Category: Latest Bears News

What Bears coordinators are saying ahead of Week 2 matchup vs. Bengals

From Justin Fields’ readiness to getting Khalil Mack going, here’s what Bears coordinators had to say ahead of Week 2.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for their Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, where Chicago will be looking for their first win of the season.

The Bears offense and defense have plenty to prove in their home opener following some disappointing performances. While the offense showed encouraging signs, they need to score more than 14 points to win a game, especially with a declining defense. But running back David Montgomery certainly provides some upside to this offense.

All eyes will be on the defense, who is looking to overcome an embarrassing outing where they allowed 34 points and struggled with missed tackles and blown coverages. They’re going to need to fix things up heading into Sunday’s game, where they’ll face a Bengals offense coming off a solid outing.

Here’s a look at what Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, defensive coordinator Sean Desai and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor had to say during their weekly press conferences with the media.

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4 key matchups to watch as Bears face Bengals in Week 2

From David Montgomery vs. Cincy’s run defense to Darnell Mooney vs. Eli Apple, here are four matchups to watch as Bears battle the Bengals.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for their Week 2 home opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, where there are a slew of matchups that will go a long way in determining whether the Bears can earn their first win of the season.

Following an embarrassing loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, there are plenty of concerns on both offense and defense. While the Bears won’t be playing the Rams’ high-powered offense again, they’re going to need to rebound to keep Cincy’s offensive weapons at bay. On offense, we’ll see if Matt Nagy will open things up downfield, where there are opportunities to exploit a weakness in the Bengals’ secondary.

Here are four matchups to watch as the Bears head into their Week 2 game against the Bengals.

Who wins Week 2 contest between Bears and Bengals?

The Bears will host the Bengals in Week 2. Can Andy Dalton make it two wins in a row against his former team?

The Chicago Bears will host the Cincinnati Bengals in their home opener, where the Bears will be looking for their first win of the season.

The Bears are coming off an embarrassing 34-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, where there were plenty of issues on both sides of the ball. Especially on the defensive front.

Believe it or not, the offense wasn’t the worst unit on the field for the Bears, although they were far from productive. The exception was running back David Montgomery, who had 16 carries for 108 yards (6.8 average).

Quarterback Andy Dalton wasn’t terrible in his debut, where his quick release was a strength. But he did throw a costly interception in the end zone that halted an impressive scoring drive to open the game. The offense was able to sustain drives and didn’t have any 3-and-outs, which was an impressive feat for a team that had many in 2020, but they only managed 14 points.

The defense’s struggles was the most shocking thing to come out of the game for Chicago. While many expected the Rams offense to find success, it was a poor outing by the Bears, where there were missed tackles and blown coverages that made it an easy win for Los Angeles. The good news is Chicago isn’t facing the Rams offense for the second straight week.

Meanwhile, the Bengals are coming off an impressive overtime victory over the Vikings, where quarterback Joe Burrow led an impressive passing attack with Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and rookie Ja’Marr Chase. While Cincy’s defense can be had, they’re certainly not the poor unit from a season ago.

Can Dalton make it two wins against his former team? How will Chicago’s defense rebound following a rough opener? Can the Bears get their first win of the season?

Who wins on Sunday?

VOTE!

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Dave Wannstedt said he’d get to the playoffs every year with Mitch Trubisky

Former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt believes he’d make the playoffs every year with the 2018 defense and Mitch Trubisky.

For the last few years, the conversation around the Chicago Bears has been their quarterback room. Whether it was Mitch Trubisky, Nick Foles or now Andy Dalton, it seems like Matt Nagy has gotten the benefit of the doubt from most people.

Last season, fans were calling for Trubisky’s head from the start of training camp. Fans believed that he wasn’t the answer and that Nagy should go with Foles. We saw how poorly that went.

Trubisky got a raw deal in Chicago. He was benched against Atlanta when he was 2-0, something that was questionable at the time. Though Foles came back to win that game, he didn’t do much else after that. In fact, Foles hurt the Bears more than he helped them, going 2-5 as a starter and almost ending their playoff hopes.

Of course, Trubisky came in, snapped the six-game losing streak Foles started and took Chicago to the playoffs. Everyone knows the story. He saved the season and likely saved the jobs of both Nagy and Ryan Pace.

So, was it all Trubisky? Was it Nagy? The answer has been clear. Without Trubisky, Nagy is 3-8. With him, Nagy is 25-13. Of course, Trubisky wasn’t perfect, he made his mistakes, but to blame everything on him is wrong.

For all of his faults, Trubisky was still a winner in Chicago. He finished his Bears career 29-21. He wasn’t always in the best spot, but he did his job well enough to win 29 of his first 50 starts.

