5 takeaways from Bears’ wild-card playoff loss to the Saints

Before we dive into the Bears’ offseason questions, here are our takeaways from Sunday’s postseason loss vs. Saints.

“I expect nothing, and I’m still let down.”

If there was ever a quote to sum up my feelings regarding the Chicago Bears losing to the New Orleans Saints 21-9 in the playoffs, it would be this gem said by Dewey from the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle.

The Bears came into their wildcard matchup with the Saints as double-digit underdogs and were clearly hobbled as many key players, such as linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and wide receiver Darnell Mooney, were out due to injuries. But instead of rolling over immediately, they actually made a game of it and kept the score close for the entire first half.

Thanks to their solid defense, fans began to believe the Bears had a chance to pull off one of the biggest playoff upsets in recent memory. All of that vanished in the third quarter, however, as they unraveled thanks to untimely penalties, undisciplined players, poor tackling and questionable coaching.

The loss, while expected, still hurt because of how a few missed opportunities might have changed a game that was close for much of the afternoon. Now, the offseason officially begins with the Bears seemingly finding themselves at a fork in the road. But before we dive into those questions, here are my takeaways from Sunday’s postseason loss.

5 takeaways from Bears’ 41-17 win against the Jaguars

The Bears-Jaguars game went as many expected, but there was still a few takeaways when it was all said and done.

For the first time since early November, the Chicago Bears are above .500 and control their own destiny in the playoff race after they dismantled the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-17 in the penultimate game of the 2020 regular season.

While Chicago got off to a somewhat slow start in the first half on both offense and defense, they remedied their woes in the second half thanks to key adjustments to make for a convincing win ahead of their daunting week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

This game went as many expected, but there was still a few takeaways when it was all said and done. Here are mine from Sunday’s win.

5 takeaways from Bears’ dominant 36-7 win over the Texans

All three phases exceeded expectations and the Bears finally have life again in the playoff race. Here are our takeaways from the win.

The Chicago Bears’ two-month long nightmare finally came to an end on Sunday when they dominated the Houston Texans on the lakefront, winning 36-7 and snapping their seven-game losing streak.

The win was a complete team effort, as the offense started fast and didn’t look back, while the defense made life miserable for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, sacking him six times and forcing two turnovers on the day.

Though the season has slipped away, this was a win fans can feel good about. All three phases exceeded expectations and the Bears finally have life again in the playoff race. There was a lot to unpack from this victory, so here are my key takeaways following the win.

5 takeaways from Bears’ shocking 34-30 loss to the Lions

Following their blowout loss to the Packers, the Bears somehow topped themselves by blowing a 10-point lead to the Lions. Our takeaways.

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Do the Chicago Bears have a calendar that reads something like “It’s been ____ days since our last embarrassing loss” hanging somewhere in Halas Hall? If not, I’d invest in one at this point in the season.

Following their blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Bears somehow topped themselves this weekend by blowing a 10-point lead to the Detroit Lions with under five minutes to go. The offense turtled late in the second half after having arguably its best day of the season, and the defense continued to raise red flags by allowing over 450 total yards to a wounded Lions team.

At this point in the season, the loss was yet another nail in the coffin of head coach Matt Nagy’s tenure with the Bears. They’ll eventually run out of unique ways to lose as we head into the final quarter of the season, but for now, we’re left to pick up the pieces and wonder if/when changes are made. Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s shocking loss.

6 takeaways from Bears’ 41-25 blowout loss to the Packers

This was a statement loss for a team that prides itself on never giving up and could be the breaking point for Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy.

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The Chicago Bears’ bye week came at a perfect time as the team was reeling following four straight losses and injuries at key positions. A week off would surely help this team fix some key issues and give them the boost they need to make a run at the playoffs right?

Wrong.

In a nationally televised game against the Green Bay Packers, the Bears defense got carved up more than a Thanksgiving turkey, thanks to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall of Fame quarterback tossed three touchdowns and only threw eight incompletions as the Packers rolled the Bears 41-25.

The Packers had this one in the bag early, leading by as much as 24 points. The Bears defense had no answers for Rodgers and the Green Bay offense and despite a promising start on the other side of the ball, the Bears offense and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky quickly fell into disarray.

This was a statement loss for a team that prides itself on never giving up and could be the breaking point for a coaching staff that was already under the microscope. No matter how you look at it, this game was flat out embarrassing on all levels. Here are my takeaways from yet another loss to the Packers.

5 takeaways from the Bears’ 19-13 loss against the Vikings

The Bears and their putrid offense fell to the Vikings 19-13, losing four straight and seeing their magical 5-1 start crumble to 5-5.

You can take the playcaller away from the offense, but you can’t take the offense away from the playcaller. The Chicago Bears showed that it doesn’t matter who is drawing up plays for this offense, it will still be inept against even one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

The Bears and their putrid offense fell to the Minnesota Vikings 19-13, losing four straight and seeing their magical 5-1 start crumble to 5-5 before their off week. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins got his first win on Monday Night Football, and his first win as a Viking against the Bears. He provided the offense for Minnesota as the Bears effectively shut down running back Dalvin Cook.

On the other sideline, the Bears managed just 149 yards and quarterback Nick Foles was ineffective yet again, missing open receivers and struggling against the rush. His worst moment came, however, when he landed awkwardly on the team’s final drive was carted off the field.

The loss felt familiar for the 2020 Bears. The defense does just enough to keep the team in the game, only for the offense to turtle and lay on their back. They’re nearly out of options and with six games to go, I don’t know how this gets any better. Here are my takeaways following yet another loss.

5 takeaways from Bears’ 26-23 OT loss to Saints

There was a lot to unpack from the Bears’ second straight loss, from the start to the finish. Here are our takeaways from Sunday’s loss.

