The 2019 Chicago Bears ended their season in Minnesota for the third time in four years, and they beat the Vikings 21-19 on a last-minute field goal by kicker Eddy Pineiro, who had four on the day in all. They finish the year 8-8, good for third place in the NFC North, and begin an offseason with more questions than answers at this point.
The victory seems hollow, however, with no postseason plans and the Vikings resting most of their starters. The Bears defense still forced three turnovers and had a safety, but the offense showed more of the same, unable to convert those turnovers into touchdowns.
This game provided a snapshot of the Bears’ issues plaguing them all season. Here are my five takeaways from this season finale.
1. Matt Nagy has lost faith in Mitchell Trubisky
The big topic this offseason will center around how the Bears will handle Trubisky. Will they pick up his fifth-year option? Bring in competition? Look to trade him? All good questions that will be answered at a later time. But looking at this game and season specifically, Nagy clearly doesn’t trust his quarterback to make the plays needed to win.
In a game with nothing to lose, Trubisky completed 26 passes for 207 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per pass. He was again inaccurate when he did throw deep and struggled against second and third stringers on the Vikings defense. Nagy’s playcalling has come under fire, and for good reason. However, how can he open up the playbook if his quarterback can’t make the throws?
The Bears offense is a mess and they’ll finish the regular season ranked near the bottom in every statistical category. It’s not just one person, but this disconnect needs to be addressed in the offseason.