Recently, on Barstool Sports Red Line Radio podcast, former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt praised Trubisky and bashed Nagy. Wannstedt believes that he would make the playoffs every year if Trubisky was his quarterback.

“Give me the defense from a couple of years ago,” Wannstedt said. “Give me David Montgomery and Mitch Trubisky and I will get you to the playoffs every year.”

That’s a bold statement, but it might be true. If Trubisky was coached up by a veteran coach and was in a better situation, would he have made the playoffs each of the last three seasons? Maybe. It’s something we’ll never know.

Right now, Trubisky is trying to reset his career in Buffalo as Josh Allen’s backup. As a backup quarterback, he is one play away from seeing the field, but that one play may never come, at least there.

He was impressive during preseason and showed that he can be a starter in this league. If Trubisky can learn the Bills offense, maybe he follows offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to a new team in 2022, if Daboll is offered a head coaching job.

With Trubisky’s career on hold at the moment, and Wannstedt turning 70 next May, it doesn’t look like the two will be paired up in this lifetime.

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Andy Dalton might regret hoping Bears fans will be loud vs. Bengals

Bears QB Andy Dalton will likely get his wish for a raucous home crowd at Soldier Field. But be careful what you wish for, Andy.

Quarterback Andy Dalton wasn’t terrible in his Chicago Bears debut last Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite a costly interception in the end zone and scoring a mere 14 points, there were some encouraging signs from Chicago’s offense in the loss.

One of the positives was rookie quarterback Justin Fields, who played five reps in his NFL debut. He completed both of his passes and scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown, which left fans clamoring for more.

The Bears will be looking for their first win of the season when the Bengals come to town for Chicago’s home opener on Sunday, where Dalton is hoping fans will be loud when the opposing team takes the field.

“A lot of excited fans get to be back at Soldier Field,” Dalton said. “We’re excited for this home field advantage. Hopefully they’ll be loud and make it hard for the offense for the Bengals when they’re out there.”

The expectation is Bears fans will certainly be loud on Sunday, but perhaps not in the way Dalton hopes. After all, this is the same group that booed Dalton in the second preseason game and chanted “Justin Fields” when the starting offense was struggling.

“The fans are awesome, but they also have to realize Andy is a human being too,” Fields said following the second preseason game. “Andy is out there on the field right now, so I really think it’s kind of disrespectful to Andy, them cheering my name like that. They have to trust in coach to make sure he’s making the right decisions and cheer Andy on.

“That’s not helping Andy play better, them cheering my name. That’s not doing that. So I would say my advice to them would be just cheer for who’s out there playing on the field.”

With Fields expected to see more reps in a small package of plays against the Bengals, fans are going to go absolutely crazy when he steps onto the field, showering him with applause. But they’ll also likely let Matt Nagy (and Dalton) how they feel when Fields exits the field after a given rep.

And should Dalton and the starting offense struggle? Well, the boo birds are going to rain down on Dalton. Even though it’s not Dalton who deserves it, he’s going to be the one receiving them.

So Dalton will likely get his wish for a raucous home crowd at Soldier Field. But be careful what you wish for, Andy.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears opened 2013 season with comeback win over Bengals

Back in 2013, the Bears rallied from behind to defeat the Bengals in the first game of the Marc Trestman era.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

September 8th, 2013: Bears defeat Bengals in first game of the Marc Trestman era

The Cincinnati Bengals are set to make their first trip back to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears since the 2013 season opener. Back then, Andy Dalton (now the Bears quarterback) was considered the franchise savior with the Bengals entering his third season. Meanwhile on the Bears sideline, Jay Cutler was entering his first season with “offensive guru” Marc Trestman as head coach, looking to create an offensive powerhouse for the first time in franchise history.

Chicago wound up striking first, thanks to a Dalton interception to cornerback Charles Tillman. The Bears responded with a touchdown to new tight end Martellus Bennett for the early 7-0 lead, but the Bengals fought back. Superstar wide receiver A.J. Green torched Tillman and the Bears secondary for two unanswered touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead. Chicago did narrow the gap to 14-10 thanks to a field goal from Robbie Gould near the end of the first half, but still trailed the AFC North foe.

Cincinnati expanded their lead again, though, in the third quarter thanks to another long reception from Green, setting up running back Benjarvus Green-Ellis for a short touchdown run to make the score 21-10. Down 11 points, the Bears turned to their biggest playmakers for help.

First, running back Matt Forte punched the ball in the endzone late in the third quarter to once again trim the lead to 4 points. Then, All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall bullied the Bengals defensive backs, eventually catching a 19-yard pass from Cutler to take back the lead.

