I Don’t Think the Chicago Bears Offense Was Truly That Bad
Published by Scott Ottersen on November 2, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
With the Bears coming off a victory on Sunday against the lowly Cleveland Browns, all I have been hearing and reading about is how poor the offense was.
Was I watching the same game?
I’m not about to say that the offense was stellar and that they tore the Browns apart. But, at the same time, they did put up 23 points (offensively), ran for 170 yards, and put up 225 yards through the air.
Matt Forte got into the end zone twice, and at least looked semi-decent during stretches. He still could not break free as much as you would like, but at least all of his runs went for positive yards. His 3.5 yards per carry isn’t what you would want it to be, but it’s actually a step in the right direction for him. In his two other games with over 20 carries, he ran for 55 and 66 yards. At least he broke the 90 mark in this game.
And, with Devin Hester seemingly getting better and better each week, it’s only a matter of time before Jay Cutler starts putting up 300-yard performances. The Bears’ passing game actually made some big yardage plays in the game, with four pass plays for over 20 yards, and at least one other deep ball attempt.
Yes, all of this does not sound all that sexy when put in terms of the team they were playing, and how they should have destroyed them, but the fact of the matter is that the Bears offense is still a work in progress, and they should not have to be put down so quickly, especially after a victory.
I will admit that the offense looked terrible in the first quarter, and on some other ineffective drives during the game, but it’s not like the best of the best score on every single possession they have.
Peyton Manning didn’t throw a touchdown in the game on Sunday; do you hear pundits out and about saying that the Colts offense is sputtering, seeing how the 49ers are one of the worst defenses against the pass in the NFL? Peyton should have torched them for 450 yards and 4 TDs, right?
I think the city of Chicago and Bears fans alike need to take a deep breath, celebrate the victory, and understand that every step they are taking is a positive one right now.
I am not going to sit here and say that the Bears offense is one of the best in the NFL, because it’s not. They are far from it.
But, if you look at the roster they have, and the number of games that these guys have played together, everyone should realize that they are playing at or above the level they should be playing at.
If Forte can get himself back on solid ground, pull his average yards per carry up above four, and Hester can continue his climb into No. 1 wide receiver status, the Bears playbook should, and will, open up more to big plays.
A lot of this does fall on the shoulders of Matt Forte, because if he continues to struggle with breaking runs into the open field, defenses are never going to respect the run game of the Bears, and are going to continue leaving five and six defensive backs in the secondary, making it harder and harder for Cutler and the Bears wide receivers and tight ends to break plays downfield.
But, let’s all take a step back and just accept the fact that the Bears won on Sunday. Everything I see and hear makes it look and sound like we lost.
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
