6 Takeaways following the Bears’ loss to the Jets

The Bears losing to the Jets went as many expected without Justin Fields, but we still had plenty of takeaways from Sunday’s game.

The Chicago Bears has their worst loss of the season on Sunday when they fell to the New York Jets 31-10, hitting a five-game losing streak for the third year in a row.

This loss was different from the previous four, however, as the Bears were without their budding star quarterback Justin Fields due to a left shoulder injury. Without Fields, journeyman Trevor Siemian got the start and failed to do much after a solid couple of drives that resulted in all 10 points to open the game.

The Jets were also onto a new quarterback after they benched former second overall pick Zach Wilson in favor of Mike White. The change paid off as White carved up the Bears with three touchdowns and no turnovers as New York tries to keep pace with the playoff chase. The Bears, meanwhile, are in the driver’s seat for one of the top picks in next year’s draft.

In the grand scheme of things, this game meant very little to the direction of the Bears aside from a couple potentially big injuries sustained during action. Fields didn’t have a role to play so his development wasn’t a factor and the defense was without two of their foundational pieces in Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker. But there were still things to be learned and observed. Here are our takeaway’s from Sunday’s loss.

Bears WR Darnell Mooney doubtful to return with ankle injury

Bears WR Darnell Mooney doubtful to return with ankle injury

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The injuries are beginning to pile up for the Chicago Bears. After losing safety Eddie Jackson to a leg injury, wide receiver Darnell Mooney is the latest player to exit the game against the New York Jets with an ankle injury. Mooney got rolled up on during a run play in the third quarter, injuring his ankle and needed help getting off the field. He went straight to the locker room and is officially listed as doubtful to return.

The Bears top receiver hasn’t missed a regular season game in his career. His only injury of note came back in 2020 when he was forced out of the team’s season finale against the Green Bay Packers with an ankle injury. Mooney leads the Bears in receiving this season with 40 catches for 493 yards. He also has two touchdowns.

With Mooney sidelined, the Bears will rely on Equanimeous St. Brown, Chase Claypool, Velus Jones Jr., Byron Pringle, and Dante Pettis the rest of the way at the receiver position. They currently trail the Jets 24-10 in the second half.

Bears elevating QB Nathan Peterman to the active roster

With Justin Fields questionable, the Bears are elevating Nathan Peterman from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s game.

The Chicago Bears haven’t made a decision on whether or not Justin Fields starts on Sunday against the New York Jets, but their latest roster move might be a strong indication of which way they’re leaning. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports the team is elevating quarterback Nathan Peterman from the practice squad to the active roster, hinting that Fields could be made inactive for the game and Trevor Siemian will start.

Peterman was signed by the Bears this offseason as their third-string quarterback. He played in every preseason game, going 14-of-24 for 178 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. Peterman was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and has had a rocky career, primarily playing as a backup with the Bills and the Las Vegas Raiders. He will likely back up Siemian, who appears on track to make his first start of the season. Fields is officially questionable with a left shoulder injury.

The Bears will announce their inactive players 90 minutes before gametime but this roster move is a strong indication that Fields won’t be playing on Sunday.

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5 Bold predictions for Bears vs. Jets

From Justin Fields’ status to his old college teammate Garrett Wilson having a career day, here’s our bold predictions for Bears vs. Jets.

The Chicago Bears return to the east coast for the final time this season when they get set to take on the New York Jets at the Meadowlands. The Bears (3-8) are coming off their fourth loss in a row after dropping a close one to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. The Jets (6-4) are also reeling, losing a heartbreaker to the New England Patriots and are looking to get back on track to stay in the playoff hunt.

These two teams will probably look much different than what everyone thought they would be just a week ago. A matchup that was set to feature two of the top quarterbacks from the 2022 NFL Draft might be all for not. Zach Wilson was benched after a poor performance was made worse with a terrible press conference. Fields, on the other hand, has been tearing up the league in recent weeks but a shoulder injury could keep him out. But it’s going to take a lot to keep Fields off the field and his status ties into this week’s bold predictions.

4 Jets players to watch vs. the Bears

Zach Wilson may not be playing this weekend, but here are the Jets players we’ll be watching when they face the Bears.

The Chicago Bears make their second trip out to New Jersey this season when they take on the New York Jets in Week 12. The Bears (3-8) are reeling after another close loss, this time to the Atlanta Falcons, in which they fell short right at the end. The Jets (6-4) meanwhile could be on the verge of unravelling as they’re dealing with a quarterback issue following their last-second loss to the New England Patriots.

A week ago, it was a lock that we would see second-year quarterbacks Justin Fields and Zach Wilson start for the Bears and Jets, respectively. But with Fields dealing with a shoulder injury and Wilson getting benched, it doesn’t seem likely we’ll see either of them. Here are five players that should be watched, however, when the game kicks off.

4 Jets players to watch vs. the Bears

Zach Wilson may not be playing this weekend, but here are the Jets players we’ll be watching when they face the Bears.

