Tag: Chicago Bears

Instant analysis of Bears’ disappointing 17-7 loss to Rams

The Bears suffered a 17-7 loss to the Rams which effectively ended any slim playoff hopes they had.

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It was a night of what could’ve been for the Chicago Bears, who fell victim to missed opportunities and self-inflicted mistakes in a 17-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Los Angeles.

The loss, which dropped the Bears to 4-6, effectively ended any playoff hopes. The Bears had two missed field goals, a dropped interception, a failed fumble recovery and numerous dropped passes.

The big story came near the end of the game. On Chicago’s final drive, Chase Daniel was in at quarterback. Bears PR announced that it was a hip injury for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but that didn’t appear to be the case from the sideline.

NBC captured footage from Matt Nagy having a conversation with Trubisky on the sideline during the commercial break, and it looked like a player being told that he was being benched. Trubisky was seen standing on the sideline alone and visibly upset for the rest of the game.

If this was indeed Nagy benching Trubisky, it was far from the right time. Trubisky wasn’t close to the problem in this loss, and he had a good — not great — game in less-than-ideal circumstances. He completed 24 of 43 passes for 190 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Then there was Eddy Pineiro, who proved that Chicago still has a kicker problem. Pineiro missed two field goals in the first quarter, from 48 and 47 yards. On the Bears’ second possession, Nagy opted to go for it on fourth-and-9 instead of letting Pineiro attempt a 49-yard field goal.

It’ll be interesting to see what the Bears do this week at kicker heading into Week 12 against the New York Giants and beyond.

The Bears defense came up with turnovers on Los Angeles’ first two possessions, but Chicago’s offense failed to capitalize on them. Rams running back Todd Gurley nearly put up 100 yards on the Bears’ defense, rushing 25 times for 97 yards and one touchdown.

Chicago’s defense failed to sack Rams quarterback Jared Goff, who only attempted 18 passes on the night.

There were high hopes and expectations heading into the 2019 season following a magical 2018. But those hopes were dashed with Sunday’s loss to the Rams.

The game encapsulated everything that’s been frustrating for the Bears in this season: failure to capitalize on opportunities, lack of discipline and just an utter disappointment.

And there are still six games left this season.

WATCH: Mitchell Trubisky finds Tarik Cohen for Bears’ first TD vs. Rams

After being held scoreless in the first half, the Bears marched down the field to score on their opening possession of the second half.

After being held scoreless in the first half, the Chicago Bears’ offense came alive in the second half with a touchdown drive on its opening possession of the third quarter.

The Bears put together a 12-play 80-yard drive, which was capped by a Mitchell Trubisky to Tarik Cohen 14-yard touchdown.

That touchdown marked the third consecutive game in which the Bears scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half.

Chicago didn’t have a third down until the final play of the drive, which resulted in the touchdown.

The Bears currently trail the Rams 10-7 with 4:50 left in the third quarter.

Bears held scoreless in first half for third time this season

The Bears failed to score any points in the first half for the third time this season, as they trail the Rams 10-0 at halftime.

With their playoff lives on the line, the Chicago Bears have come out flat in the first half against the Los Angeles Rams.

After forcing two turnovers on the Rams’ first two possessions — and getting into scoring position on their first three offensive drives — the Bears came away scoreless in the first half for the third time this season.

For reference, Chicago was held scoreless in the first half four times in John Fox’s three-year tenure.

The Bears were held scoreless against the Oakland Raiders in Week 5 and Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.

Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has looked sharp, but he hasn’t been helped by his receivers, who dropped five passes in the first half.

He also hasn’t gotten some help from his kicker, as Eddy Pineiro missed two field goals in the first quarter alone, from 48 and 47 yards.

The Bears trail 10-0 at halftime.

Bears K Eddy Pineiro misses two field goals in first quarter vs. Rams

Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro’s struggles continued against the Rams as he missed two field goals in the first quarter.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The Chicago Bears have a kicker problem.

