Bears’ Loss to Saints on MNF Epitomizes Season to Forget in Chicago
Published by Zach Kruse on December 16, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The ugly details of the Chicago Bears‘ 31-15 loss to the New Orleans Saints can adequately explain just about everything that has gone wrong for the Bears during one of the most disappointing seasons in recent franchise history.
Bad offense. Turnovers from Jay Cutler. An inability to stop a good quarterback. Lost coaching. A lifeless performance at home. Monday night’s disaster had it all for the now 5-9 Bears.
It really was one game that could describe an entire season.
The Bears once again did nothing on offense when it actually mattered. Chicago’s first nine drives ended in the following fashion: interception, punt, punt, punt, turnover on downs, punt, interception, punt, interception. Before a seven-play scoring drive on the offense’s 10th possession, the Bears had failed to put together a single drive lasting more than six plays or totaling more than 32 yards.
By the time Cutler found Marquess Wilson for a mostly meaningless fourth-quarter touchdown, the score was already 24-0. A second Cutler touchdown pass came with Chicago down 31-8. The numbers arrived again in garbage time, where the Bears are fantasy football kings.
Cutler once again failed to protect the football.
He opened Chicago’s first possession with a poor throw to tight end Martellus Bennett that was deflected and intercepted. He ended the first half with a desperation heave that was easily picked off by safety Pierre Warren. His third and final interception came when Cutler failed to look off the deep safety on a go-route to receiver Alshon Jeffery, allowing Warren to range over and make the pick in stride.
After 15 weeks, Cutler now leads the NFL in interceptions (18) and total turnovers (24). Meanwhile, the Bears dropped to 0-5 this season when the offense has three or more turnovers.
On the other sideline, Saints quarterback Drew Brees feasted on an overmatched Chicago defense.
Brees completed 29 of 36 passes for 375 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Almost everything looked easy. His passer rating was 137.8.
He joined a long list of quarterbacks that have torched the Bears this season.
Over two games against Chicago, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 72.7 percent of his passes for 617 yards, 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions. His passer rating was a near-perfect 149.0. The Packers scored 93 total points.
In Week 7, Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 25 of 32 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-14 win.
A week later, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw for 354 yards on 30 completions and had as many incompletions as touchdowns (five). New England scored 51 points.
On Thanksgiving, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 34 of 45 passes for 390 yards and two touchdowns during a 34-17 stuffing of the Bears.
Last Thursday, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo completed 21 of 26 passes and tossed three touchdowns as the Bears gave up 41 points.
Brees was just the latest. Add up the numbers of Rodgers, Tannehill, Brady, Stafford, Romo and Brees against Chicago this season, and you get 25 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Any above-average quarterback has turned matchups with Chicago into glorified seven-on-seven sessions.
The Bears are clearly talent-deficient, especially on defense. But the coaching once again looked as lost as ever.
In the first half, Chicago attempted to run a fake punt. But the Bears had just 10 players on the field, and the predictable run up the middle was stuffed short of the sticks. The Saints declined an illegal formation penalty and took over on downs.
Speaking of penalties, the Bears had nine accepted infractions for 73 yards. Three gave New Orleans first downs.
Meanwhile, Trestman’s offense finished 2-of-12 on third down and 0-of-2 on fourth down. Cutler was sacked seven times.
The Bears lost by 15 points, but the gap between the two teams was much larger. Chicago was never in the game. In fact, the Bears went into halftime without a single point for the fourth time in 2014. Overall, it was as lifeless a performance as any produced in the NFL this season.
Then again, the Bears are used to playing flat.
Chicago lost its home opener in overtime. After back-to-back road wins, the Bears were blown out at home by Green Bay. The Dolphins picked Chicago apart at Soldier Field. The Patriots and Packers embarrassed the Bears in key games before and after the bye. With the season on the line, Chicago lost by 17 in Detroit.
Any important game played by the Bears this season—the kind every team should get up to play—ended in a massive Chicago disappointment. In year two, Trestman and his staff look in over their heads.
Just as disheartening is the reality that Monday night’s loss dropped the Bears to a humiliating 2-5 at Soldier Field this season. Four of the losses have come by 13 or more points. Chicago isn’t just losing at home; it is getting dismantled.
The Bears have five wins this season, and it’s now a mystery how five different teams managed to lose to this dysfunctional collection of players and coaches. Any finish better than 5-11 would be a major upset. A home game against the Lions and a visit to the upward-trending Minnesota Vikings look like near-lock losses.
Major questions will and should be asked about every facet of the Bears’ operation this offseason. The coaching staff. The quarterback. The general manager. The defense. Everything. Nothing should be off the table.
Chicago has much to sort through. The club could save some time reviewing the season by simply looking at Monday night’s laugher, which provided an example of every single issue the Bears have faced during a forgettable 2014 season.
Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report.
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