The Chicago Bears hold a 5-1 record through the first six weeks of the 2020 season. But a couple of plays in the other direction, and Matt Nagy’s club could be looking at a 2-4 record. The Bears beat the Panthers on Sunday 23-16, leaving Bank of America Stadium by the skin of their teeth.
The defense did a nice job of forcing a turnover on the Panthers’ first possession, which the Bears converted into a touchdown — Cole Kmet’s first in a Bears uniform, by the way. But they are the very definition of an ugly football team right now, as every win has been decided by less than one possession.
Matt Nagy has the lucky horseshoe lodged somewhere very special right now. His team keeps emerging with wins, while his coaching keeps revealing concerns. To be 5-1 is pretty damn cool though. Bears.
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) October 18, 2020
For the most part, I thought the first half went well, capped off with a Cairo Santos 55-yarder right down the middle to give the Bears a 13-6 lead heading into the locker room. But the third quarter proved a stagnant Bears’ offense until Nick Foles rushed for a one-yard touchdown with 1:44 left, extending the Bears lead to 20-6.
The most frustrating part about the Bears’ 5-1 start is that the offense is averaging 21 points-per-game since Nick Foles took over quarterback duties. He hasn’t been great inside the red zone, converting just 6-of-12 passes. As a team, the Bears are scoring at just a 52.3 percent clip inside the 20-yard line, ranking 25th in the league.
And they nearly let Carolina back into the game, choosing to pass on third down instead of running the ball, which would have, at the very least, forced the Panthers to use their final timeout.
Matt Nagy didn't trust his offense to rush for two yards. It really came down to that.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) October 18, 2020
It reminded me of a lot of the Giants game when the Bears went three-and-out and nearly allowed a terrible New York team to beat them at Soldier Field. If not for an immediate interception by safety DeAndre Houston-Carson, the Panthers had plenty of time and a timeout in their back pocket to potentially tie the game up.
The next four games leading up the bye week will show us what the Bears are truly made of. Are they really a 5-1 team, or could they be a mediocre 6-4 or 5-5 at the break? The Bears will play on the road against the Rams and Titans while hosting the Saints and Vikings.
The Titans have an 82.4 percent scoring rate within the red zone, led by running back Derrick Henry. Minnesota, despite their record, has the fourth-best red zone scoring percentage. And the Saints and Rams have offenses ranked within the top-15 as well.
The Bears can only rely on their defense so much. It’s time for the offense to find their groove.