Eddy Pineiro missed two field goals in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, from 48 yards and 47 yards.

After starting the season 9-of-10 on field goals, Pineiro has now missed 4 of his last 7 field goal attempts.

In case you were wondering how thin Matt Nagy’s confidence was in Pineiro, he opted for his offense to go for it on fourth-and-nine rather than attempt a 49-yard field goal on Chicago’s second offensive drive.

You have to wonder if the Bears will turn elsewhere at kicker next week when they host the New York Giants.

WATCH: Bears’ defense forces pair of takeaways on Rams’ first two possessions

The Bears defense has forced turnovers on the Rams’ first two offensive possessions.

In a game that’s expected to a defensive showdown, the Chicago Bears got things started early.

On the first play of the Los Angeles Rams’ opening possession, Bears safety Eddie Jackson forced a fumble of Rams running back Todd Gurley on the Los Angeles 38-yard line. Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix recovered the fumble, which gave the Bears the ball at the Los Angeles 46-yard line.

The Bears ran 7 plays for 15 yards and were unable to convert the takeaway into points. On fourth-and-nine, the Bears opted to go for it rather than kick a 49-yard field goal.

Kicker Eddy Pineiro had missed a 48-yard attempt on Chicago’s opening possession. Pineiro is 4 for his last 7 on field goals, and he missed an extra point last week.

On Los Angeles’ second series, they were driving down the field before linebacker Roquan Smith intercepted Rams quarterback Jared Goff at the Chicago 27-yard line.

That was Smith’s second interception of Goff in the last two meetings. He recorded an interception in last season’s meeting on Dec. 9, 2018.

The Bears and Rams are scoreless near the end of the first quarter.

Bears Week 11 Inactives: David Montgomery active vs. Rams

The Bears released their inactives ahead of tonight’s game against the Rams, and rookie RB David Montgomery is ACTIVE.

The Chicago Bears (4-5) released their inactives ahead of tonight’s primetime showdown against the Los Angeles Rams (5-4), and it’s good news regarding rookie running back David Montgomery.

Montgomery is officially active against the Rams. He rolled his ankle during Wednesday’s practice, and he was a game-time decision heading into a do-or-die conference game.

Bradley Sowell is also active against Los Angeles with the Bears thin at the tight end position. Last season, Sowell scored Chicago’s only touchdown of the game on a play dubbed Santa’s Sleigh. Could we see part two tonight?

Tight ends Trey Burton (who was placed on injured reserve Saturday) and Adam Shaheen along with linebackers Danny Trevathan and Isaiah Irving had previously been ruled out against the Rams.

The 32 nominees for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

The players nominated for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award have been announced.

The 32 player nominees for the sixth annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award were announced last week. Each NFL team nominated one of its players for the award, which recognizes players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field.

The award is presented each year to an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.

The nomineese:

2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Nominees

» Arizona Cardinals C A.Q. Shipley
» Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones
» Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
» Buffalo Bills LB Lorenzo Alexander
» Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey
» Chicago Bears DB Kyle Fuller
» Cincinnati Bengals DE Sam Hubbard
» Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb
» Dallas Cowboys CB Byron Jones
» Denver Broncos LB Von Miller
» Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford
» Green Bay Packers CB Tramon Williams
» Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson
» Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton
» Jacksonville Jaguars DL Calais Campbell
» Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
» Los Angeles Chargers LB Thomas Davis Sr.
» Los Angeles Rams S Eric Weddle
» Miami Dolphins C Daniel Kilgore
» Minnesota Vikings DE Danielle Hunter
» New England Patriots WR Matthew Slater
» New Orleans Saints T Terron Armstead
» New York Giants DL Dalvin Tomlinson
» New York Jets DL Steve McLendon
» Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr
» Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz
» Pittsburgh Steelers RB James Conner
» San Francisco 49ers T Joe Staley
» Seattle Seahawks LB K.J. Wright
» Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Lavonte David
» Tennessee Titans C Ben Jones
» Washington Redskins RB Adrian Peterson

A panel of former players — Warrick Dunn, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler — will select eight finalists (four in the AFC and four in the NFC) from the 32 nominees.  The winner of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award will then be determined by a vote of current NFL players.

