago. While part of this is due to injuries, players like Miller and Javon Wims have also stepped up and taken playing time away from the sixth-year veteran.

Perhaps the one player that’s benefitted the most from Gabriel being out is Trubisky, who’s thrown for six touchdowns over the last two games. Even Trubisky seems to be playing at much higher level because the Bears offense is finally clicking.

As the Bears head into week 15 showdown against the Green Bay Packers, Gabriel’s status remains unknown. However, if he does return, due to injuries, he may be inserted back into the starting lineup. However, if the Bears are smart, they’ll bench Gabriel for the rest of the year and let younger guys like 2019 fourth-round pick Riley Ridley get some extra playing time. While numbers may not tell the whole story, over the last two games, if there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that the Bears offense seems to have taken a step forward with Gabriel being out.