4 takeaways from Bears’ vile 38-3 loss to the Bucs
You know what’s funny and sad at the same time? I could probably lift my quick recap and takeaways from the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Cleveland Browns last month, change a few words here and there, and run the same stories because that’s essentially what happened.
The Bears were boat raced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-3 thanks to an offense that couldn’t protect Justin Fields yet again, dropped passes from the pass catchers, and a defense that was put in poor situations all day long against Tom Brady. It’s the recipe for disaster and that’s exactly what happened.
As Matt Nagy would say, this is a game you watch once, then throw in the trash and move on. But this is the second of those games in under 30 days. That trash has to be piling up. There’s not much to takeaway from this beatdown that hasn’t already been said but here are my takeaways from the Bears’ latest loss.
Matt Nagy can't come back from these losses
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
In the span of less than 30 days, the Bears have had two games in which they have failed to score a single offensive touchdown. First it was against Cleveland on Sept. 26, now it’s against Tampa on Oct. 24. For a head coach who has studied under Andy Reid and worked with some incredible offenses prior to his time in Chicago, that’s simply unacceptable. Nagy’s days are numbered and he’s failed to inspire confidence that his offense can work in the NFL.
It feels like beating a dead horse but you just cannot come back from two losses like this so close together. It reminds me of Marc Trestman’s last year when the Bears lost to Brady and Aaron Rodgers in consecutive weeks when each put up 50 points. You just knew it was coming eventually and that’s how it feels with Nagy at this point.
In those games, however, the Bears were able to at least get some points when it was all said and done. On Sunday, they failed to even put up garbage-time points is the worst part. The Bucs basically threw in the towel and they still couldn’t muster anything, which is actually more damning than anything because it shows the effort wasn’t there.
Nagy likes to talk about finding the “whys” during his press conferences. Maybe his next one should be finding out why his team looks completely uninspired playing for him at this point. He may not like the answer.
Justin Fields needs to protect the ball better
AP Photo/Jason Behnken
Going into this game, we knew the chips were stacked against Justin Fields. The Buccaneers are notorious for throwing everything they have at a quarterback. Given the Bears average at best offensive line and Fields’ deficiencies of holding onto the ball for too long, it was sort of inevitable that quite a sacks were to come. But Fields made things worse with not taking care of the football in various ways.
The rookie must do a better job of holding onto the ball when getting sacked. Fields fumbled the ball three times, losing two of them. He needs to anticipate when defenders are bearing down on him, something that will hopefully come with experience. Some of his throws were off as well, leading to interceptions.
Overall, Fields turned the ball over five times in the loss. It seems he’s really able to take these learning lessons and apply them for future games so here’s hoping we never see another turnover-filled day from him.
This team is becoming unhinged
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
How many times have the Bears been baited into confronting an opposing player after the whistle? It feels like this has happened a dozen times over the last few games or so and we saw the same thing against the Buccaneers. Players like center Ryan Jensen jawing at guys on the defense or Tampa defenders trying to get under the offensive linemen’s skin.
It finally boiled over in the third quarter when defensive tackle Bilal Nichols took a swing at Jensen, getting him ejected from the game. It’s the third ejection the Bears have had in a calendar year after former receivers Javon Wims and Anthony Miller did the same thing last season.
It’s just another example of bad coaching. Nagy can’t seem to keep his players disciplined and it’s a problem that’s not going away. Losing isn’t fun and guys certainly get hot at the wrong times. But this is on everyone for failing to keep composure. Who knows if that might spill into the locker room and start some infighting? We’ve seen that happen in previous regimes, after all.
Khalil Herbert has earned split reps when David Montgomery returns
AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio
After three weeks of impressive running, I think it’s safe to say Khalil Herbert is the real deal. The rookie continued his hot streak after injuries and absences allowed him to start. Herbert had 18 carries for 100 yards and added five catches for 33 yards. He’s the first 100-yard rusher the Buccaneers have allowed this season as they came in surrendering just 54.8 yards per game on the ground. He shouldn’t go anywhere when the backfield is healthy.
Though Damien Williams returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, Hebert out touched him 18-3. He’s cemented himself as the RB2 and should see split reps when David Montgomery eventually returns. It’s the best way the Bears can move the ball and it keeps defenses guessing when you can cycle in two effective running backs. Herbert is averaging over 5.0 yards per attempt over his last two games and simply should not be put back on the bench when Montgomery comes back from injury.
Give Montgomery and Herbert equal reps in games, keep both backs fresh and healthy, and try to keep the ball moving on an otherwise stagnant offense because it’s the only thing that’s going to work.
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