Tag: Allen Robinson

5 takeaways from the Bears’ 17-7 loss vs. the Rams

From missed FGs to finishing with a potential quarterback controversy, there was a lot to unpack in the Bears’ 17-7 loss to the Rams.

A de facto game to see who remains in the playoff hunt on Sunday evening took place as the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams squared off in primetime. After a back and forth game, the Rams landed the final blow, scoring a touchdown in the final few minutes to secure the win 17-7, effectively ending the Bears playoff hopes as they fall to 4-6.

It was the same old story for coach Matt Nagy’s squad. The offense continued to sputter when the team needed a spark, and their defense played well enough to keep the team in the game until the final minutes when Rams coach Sean McVay and quarterback Jared Goff orchestrated a 4 minute drive that resulted in a touchdown.

From starting out with two missed field goals to finishing with a potential quarterback controversy, there was a lot to unpack in this game. Here are my five takeaways from the Bears loss.

1. “Benching” quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was a cowardly move by Matt Nagy

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

You can call it a hip injury, but I’m calling it a benching. Down 10 points and following the Rams’ final touchdown, Trubisky was removed from the game in favor of backup quarterback Chase Daniel. The team sent out a memo, saying he was dealing with a hip injury and Nagy explained in his press conference he hurt it in the second half, but Trubisky says the injury occurred in the first half.

Those reports do not add up and the situation did not pass the eye test after seeing Nagy talk with his quarterback on the sideline and watching Trubisky walk off the field when the game ended. I could end up being wrong, but I’m not buying the injury. I saw a coach attempt to save his skin by playing his backup and a dejected (potentially former) starting quarterback look like someone told him his dog had died.

Benching Trubisky does nothing at this point in the season except raise more questions and create unrest in the locker room. Trubisky didn’t light it up tonight, but until the final couple of drives, he played alright and was plagued by drops from his receivers. Still, in my opinion, the decision to remove Trubisky with three minutes to go was the wrong move, and I’m not buying the injury excuse.

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Bears vs. Rams: 4 storylines to watch in Week 11

The Bears and Rams are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive in what’s shaping up to be a defensive showdown in primetime.

The Chicago Bears (4-5) and Los Angeles Rams (5-4) will face-off in a rematch of last season’s primetime matchup. Heading into that game, both teams were sure-fire playoff contenders destined to win their division.

That isn’t the case this season, where the Bears and Rams are both struggling due in large part of their offenses. So Sunday’s matchup looks to be another defensive showing — hopefully with a result the Bears can duplicate from a year ago.

Here are four storylines to watch as the Bears face the Rams on Sunday:

1. Can the Bears pull off the upset?

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

While the Bears and Rams head into Sunday’s primetime matchup with struggling offenses, the Rams are favored by 6.5 points in what’s either going to be a neutral field or a Bears crowd in Los Angeles.

The game will feature two defensive powerhouses in Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald, who will each be looking to get the best of opposing quarterbacks Jared Goff and Mitchell Trubisky, respectively.

But this is a winnable game for the Bears. They haven’t forgotten that in Week 14 last season they came out on the national stage and shutdown the Rams’ high-powered offense, in a 15-6 victory that defined their season. The question is: Can they make a similar statement? Only instead of declaring they’re a force in the NFC, it would be a statement that they’re not dead yet in the playoff race.

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4 bold predictions for Bears’ Week 11 matchup vs. Rams

The Bears will face the Rams in a rematch of last season’s defensive showdown, and we’ve got some bold predictions heading into the game.

The Chicago Bears (4-5) return to primetime in what’s become an important conference game against the Los Angeles Rams (5-4), where both struggling teams are looking for a win to keep in the NFC Wild Card playoff race.

The Bears broke their four-game losing streak with a divisional win over the Detroit Lions, which hopefully provides some momentum for the team heading into an important matchup.

Here are four bold predictions for the Bears’ Week 11 contest versus the Rams.

1. Khalil Mack outperforms Aaron Donald

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald are two of the NFL’s best players, period. Just look at the money the Bears and Rams, respectively, have given to two players that have altered their franchises.