Past recipients:

» 2018: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
» 2017: Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers
» 2016: Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts
» 2015: Charles Woodson, CB, Oakland Raiders
» 2014: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

3 keys to victory for Bears in Week 11 vs. Rams

The Bears and Rams will face off in a do-or-die prime time matchup where both teams are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Chicago Bears (4-5) are heading into a meaningful prime time game in November against the Los Angeles Rams (5-4), where both teams are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The story for both teams are their struggling offenses, led by quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and Jared Goff. This game looks to be a defensive battle, and it might come down to which offense makes the fewest mistakes.

Let’s look at three keys to a Bears victory on Sunday:

1. Pressure Jared Goff

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

When the Bears faced the Rams last season, they made Jared Goff uncomfortable from the get-go. What resulted was a four-interception performance, which resulted in a 15-6 victory for the Bears.

If the Bears are going to beat the Rams on Sunday, they need to generate pressure on Goff, who has been struggling mightily of late. It doesn’t help Goff that he’ll be operating behind a makeshift offensive line that’ll have to deal with Khalil Mack and the Bears’ pass rush.

Speaking of Mack, the Bears need their All-Pro linebacker to step up in one of the biggest games of the season. After starting the season with 4.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in four games, Mack has managed just on sack over the last five games.

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Bears might face Lions backup QB Jeff Driskel again in Week 13

Lions QB Matthew Stafford could be out as long as 6 weeks, which means the Bears might be facing QB Jeff Driskel again on Thanksgiving.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford missed last week’s game against the Chicago Bears with fractured bones in his back.

Stafford’s back injury might be worse than originally thought, as ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports that Stafford could be out for as long as six weeks.

Stafford will miss his second straight game against the Dallas Cowboys, but the Lions are still unsure of how much time he could miss.

Last week, a source told ESPN that Stafford “could miss one week, he could miss three weeks.”

But Detroit also knows that this type of injury would sideline most players six weeks, if not longer. It is another testament to Stafford’s toughness; he had started 136 straight games before last week’s absence, the sixth-longest streak for a quarterback in NFL history.

That means the Bears might likely face backup QB Jeff Driskel again when they play the Lions in Week 13.

The Bears’ defense struggled against Driskel, who at times marched the Lions’ offense down the field. Driskel completed 27-of-46 passes for 269 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

But it sounds like Chicago will get a second chance to contain the backup quarterback on Thanksgiving in Detroit.

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Steelers sign RB Kerrith Whyte Jr. from Bears’ practice squad

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed seventh-round RB Kerrith Whyte Jr. off the Chicago Bears’ practice squad.

Aside from running back David Montgomery, the Chicago Bears’ 2019 rookie class has been underwhelming to say the least.

They’ve played the fewest snaps in the NFL at 366 snaps, while NFL draft classes have averaged 1,441 snaps, and Montgomery has been the only pick that’s seen significant playing time.

To add insult to injury, the Bears have lost Kerrith Whyte Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who signed the running back off Chicago’s practice squad to their 53-man roster

Chicago drafted Whyte Jr. in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft, where he provided versatility on offense and special teams with his speed.

After the Bears waived running back Mike Davis last week, in order to better their odds at securing a fourth-round compensatory pick in 2020, Chicago elevated running back Ryan Nall to the active roster in his place.

Whyte Jr. was a part of a draft class that consisted of Montgomery (third round), receiver Riley Ridley (fourth round), cornerback Duke Shelley (sixth round) and cornerback Stephen Denmark (seventh round).

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