FOR BEARS FANS EYES ONLY
I wish I could make this post password protected or have some kind of zip code two step authentication to be able to read this blog. We aren't the most tech savvy company here so we are just going to use the old honor system. I need this to be a safe space for Bears fans so if you're here to troll in the comment section or just take pleasure in our pain please do the noble thing and click out of this blog. Thank you.
Okay, now that it is just us I have a confession...this is the first time a little doubt about Justin Fields has started to creep in. That tweet above hurt bad. I am a big believer in the Woody Hayes philosophy of offense that says there are only three things that can happen when you throw the ball and two of them are bad. So when the Bears are consistently getting CHUNK plays in the running game why throw it? Monty averaged 8.1 yards per carry. That's great. That's also not going to happen every week and the passing game last night was scary bad. Not necessarily because the execution was poor, but because the coaching staff didn't even really try to throw the ball.
Darnell Mooney had two targets and a total of -4 yards receiving
Cole Kmet had 1 target and no catches
Free agent signee from KC Byron Pringle...no targets.
You would think that if the running game is humming like it was last night the Packers would start creeping down to stop it and play action opportunities over the top against single coverage would open up. We don't know if those opportunities were there because they never really tried. To only throw 11 times in a game that you were trailing the entire time seems borderline impossible and that is where the doubt starts to creep in.
Is this a lack of faith in Fields? Is it a lack of faith in pass protection? Is this Getsy saying that he knows the Bears don't have guys that can get open anyways? If it's any of the three it's not great, but if it's about lack of confidence in Fields...time is a flat circle.
I think it is way to early to be hyper negative or give up on anything since, ya know, we are only two games into the season with new players and a new staff but that was the most conservative play calling I have ever seen. The lack of pocket awareness by Fields last night was concerning as was his awareness in general
Having said that...he scored
The Bears would've been down a score in the 4th quarter. At some point they are going to need to be able to complete, nay, be confident enough to attempt passes down field. I love running the damn ball, but jesus. You gotta be able to scheme things up to take a few shots to at least keep a defense honest. There was none of that last night and it is at least mildly concerning. Not giving up by any stretch, but I am having a little bit of Bears QB PTSD at the moment. I am sure it'll be gone by sunday though when I bet the over in receptions for Mooney and Kmet again.