Chicago Bears Flash Potential in Week 1 Loss to Green Bay Packers
Published by Matt Eurich on September 13, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Prior to the Chicago Bears‘ Week 1 matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, very few thought the Bears would be able to beat quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky and Jeff Dickerson, SI.com’s Don Banks and Bleacher Report’s Alec Nathan all picked Green Bay to top Chicago in the regular-season opener. The Bears came out strong to start the game but eventually fell to the Packers by a score of 31-23.
Despite Chicago’s loss, the team flashed some of its potential at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon.
What did Chicago do on Sunday that could give Bears fans hope for the season?
Matt Forte Looked Unstoppable Running the Football
Since John Fox took over as head coach of the Bears back in January, the team has placed an emphasis on playing balanced football.
“Everyone at the end of the day wants to have some sort of balance,” quarterback Jay Cutler said this offseason, per the Chicago Tribune‘s Rich Campbell. “It gives you friendlier coverages. You see less blitzes. [Offensive coordinator] Adam [Gase is] aware of that. I know Coach Fox preaches on it as well.”
Last year, the Bears threw the football 38.1 times per game while only running the football an average of 22.2 times per game. On Sunday afternoon, the Bears threw the football 36 times and ran it 33 times.
Running back Matt Forte carried the football 24 times on the afternoon and finished with 141 rushing yards. The veteran slashed through Green Bay’s defense to start the game, recording 105 rushing yards and one touchdown on 16 carries in the first half.
Forte rushed for 100-plus yards in the first half of a game for the first time since 2011, according to the NFL‘s director of NFC football communications, Randall Liu:
Chicago’s offensive line was a bit shaky in pass protection to start the game, but the unit played well in the running game, which led to Forte’s strong performance.
Forte found success running between the tackles, outside the tackles and on toss plays, and he figures to be a prominent part of the Bears offense this season.
If the Bears can run the ball with Forte effectively this year like they did on Sunday, they’ll have a chance to keep up with some of the league’s high-powered offenses because of their ability to control the clock.
Despite His Interception, Jay Cutler Played Well
Cutler has struggled against Green Bay in his career, and while his fourth-quarter interception essentially sealed the victory for the Packers, the veteran quarterback played well on Sunday afternoon.
Cutler completed 18 of his 36 passing attempts for 225 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked twice and finished with a 67.5 quarterback rating, but he also picked up 31 yards on the ground on four rushing attempts.
With the Bears trailing the Packers 24-16 with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bears started to march down the field before Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews intercepted a Cutler pass. The veteran pass-rusher returned the ball 48 yards before a penalty on the Packers moved the ball back 10 yards.
After the game, Cutler admitted he made a mistake on the throw, per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times:
Cutler also said he felt like he let the team down, per Jeremy Stoltz of BearReport.com:
Before his interception in the fourth quarter, Cutler looked comfortable in the team’s new offense.
He did a nice job of getting himself out of trouble and running for extra yards, he did not force any throws down the field and even appeared to check into a running play that Forte eventually gained big yards on, per 670 The Score’s Laurence Holmes:
Cutler has struggled with turnovers since he joined Chicago in 2009, but he showed poise in the pocket all afternoon against Green Bay. Gase is viewed as one of the league’s best young offensive minds, and Cutler has a chance to flourish in Gase‘s system this season if he can build off his Week 1 performance.
Defensive Rookies Flashed Their Potential
Last year, Chicago’s defense finished the season 30th in total yards allowed per game (377.1), 30th in passing yards allowed per game (264.4) and 17th in rushing yards allowed per game (112.7).
The team hired veteran coordinator Vic Fangio to oversee its defense this season, and the Bears added depth to the defensive side of the football in this year’s draft.
They allowed 322 total yards to the Packers, and Rodgers completed 18 of his 23 passing attempts for 189 yards. Rodgers did finish the game with three passing touchdowns and a 140.5 quarterback rating, but a couple of Chicago’s young players on defense flashed their potential against Green Bay.
Fifth-round pick Adrian Amos got the start at free safety on Sunday, and the former Penn State Nittany Lion finished the game with five tackles and one tackle for loss. Amos was not tested in pass coverage often by Rodgers, but he did do a nice job of coming down in the box and making tackles against the run.
Second-round pick Eddie Goldman did not start at nose tackle, but he made his presence known when he was on the field. He finished the game with two tackles, including a tackle for loss, and Campbell pointed out the rookie defensive tackle’s progress in the second half:
Chicago’s defense still has a ways to go if it wants to slow down an offense like Green Bay’s on a consistent basis, but both Amos and Goldman proved they will be integral pieces for Fangio moving forward.
Statistical information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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