The Chicago Bears didn’t do anything to help their national reputation Monday night after an embarrassing 24-10 loss to the Rams, which wasn’t as close as the two-touchdown defeat.
Quarterback Nick Foles was very Mitch Trubisky-like in his attempt to move the Bears offense into scoring range, completing 28-of-40 passes for 261yards and two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 66.8.
He missed open receivers on multiple occasions, especially downfield where rookie Darnell Mooney was open on more than one field-flipping opportunity.
But the bigger problem — as it’s been all season — was the running game, or the lack of one. David Montgomery finished Monday night with 14 carries for 48 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and Cordarrelle Patterson contributed one yard on three attempts.
Montgomery now has 96 carries for 353 yards and one touchdown in seven games.
Is Montgomery the problem? At this point, it’s at least worth questioning. We know the offensive line has been one of the worst units in the NFL, and Nagy isn’t doing himself any favors with his game plan.
“You gotta be able to run the ball,” Nagy said. “We’re trying to figure out ways to do it.”
The Bears, and Nagy, have been trying to solve this riddle for three seasons now. At some point, he has to look in the mirror and decide whether this team needs a new approach — and person — calling plays.
“Stating the obvious, the offense, we gotta get stuff figured out,” Nagy said. “To be outscored by your defense is unacceptable, too.”