Three Takeaways from Bears loss to Vikings |
For what seems like the umpteenth time in the Matt Eberflus era, the Chicago Bears lost another close game. It was a game that they probably should've won, which is becoming the norm this season. Anytime your rookie QB can go out and throw for more than 300 yards and two TDs against the Vikings defense and set the franchise rookie record for passing yards, you need to find a way to win that game, and right now, the Bears can't find ways to win.
When you look at how much talent is in this division and where the rest of the division sits compared to the Bears, this is not only a frustrating and disappointing season but a season filled with missed opportunities, as the Bears should've won three, if not four of their last five games. Arizona is the only exception in those games, and had the Bears even won three of those games, you're looking at a 7-4 team and not 4-7, which would make the playoff race that much more interesting. Here are some takeaways:
The Bears really do find new ways to lose every week, don't they? From a Hail Mary from Jayden Daniels a month ago to a blocked field goal against the Packers in week 11, everything that can go wrong for the Bears has gone wrong, which is why the team is in the spot it is in. While no single play led to a loss this week, losing in Overtime the way the Bears did is just another par for the course after doing everything they could to battle back and tie things up. However, you could point to two plays as the biggest reason why this team lost: another blocked kick in the first half, which took points off the board, and a poor decision to go for two early in the second half, which was no good. Had the Bears gone for the extra point and not the two, there is a good chance they would have won in regulation, but then again, they went for two later in the game, so who knows? The single biggest play that helped the Vikings win this game was the muffed punt from DeAndre Carter, which gave the ball to the Vikings on the 15 and led to points. If that play hadn't happened, the Vikings wouldn't have scored, and the final score would've been different. "That's on me. I let the team down today."
It took 10 weeks, and from all accounts, about five weeks too long, but Shane Waldron was relieved of his play-calling duties ahead of the Packers game in week 11. In the two weeks since Thomas Brown has been calling the plays, this offense has looked much better, to the point where it was impressive at times. Although the running game was next to non-existent yesterday, the passing game was on point as Williams torched the Vikings second for 340 yards and two scores while making countless pinpoint accurate throws into traffic. It's the kind of game that has been eluding him for a long time, and now that he has shown he can do it again, the Bears are hoping it continues. Brown is a big reason for the sudden turnaround on offense the past two weeks. He not only brings a more aggressive nature to playcalling but also understands the strengths and weaknesses of Williams and the offense. Brown should've been the OC to start the season, and you have to wonder if he was where this team would be. Caleb Williams reminded everyone yesterday why he went 1.1 pic.twitter.com/FhJyGyXCWy
It took 12 weeks, but Keenan Allen finally looked like the WR everyone expected, as he had his first game of more than 50 yards this season. Allen was one of the big off-season moves by the Chicago Bears and was brought in to give DJ Moore some help. Instead, Allen got off to a slow start and then missed time with a foot injury, as his first season with the Bears has been arguably his worst season in the NFL. Since returning from his injury, you have seen Allen get more involved on offense, which could be attributed to his being 100% healthy for the first time all year. Sunday was a classic case of what he can do for you if he is healthy. Allen was the Bears' go-to guy in the first half and came away with several big catches the entire game. His emergence on offense yesterday is going to be huge for the Bears in the final six weeks, as he could take their offense to the next level, making it that much tougher to stop Williams. Keenan Allen makes a heck of a catch for the Bears! pic.twitter.com/r8j3QQKtgQFinding another way to lose
DeAndre Carter on the muffed punt in today's loss. pic.twitter.com/igQAeXAVufWaldron was a clear mistake
Keenan Allen finally shows up
