After another loss to the Green Bay Packers, there are just four games left in the 2021 regular season for the Chicago Bears. Before we look ahead to week 15, let’s recap week 14.
1) The Bears haven’t won in Lambeau Field since 2015. That’s right, it’s been seven seasons and Matt Nagy has won just once against the Packers since 2018. At some point, the McCaskey family needs to realize that Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace haven’t done what they were brought in to do: Beat Green Bay and make the Bears relevant again in the NFL’s oldest rivalry.
2) There are a lot of people who are pessimistic when it comes to evaluating Justin Fields play on Sunday night. There was some good, some bad, and some questionable. But overall, Fields had a typical rookie performance and went toe-to-toe with Aaron Rodgers, who already has a spot reserved in Canton, Ohio.
3) Speaking of evaluating Fields, it’s hard to gauge where he’s really at, especially since the rest of the Bears’ offense wasn’t exactly perfect on Sunday night either, especially in the second half. This brings up another important question: Is Fields struggling or does the rest of the Bears offense failed to execute and help Fields?
4) Justin Fields had a pick-six against Packers CB Rasul Douglas and while he’ll learn from this mistake, Fields responded with a 54-yard touchdown pass just a few plays later. The touchdown pass to WR Damiere Byrd is great but what really matters was Fields ability to respond to Douglas interception, something that gave the Packers life. Fields’ response showcases confidence that few Bears’ QB’s have exhibited over the years.
5) Want to know what we saw in the first half against the Packers? We saw exactly what Matt Nagy has wanted since arriving in Chicago: An explosive big-play offense that relies on quick passes to move the ball in big chunks and score with ease. The Bears had the ball for just 25 minutes the entire game and scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter.
6) The Bears’ inability to adjust in the second half is troubling. Few teams are going to score 24 points in the first half with ease against the Packers and the Bears took the foot off the pedal in the second half, which included abandoning the running game. This lack of second-half execution cost the Bears big time, especially in a game that was winnable until the very end.
7) Let’s give some love to CB Jaylon Johnson, who shutdown Packers WR Devante Adams in a way that not many have seen before. Per Next Gen Stats, Johnson allowed just 1.9 yards of separation and 19 total yards. If you want to talk about why Adams two touchdowns, it’s because he beat backup CB Xavier Crawford twice.
8) Sunday night was another indication the Bears WR room needs to be rebuilt and rebuilt badly heading into the 2022 offseason. Darnell Mooney and Allen Robinson combine for three receptions and 33 receiving yards, and 11 total targets. Robinson seems mentally checked out while Mooney had an off day which he’ll need to rebound from.
9) Artie Burns had another above-average performance, showing us all why he’s a better option than Kindle Vildor. Burns isn’t a long-term replacement by any means but he’s better than whatever the Bears have on the roster right now.
10) Tight end Cole Kmet dropped a pass in the endzone that would’ve been a touchdown. The Bears have run this exact some play multiple times this season and Kmet has yet to haul a TD in, which is troubling for a player who was a high draft pick and once the future of the TE position for Chicago.