Search For Answers Begin As Chicago Bears Suffers First Shutout Loss In 13 Years
After watching the Chicago Bears lose to the Seattle Seahawks 26-0 (via ESPN), it is difficult to come up with a silver lining. A moral victory cannot be given to an injury riddled (courtesy of NFL) team, which hung in close with the NFC Champions for a half of football. The Chicago Bears now leave the city of Seattle searching for answers that they may not find this season.
No Jay Cutler and no Alshon Jeffrey, equals a big problem.
Everybody knew that the Chicago Bears would struggle on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. Every visiting team struggles in Seattle. How tall of a task is it to win there? The Seahawks have lost only twice since they drafted quarterback Russell Wilson in 2012. Even the great teams have left the Seattle with a lost on their record.
How much of a chance did the Bears have without their starting quarterback and star receiver; zero!
It was the first home game of the season for the Seahawks. They also welcomed the return of Kam Chancellor, who was holding out, while seeking a restructuring of his contract.
The Chicago Bears were facing some insurmountable odds already. To not put up much of an offensive attack was not in the cards.
Matt Forte was vintage Matt Forte for much of the game. He ran for 74 yards on 20 carries, but left the game early to be preserved for next week’s game against the Oakland Raiders. He literally carried the Bears in the first half.
#Bears' ultra-conservatism is way less compelling (in that car-crash way) than the other kind. Column: http://t.co/nPW6WLGnP0
— Dan Bernstein (@dan_bernstein) September 28, 2015
Jimmy Clausen could not get the passing game going.
Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase devised a game plan that relied on a lot of Matt Forte, along with the occasional short pass play. Clausen managed to only complete nine passes.
No team is going to score many points with nine completions, let alone win a game. The Seattle Seahawks can do it because of their superior defense, but they are the exception. The Bears needed more production from the quarterback position. Having a healthy Jay Cutler would have helped.
For everything that is said about Jay Cutler, he is a solid quarterback. Give him a strong defense to mitigate the mistakes and he can be a winner. Cutler will give up the football at least once a game. He can make plays with his arm as long as he is in great communication with his receivers.
Many of Jay Cutler’s interceptions are the result of him not being in sync with his teammates. With unquestionable arm strength, he can exploit opposing defenses. Chicago Bears fans want him gone. His leaving the team makes them worse. As was the case against the Seahawks.
Great teams are built inside-out. The Chicago Bears should not be built differently.
When the 2016 NFL Draft comes the focus must be on the building up the offensive and defensive lines. As for the glamour positions, such as receiver and secondary, they should focus on filling in spots via free-agency. This will buy the Bears some time.
Traces of a strong defense were on display versus the Seahawks. The defensive line sacked Russell Wilson four times. As of now, only Pernell McPhee and Eddie Goldman look like long-term fits. Jarvis Jenkins also deserves consideration for a spot on the Bears going forward.
According to press box statisticians, #Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee had two sacks, two tackles for loss and four QB hits.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) September 28, 2015
The pressure that they put on Wilson allowed the cornerbacks to have good coverage. Can the players continue to grow and get comfortable in this defense? They only allowed one touchdown and that is progress.
When will the Chicago Bears finally break through for their first win of the season? If you had picked them to defeat the Seattle Seahawks, you were going with your heart. The shutout loss was the first in 13 years for the Bears. Their 0-3 start leaves them searching for answers. Getting rid of Jay Cutler is currently not one of them.
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images Sport)
