Bears-49ers: Chicago’s Offense Sputters, Lose to 49ers
Published by Nathan Venegas on November 13, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Bears can’t find any balance as they fall to the 49ers.
The defense rebounded and held the 49ers to one touchdown setup by a Jay Cutler interception (one of the many) but kept the game within reach for the offense.
Frank Gore pounded out 104 yards and the games only touchdown on some tough running.
I am surprised that the Niners went away from their passing game early, especially the quick slants and comebacks to Michael Crabtree. I suppose that had more to do with not having confidence in the rookie and also possibly Alex Smith.
Save one instance where Devin Hester slipped Jay Cutler made very poor decisions passing the ball. He faced mild pressure for most of the game and simply forced the ball where it shouldn’t have been thrown.
The Bears were never down by more than a touchdown so the urgency of forcing ball just wasn’t there.
Not being able to run the ball costs the Bears again as it puts the ball in Cutler’s hands down by the goal line. Something as simple as being able to gain three yards per rush can lead to bigger problems.
To sum it up; the defense played well while the offense didn’t. Time to pack it in for the season and try to play spoiler from here on out.
The Good: Defense. Despite giving up 100+ yards rushing the Bears defense rebounded and created stops when it counted and put the ball in the hands of the offense.
The Bad: Jay Cutler throwing five picks. Getting caught up in the blame game for the picks is irrelevant. The fact is that Cutler was responsible for five turnovers, that can’t happen.
The Ugly: Offensive play calling. Ron Turner insists on throwing the quick out to the receivers. That play hasn’t yielded much positive yardage all season. Opposing defenses know the Bears have speedsters in Hester and Knox meaning that play won’t usually catch them off guard.
The Difference: Turnovers. You can’t turn the ball over that many times and hope to beat any team. Miracle comebacks like the one in Arizona a few years ago are memorable for one reason; they almost never happen.
Five Questions
Are you happy for Mike Singletary?
Do you think Tommie Harris is worth keeping for next season?
Did you even notice that Orlando Pace left the game?
Would you prefer Mike Shanahan or Jon Gruden?
Are you glad Cutler doesn’t sulk like Grossman did?
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