While Mack and Donald don’t play the same position, their job is simply to get after the quarterback. They’re both two play makers that can wreck a game at any moment. Both haven’t replicated their statistical outputs from a season ago, but they’re still dominant forces that require offenses to game-plan around them.

Mack, specifically, has been quiet since September, where he recorded 4.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles after the first four games. Since then, Mack has had just one additional sack. While the defense’s recent struggles don’t all fall on him, this is one of those games where Mack needs to come out like the force he is and win this game for the Bears, adding a couple sacks of Jared Goff and forcing a fumble.

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Bears WR Allen Robinson ready to face former teammate CB Jalen Ramsey in Week 11

Bears WR Allen Robinson has a tall task in front of him in Week 11: Facing former Jaguars teammate CB Jalen Ramsey.

When the Chicago Bears head to Los Angeles to face the Rams, receiver Allen Robinson will find himself locked in a battle with former Jacksonville Jaguars teammate cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

It’s safe to assume that Ramsey will cover Robinson exclusively, looking to take away quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s top target. A challenge that Robinson welcomes.

‘‘It’s gonna be physical, it’s gonna be competitive, it’s gonna be fun,’’ Robinson said, via the Sun-Times. ‘‘I’m definitely looking forward to it. . . . I talk, he talks, so it’ll be fun.’’

In a season where the Bears offense has struggled immensely, Robinson has been the gear that has made the offense go. Robinson’s production this season — with 53 catches for 618 yards and three touchdowns — is already nearing his production from 2018. And there’s still seven games remaining.

Given Robinson’s success, it’s no wonder why nearly 27% of Chicago’s passes go Robinson’s way. In fact, no other wide receivers have neared 300 yards receiving or half his receptions.

Trubisky and the Bears’ offense will need to be aware of Ramsey’s presence, as he’s always a threat to make a play. While Robinson typically is Trubisky’s security blanket, it’s going to be much more difficult to get him the ball.

‘‘We expect him to match A-Rob,’’ Trubisky said of Ramsey. ‘‘Obviously, he’s in a new scheme, so I think he’s still getting used to that. But most of the time he’s matching, and he’s just gonna cover his guy and try and shut that down.’’

Robinson knows Ramsey well, and he expects nothing short of a physical battle.

‘‘At some of the catch points, he tries to be a little more physical,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘If you catch the ball on the sideline, you know he’s gonna be physical. There’s a lot you can expect in this game.’’

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Bears have highest drop rate in NFL through Week 10

Nothing has been working for the Bears’ offense this season. So it’s no wonder why they lead the NFL in the highest drop rate.

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When you have a struggling offense, there’s little room for error. Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, there have been plenty of errors over the first 10 weeks of the 2019 season.

And it doesn’t just fall on third-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who deserves a fair share of the blame for the offense’s struggles.

When your young quarterback is struggling, you need to do everything you can to help him. Establish the run game (which has been inconsistent and suspect this season), give him a clean pocket (which hasn’t always been the case this season) and have your playmakers come down with the ball.

Given that most of these factors — including the quarterback’s play — haven’t been working, it’s no wonder the Bears boast the NFL’s 29th-ranked offense.

In fact, the Bears have the highest drop rate in the NFL at 7.36 percent. Of 299 attempts, Bears receivers have 22 drops, which also ranks highest in the league. They’re the only team that has a drop rate greater than 7 percent.

The Bears have two players that rank in the top 35 in the NFL in drops: running back Tarik Cohen (6) and receiver Allen Robinson (3).

This certainly doesn’t let Trubisky off the hook, who needs to do a better job of giving his receivers a chance to catch the ball, for the offense’s struggles.

But Trubisky would certainly benefit from better pass protection from his offensive line, which ranks 22nd in the league with 27 sacks allowed through the first 10 weeks.

Which isn’t to say that Trubisky hasn’t had a hand in several of those sacks. You could argue that most of his five sacks last Sunday against the Detroit Lions were on him.

Simply put, the entire offense needs to do better. It’s not just one guy. It would be easier if it were.