After an unsuccessful rebuttal from Dalton, the Bears chewed over six minutes on their final drive to preserve the lead and hang on to start the season 1-0. Up until last year’s victory against the Detroit Lions, this was the last season opener the Bears had won.

Now with Dalton on the opposite sidelines, will he be able to find the Bears’ big playmakers for substaintal gains like he did back then? Or will we see another safe gameplan from the coaching staff. The Bears and Bengals kickoff at noon CT on FOX.

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Bears Week 2 injury report: Eddie Goldman, Jason Peters limited, Larry Borom DNP on Wednesday

Here’s a look at the Bears’ injury report from Wednesday’s practice, where Eddie Goldman and Jason Peters were limited and Larry Borom DNP.

The Chicago Bears released their first injury report ahead of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which featured both left tackles Jason Peters and rookie Larry Borom on the injury report. Peters was limited while Borom didn’t practice.

Here’s a look at the full injury report from Wednesday’s practice, which included the return of nose tackle Eddie Goldman to practice in limited fashion.

Bears OC Bill Lazor believes Justin Fields is ready to go, so what’s the holdup?

Ryan Pace said we’ll know when Justin Fields is ready. Well, players know. Now, the offensive coordinator knows. So what are we waiting for?

From the moment the Chicago Bears traded up for quarterback Justin Fields, the world has been waiting for him to make his debut. And Fields made his NFL debut Sunday against the Rams, to the beat of five plays.

Fields completed 2-of-2 passes for 10 yards and added a 3-yard rushing touchdown. He didn’t set the world on fire with those five plays, but he showed exactly what he brings to this offense.

While it wasn’t a surprise to hear Matt Nagy name veteran Andy Dalton the starter from the get-go, the expectation was that would change as training camp and preseason went along, especially after what Fields showed he can bring to the offense, even as a rookie.

Instead, we’ve had to listen to Nagy and GM Ryan Pace say, in regards to when Fields is finally ready, “We’ll know when we know.”

Well, the players know. Fans know. Analysts know. Now, the offensive coordinator knows. So what exactly are we waiting for?

“From the outside looking at it, he looked like he belonged, ” offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said about Fields’ mini-debut. “He looked like he could be successful. Nothing was too big for him, which we didn’t think it would be. Looked like he had fun.”

While Fields got some experience on the field, five plays didn’t seem like enough, especially when you have someone as talented as him who adds an extra layer to this offense.

When asked whether Fields could handle a full series — or least more than a small package of plays — Lazor said nothing’s changed with his belief that Fields is ready.

“I would have said after the preseason that he’s moving quickly and ready for whatever’s thrown at him,” Lazor said. “So I don’t think anything’s changed.”

If Lazor believes he’s ready, what’s the holdup?

“I think Matt has probably addressed what his philosophy is on the quarterback position,” Lazor said. “I don’t think that’s any different. I don’t think there’s any reason for me to answer that.”

Simply put: It’s not my call.

Lazor has made it clear he believes Fields is ready to go — he’s felt that way since preseason — but he’s not the one in charge. Whenever Fields eventually gets the green light to step in as starter, it’ll require a final sign-off from Nagy.

While Nagy might be attempting to prolong Fields’ introduction into the NFL, there’s only so long he can keep his prized rookie on the bench if the losses and poor offensive outings pile up.

Fields will be starting sooner rather than later, even though he should’ve been the starter from the beginning.

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Bears were only team in Week 1 that didn’t attempt a single pass beyond 15 yards

The Bears’ downfield passing game was nonexistent in Week 1. Chicago was the only team not to attempt a pass 15 yards downfield.

For the first time in awhile, the Bears offense wasn’t the worst unit on the field in Chicago’s 34-14 blowout loss to the Rams. While the offense established a balanced attack with David Montgomery and kept LA’s pass rush in check with quick, short passes, that was the extent of the Bears’ passing attack.

Chicago’s downfield passing game was nonexistent. Quarterback Andy Dalton completed 27-of-38 passes for 206 yards with one interception, but only five of those 38 pass attempts traveled at least 10 yards.

But, wait, it gets worse.

The Bears were the only team in Week 1 to not attempt a single pass 15 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus.

Here’s Dalton’s pass chart for Week 1:

Even wide receiver Marquise Goodwin threw some shade about the Bears’ lack of a downfield passing attack against the Rams, which Goodwin said played right into what Los Angeles wanted.

“(Jalen Ramsey)’s a unique player, All-Pro, Pro Bowler, instinctive, especially in short spaces,” Goodwin said. “And us not running past 10 yards, that fell right into his hands I feel like.”

With head coach Matt Nagy coming under fire for his offensive game plan in Week 1, you’d expect the Bears will attempt more passes longer than 15 yards against the Bengals. Whether that translates to success remains to be seen.

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