You have to throw the ball to win in the NFL. Bears can't.
Sept 19, 2022 10:05:20 GMT -6
riczaj01 likes this
Post by JABF on Sept 19, 2022 10:05:20 GMT -6
I know. It has only been 2 games. It is a major rebuild season. Expectations need to be kept low for 2022. But there were some excellent points in this Chicago Tribune article.
LINK
The most important takeaway from Lambeau is a recurring theme. The Bears have a badly flawed offense, especially when it comes to the passing game. While any criticism former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has of Fields and the offense in general may offend many, guess what? Martz is right. Anyone else bagging on the Bears offense is probably right too...
Fields has completed 15 of 28 passes (53.6%) for 191 yards this season with two touchdowns and two interceptions. That’s known as a pretty bad single game in other cities. Sure, the monsoon contributed to passing game issues in Week 1. But 191 represents the fewest passing yards through the Bears’ first two games since starting QB Kordell Stewart totaled only 240 yards in the first two games of the 2003 season. The next lowest total was in 1993 when the offense mustered 261 passing yards through the first two weeks with Jim Harbaugh. “I’m not sure what’s missing in the passing game,” Fields said. “I don’t know.” It’s a super small sample size, but the franchise known for having quarterback issues predating the Super Bowl era is off to a hideous start — even by its own low standards...
Fields lacks poise in the pocket. The ball rarely comes out in rhythm and on time. He’s a young quarterback without a lot of experience and the passing game — two games in — is a mess. It’s also reflective of what we saw in training camp. Fields didn’t complete passes from the pocket with regularity. If routine completions are not happening in practice, they are probably going to be hard to come by in games...
Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark told me the Bears didn’t try to throw the ball because they couldn’t keep Fields upright. “He was getting hit,” Clark said. “Every time they tried to pass it, he was getting hit unless it was a screen. He was flustered out there. We got after him. We knew we had matchup problems for them upfront. Whenever they did try to drop back and pass and tried to block us, that didn’t work.” The Bears will have to evaluate their offensive line. But Fields is going to have to be better — substantially better — to give players around him a chance. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney has been targeted five times for two receptions and 4 yards. Tight end Cole Kmet has two targets and nothing else. Wide receiver Byron Pringle, signed to a $4 million, one-year deal, has two targets, one catch and 22 yards...
The passing game is broken. The Bears have completed 15 passes through two games, the lowest total in the NFL with four teams still to play Monday night. “I don’t care what the rushing stats are,” one personnel man said. “That’s window dressing. You have to throw the ball to win in this league and do it consistently. They don’t have a competitive offense at this point.”
The most important takeaway from Lambeau is a recurring theme. The Bears have a badly flawed offense, especially when it comes to the passing game. While any criticism former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has of Fields and the offense in general may offend many, guess what? Martz is right. Anyone else bagging on the Bears offense is probably right too...
Fields has completed 15 of 28 passes (53.6%) for 191 yards this season with two touchdowns and two interceptions. That’s known as a pretty bad single game in other cities. Sure, the monsoon contributed to passing game issues in Week 1. But 191 represents the fewest passing yards through the Bears’ first two games since starting QB Kordell Stewart totaled only 240 yards in the first two games of the 2003 season. The next lowest total was in 1993 when the offense mustered 261 passing yards through the first two weeks with Jim Harbaugh. “I’m not sure what’s missing in the passing game,” Fields said. “I don’t know.” It’s a super small sample size, but the franchise known for having quarterback issues predating the Super Bowl era is off to a hideous start — even by its own low standards...
Fields lacks poise in the pocket. The ball rarely comes out in rhythm and on time. He’s a young quarterback without a lot of experience and the passing game — two games in — is a mess. It’s also reflective of what we saw in training camp. Fields didn’t complete passes from the pocket with regularity. If routine completions are not happening in practice, they are probably going to be hard to come by in games...
Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark told me the Bears didn’t try to throw the ball because they couldn’t keep Fields upright. “He was getting hit,” Clark said. “Every time they tried to pass it, he was getting hit unless it was a screen. He was flustered out there. We got after him. We knew we had matchup problems for them upfront. Whenever they did try to drop back and pass and tried to block us, that didn’t work.” The Bears will have to evaluate their offensive line. But Fields is going to have to be better — substantially better — to give players around him a chance. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney has been targeted five times for two receptions and 4 yards. Tight end Cole Kmet has two targets and nothing else. Wide receiver Byron Pringle, signed to a $4 million, one-year deal, has two targets, one catch and 22 yards...
The passing game is broken. The Bears have completed 15 passes through two games, the lowest total in the NFL with four teams still to play Monday night. “I don’t care what the rushing stats are,” one personnel man said. “That’s window dressing. You have to throw the ball to win in this league and do it consistently. They don’t have a competitive offense at this point.”
