The Chicago Bears are one of the teams that are synonymous with football. One of the NFL’s most historic franchises, they date all the way back to 1920. As the sport grew, so did their image. George Halas, Mike Ditka, Walter Payton, The ’85 Bears, the list goes on and on. So how is it that we now almost look at this storied franchise as a joke in 2023?
To put it simply, they’ve dug themself into a hole over recent years. This a team whose last playoff win came way back in 2010 against the Seattle Seahawks. This was back when Jay Cutler was their quarterback, and it feels like that was the last good quarterback play that they have had.
They may have just broken an almost year-long losing streak, but this is a team with a long road of improvement ahead of them.
The quarterback
This is the one position that is still giving Chicago problems to this day. Unfortunately it feels like there is no solution in sight and that the Justin Fields experiment is coming to an end. Fields is a freak athlete with so much raw talent, but it all feels wasted. Since entering the league in 2021, he has accumulated 6,310 total yards. 1,672 of these yards (26.5%) have come as a runner.
What is sad to see is his regression as a passer. When he entered the league, Fields played with a lot more confidence. Fast forward to 2023 and we see a player who will hold onto the ball for far too long and who is hesitant to attempt passes into tight windows. He currently leads the NFL with an average time to throw of 3.22 seconds. Last season he became the first passer since 2013 to log an average of 3.4+ seconds.
This leads to him drift in the pocket and regularly find his way into trouble. When it comes to progressions Fields has zero rhythm and is extremely inconsistent.
The scheme “fit”
The scheme that Chicago is trying to operate with Fields makes zero sense. The biggest issue is that Luke Getsy has taken away the part of Fields’ game that defenses had to account for most. That is of course his athleticism and rushing ability. So far this season, Fields is averaging just five designed runs per game. Almost half of them came in Week 5 against the Commanders.
Now I get it, you want your quarterback to throw the football. But you also want to get the best out of them. Look at the Baltimore Ravens for instance. They have maximised the athletic abilities of their quarterback, and because of that, Lamar Jackson has an MVP. Even Tyler Huntley made it to a Pro Bowl!
It also feels like there is no rhythm when it comes to the play calling itself. Some plays have just one option and are highly dependent on their gadget guy winning. Others involve full field progressions, despite Fields’ clear struggles in grasping this part of the game. We have seen the confidence of Fields diminish during his time in Chicago, but it is also starting to feel like the coaches don’t have any confidence either.
A lack of direction
This team feels like it is going nowhere, simply because they don’t seem to know what direction they want to take. It seemed like they were tanking at times last year, only for GM Ryan Poles to trade away the No. 1 overall pick.
It then looked like they were building around Justin Fields, but if that is the case you have to question their process along the way. This is a team that traded away what became the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft for Chase Claypool. In his 10 games with the Bears, Claypool managed just 18 catches for 191 yards before being shipped to Miami for basically nothing.
If the Bears had kept this pick, they would have had a choice of some dynamic receiving options. This list includes the likes of Josh Downs, Marvin Mims, and Jayden Reed. All three of these players are having a much stronger start to the season than Claypool.
There was another questionable move on draft night as the Bears traded back from No. 9 overall. This allowed the Eagles to move up and take Jalen Carter, who is already off to a blazing start. He currently leads all interior linemen with 15 pressures through three games. That is not to say that Darnell Wright was a bad pick – it just never felt like the correct pick. This continues to be one of the worst defenses in the league and their decision to pass on Carter could haunt them for a long time.
The root of the problem
So what is the root of the problem in Chicago? Unfortunately there isn’t a simple answer as there are problems all over. It is hard to really blame it all on Justin Fields when it feels like this franchise has done very little to help him succeed.
The game planning and play calling has also been a disaster. The talent is lacking in certain areas. The defensive line is a disaster, the offensive line is banged up, and the skill position player are just not that great.
There’s big questions for Poles and Eberflus to answer. This roster was built by them and since the two took over it has been nothing but a freefall to the bottom. Either there isn’t clear communication between the people upstairs, or these two just are not the answer.
The positives
It’s a bleak outlook in Chicago, but there are still some positives if you look hard enough. Darnell Wright is shaping up to be a pretty solid tackle. They also have a pair of good linebackers to build around in Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards.
2024 looks like the kind of class to have multiple first round picks, and the Bears just so happen to have that. This could put them in contention for Caleb Williams if they want a quarterback. The receiving talent in this draft is also plentiful, and there’s a handful of quality tackles. Wherever they end up picking, the Bears will have good opportunities to hit on some key positions.
Their first win in almost a year will have helped too. The team now just needs to figure out an identity and run with it. If that identity is to be built around Justin Fields, then prove that. Call plays with confidence in your quarterback and surround himself with the pieces to really succeed.