The Chicago Bears’ 26-23 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints was a game filled with missed opportunities, egregious mistakes and yet another offensive performance that left much to be desired.

Despite leading 13-3 near the end of the first half, the Saints climbed back and scored 20 unanswered points to take a 23-13 lead. The Bears needed to find a way to stay in the game and while they eventually forced overtime, they couldn’t rely on yet another defensive stop.

The loss wasn’t surprising, considering Saints head coach Sean Payton has now won six-straight contests between the two teams. But it was the way they lost that stood out. The Bears blew a big lead and had the chance to go up by 14 points near the half. They then turtled in the third quarter, totaling just 13 yards and gave momentum back to the Saints. It was a dogfight just to tie the game thanks to some key fourth-down conversions.

There was a lot to unpack from this game, from the start to the finish. Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s loss.

5 takeaways from Mitchell Trubisky being named Bears’ starting QB

After an underwhelming competition in camp, the Bears have finally chosen their starting QB in Mitchell Trubisky. Here are my takeaways.

After an underwhelming competition in training camp, the Chicago Bears have finally chosen their starting quarterback.

Fourth-year signal caller Mitchell Trubisky will get the nod over veteran Nick Foles in what was a hotly-contested battle that spanned three weeks in training camp. While the decision was surprising, at the same time it wasn’t. Especially after neither Trubisky or Foles managed to pull away in this competition.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy will hold a press conference Sunday, where he’s expected to make the announcement official.

But until then, here are my five takeaways from Trubisky being named Chicago’s starting quarterback.

1. A presumptive tiebreaker went to the incumbent starter

While there were challenges with this quarterback battle, the hope was that Trubisky or Foles would pull away in this competition. That obviously didn’t happen, as reports out of camp indicated neither quarterback looked particularly impressive. Even Nagy said Trubisky and Foles “have done a good job at making it difficult.”

Which led to questions about a potential tiebreaker. Who would get the nod? Well, the answer appears to be the incumbent starter with two years of experience in this offense and with Chicago’s personnel. It always felt like Foles was going to have to outright win the job to supplant Trubisky. And with that not happening, Trubisky gets one last chance to prove himself.

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5 takeaways from Bears’ Friday training camp practice

While the Bears didn’t practice in pads on Friday, it was still an eventful practice with battles continuing at quarterback and safety.

It’s been a busy week of training camp practice for the Chicago Bears this week. While the Bears didn’t practice in pads on Friday, it was still an eventful practice, especially as the quarterback derby between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles continues.

We heard from Bears safeties Tashaun Gipson and Deon Bush, who are both competing for that vacant starting job. There were also some notable injuries during this fourth open practice, some minor and another season-ending.

Here are five takeaways from Chicago’s practice on Friday:

1. Mitchell Trubisky continues to impress more than Nick Foles

Jose M. Osorio/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool

While it’s early, there’s a trend that’s been developing at these training camp practices with the quarterbacks. Trubisky put together a third straight solid practice, which has become the norm this week. Foles, who won Monday slightly, hasn’t been as impressive during these early practices.

To my kinda-trained eye, Mitch Trubisky looked better than Nick Foles today. Which continues a trend. https://t.co/dFLlpdZ5Yk

— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) August 21, 2020

Reports out of Friday’s practice were that Trubisky looked sharper, especially his accuracy. After a critical error on Thursday, where he ran out of bounds and took a sack, Trubisky threw the ball away in the same situation on Friday.

Foles hasn’t looked bad, but he hasn’t exactly impressed either. Foles and Trubisky have been praised for his decision making, but Foles didn’t match Trubisky’s accuracy in 7-on-7s on Friday. Although he was taking more chances down the field.

But it doesn’t mean anything at this point. It’s still early. We’re just three padded practices into this thing. Matt Nagy and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo have stressed the importance of situational football, which we haven’t heard too much about. But once the situational stuff cranks up, that’s when these practices are going to start mattering even more.

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5 takeaways from Bears’ 2019 season

The Bears’ 100th season was anything but special. In fact, it was an absolute mess. Here are five things we learned from the 2019 season.

The Chicago Bears’ 100th season was anything but special. In fact, it was an absolute mess. This, after a 12-4 season where expectations were sky-high for the future.

The 2019 season was an utter disappointment. The offense was a mess from top to bottom, with the exception of receiver Allen Robinson. They ranked near the bottom is most statistical categories, and aside from two back-to-back games against the Lions in Week 13 and Cowboys in Week 14, they never found a rhythm. Even the defense, who weren’t the issue this season, regressed more than anticipated due to a combination of injuries and a new defensive scheme.

This offseason will be integral in determining the direction of the 2020 Bears, who have nowhere to go but up following the disaster that was 2019. Especially now that they know what needs to be fixed.

Here are five takeaways from the 2019 season:

1. Bears are an offense away from championship contention

Believe it or not, the Bears aren’t far off from making a return to the postseason. Although they’re missing one very important part: An offense. And not even a high-flying offense, just an adequate offense that can average more than 17.5 points per game and help their defense out.

The Bears offense wasn’t just disappointing in 2019, it was downright abysmal. They ranked near the bottom of most statistical categories — including points (29th in NFL), yards per game (29th), passing yards (25th) and rushing yards (26th).

It wasn’t just one position group that disappointed, it was everyone. Quarterback, offensive line, run game, tight ends, receivers (not named Allen Robinson) and especially play calling.

Considering this was a team that went 12-4 last season with the same dominant defense and an adequate offense, they’re more than capable of making a return to the playoffs, and actually winning in the postseason. They just need something — anything — out of their offense.

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