The Chicago Bears make their second trip out to New Jersey this season when they take on the New York Jets in Week 12. The Bears (3-8) are reeling after another close loss, this time to the Atlanta Falcons, in which they fell short right at the end. The Jets (6-4) meanwhile could be on the verge of unravelling as they’re dealing with a quarterback issue following their last-second loss to the New England Patriots.

A week ago, it was a lock that we would see second-year quarterbacks Justin Fields and Zach Wilson start for the Bears and Jets, respectively. But with Fields dealing with a shoulder injury and Wilson getting benched, it doesn’t seem likely we’ll see either of them. Here are five players that should be watched, however, when the game kicks off.

Jets aren’t committing to QB Zach Wilson vs. Bears

It looks like the battle between second-year quarterbacks Justin Fields and Zach Wilson may not happen this weekend.

The anticipated Week 12 matchup between second-year quarterbacks Justin Fields and Zach Wilson may not end up happening after all.

On Monday, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus indicated Fields is day-to-day as he’s dealing with a left shoulder injury following their 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. After Eberflus spoke, a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says Fields has a dislocated shoulder that could sideline him.

Now, the New York Jets are not naming a starting quarterback after a disappointing 10-3 loss against the New England Patriots. Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters the team isn’t committing to Wilson, saying “everything is on the table” during Monday’s media availability.

Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, went 9-of-22 for 77 yards and no touchdowns during Sunday’s loss. To add insult to injury, Wilson refused to publicly take responsibility for the lack of production during Sunday’s postgame media session.

If Wilson were to be benched, veteran Mike White would likely start in his place. The Jets also have Joe Flacco on their roster as their third-string option. Should Fields be unable to go for the Bears, veteran Trevor Siemian would get the nod.

Going into the season, this matchup was circled as the Jets notably passed on Fields, who the Bears took with the 11th overall pick after trading up in the draft, in favor of Wilson. Since the start of their sophomore seasons, Fields has taken significant strides in his development as he looks to be one of, if not the best quarterback from the class with his dynamic athleticism despite the Bears having a dismal 3-8 record. Fields has 13 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, and seven rushing touchdowns in 11 games.

The Jets, meanwhile, have a solid 6-4 record on the year, but it’s primarily thanks to their running game and stout defense as Wilson has struggled more often than not since returning from a knee injury suffered in the preseason. Wilson has four touchdowns, five interceptions, and one rushing touchdown in seven games.

It’s too early to tell what will happen with both quarterbacks but it’s likely one of, if not both, will not be under center on Sunday.

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Ranking the top 20 Bears games of the decade

On the eve of a new decade, we’re counting down the Bears’ best games of this past decade — including some real blasts from the past.

Between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019, the Chicago Bears played 164 games, including three playoff games, compiling a record of 78-86. Surprising playoff runs in 2010 and 2018 were sandwiched around lengthy stretches of mediocrity from 2013-2017, and fans were treated to a below-average product for much of the decade.

Still, there were quite a few bright spots for the NFL’s charter franchise during the last 10 years, including memorable games that provided thrilling victories. As a disappointing 2019 season concludes, let’s look back on some of the better games and moments the ’10s had to offer.

To kick off the next decade as we enter 2020, here are my top 20 Bears games from the 2010s.

20. 2019, Week 14, Cowboys at Bears

Bears 31 – Cowboys 24: Easily the best game of an otherwise disappointing season, the Bears offense came alive in primetime against the Cowboys, with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky accounting for all four touchdowns with his arm and legs in arguably his best game as a Bear. On defense, despite not creating a turnover, the unit frustrated the Cowboys offense all evening with QB pressures and excellent play from their secondary. The matchup was a pseudo-playoff game, with the Bears keeping their hopes alive for one more week in a complete-team win.

19. 2018, Week 8, Bears at Bills

Bears 41 – Bills 9: While the Buffalo Bills weren’t a powerhouse in 2018, the Bears defense still made their offense look completely inept in a blowout. Forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions from quarterback Nathan Peterman, the Bears scored twice on defense thanks to outside linebacker Leonard Floyd’s pick six and safety Eddie Jackson’s fumble recovery, and limited the Bills’ offense to just 264 yards. The reason this game isn’t higher on the list is due to the Bears offensive performance, as they gained just 190 yards.

 

18. 2011, Week 1, Falcons at Bears

Bears 30 – Falcons 12: No, this wasn’t the Bears-Falcons matchup that saw the debut of quarterback Mike Glennon, this was the first game following the Bears heartbreaking loss to the Packers in the NFC Championship game. Led by quarterback Jay Cutler, who threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, the Bears won convincingly against the reigning NFC South champions and held the Falcon offense to just six points. This game also featured an impressive performance from Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, who had an interception and a fumble recovery for a score. The defense had a total of three takeaways and started the 2011 season with a bang.

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