Bears Struggle with Consistency, Execution in Loss to Lions in Week 6
Published by Matt Eurich on October 18, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears flashed progress on both sides of the ball at times on Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Lions, but the team struggled with consistency and execution in its 37-34 loss in overtime in Week 6.
Both the offense and defense made big plays on Sunday, but the two units—along with Chicago’s coaching staff—stumbled down the stretch.
What went wrong for the Bears in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Lions?
Offensive Play-Calling Lacked Consistency Late in the Game
In Chicago’s previous two wins over the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs in Weeks 4 and 5, offensive coordinator Adam Gase put together a solid game plan, but he struggled with his play-calling against the Lions in Week 6.
Quarterback Jay Cutler completed 26 of his 41 passing attempts for 353 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and he finished the game with an 88.8 quarterback rating. Running back Matt Forte ran the ball 24 times for 69 yards, while wide receiver Alshon Jeffery caught eight passes for 147 yards with one touchdown in his first game since Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.
Despite Chicago’s productivity through the air throughout the game, Gase opted to keep the ball out of Cutler’s hands late in the fourth quarter and in overtime.
With the Bears holding a 31-27 lead with two minutes and 42 seconds left on the clock, they tried to run time off the clock by putting the football in Forte’s hands. Forte gained five yards on his first carry and one yard on his second carry, but with Chicago facing a 3rd-and-4 at its own 25-yard line, Gase opted to run the ball with Forte again instead of trying to pick up yards through the air.
There is no guarantee Cutler would have been able to pick up the first down by throwing the football, but the Chicago Tribune‘s David Haugh felt the decision to run the ball proved Gase did not believe in Cutler in that situation:
The Lions picked up 66 yards on five plays on their next drive and took a 34-31 lead on a six-yard touchdown throw from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Even though the Lions left just 31 seconds on the clock, Chicago’s offense was able to get kicker Robbie Gould within field-goal range on its final possession of the fourth quarter.
Cutler hit Jeffery on the outside for 25 yards on Chicago’s first play of the drive, and the veteran quarterback connected with Jeffery again on the next play for 24 yards.
A defensive pass interference penalty was called on Lions cornerback Darius Slay against wide receiver Marquess Wilson on the third play of the drive, but the Bears did not have enough time left on the clock to attempt a shot at the end zone. Gould nailed the 29-yard field-goal attempt and sent the game into overtime.
The Bears offense ran just six plays for 12 yards in its only two possessions in overtime, and Cutler completed just one of his three passing attempts for nine yards.
Chicago’s offense functioned well early in the game by throwing the football, but Gase‘s inconsistent play-calling late in the fourth quarter and in overtime contributed to the team’s loss on Sunday.
Inability to Execute on Defense
While Chicago’s offense was struggling to find consistency in its play-calling late in the game, the team’s defense struggled to execute all game long. Throughout much of the afternoon, Detroit’s offense had its way with Chicago’s defense.
Stafford completed 27 of his 42 passing attempts for 405 yards and tossed four touchdowns. He did throw one interception, but he finished the game with a 117.7 quarterback rating. The veteran quarterback also carried the ball six times for 37 yards.
Ameer Abdullah led Detroit’s running attack with 48 yards on 14 carries, but he did fumble the football once.
Chicago’s defense held its own against the run, but it failed to execute against the pass. The Bears’ front seven struggled to put pressure on Stafford, and they were only able to register two sacks. Stafford had plenty of time to step up in the pocket throughout the game, and Chicago’s secondary had no answer for Johnson and slot receiver Lance Moore.
Johnson finished the game with six catches for 166 yards and one touchdown, and his 57-yard catch in overtime helped set up Detroit’s game-winning field goal.
When the Bears needed to make big stops late in the fourth quarter and in overtime, they failed to get off the field. Chicago’s defense is still a work in progress under coordinator Vic Fangio, but the unit struggled to apply pressure on the quarterback all afternoon.
Additionally, Chicago’s secondary had a hard time keeping up with Detroit’s receivers. Johnson made plays against cornerback Tracy Porter throughout the afternoon, and rookie safety Harold Jones-Quartey gave up the big 57-yard reception to Johnson in overtime.
Chicago’s defense flashed its potential earlier this season in wins over the Raiders and Chiefs, but the unit’s inability to execute on Sunday played a big part in the team’s loss to the Lions.
Poor Clock Management by Head Coach John Fox
On Detroit’s final drive of the fourth quarter, Bears head coach John Fox opted not to use any of the team’s timeouts to help keep some time on the clock for the offense in the event the Lions were able to score.
After the game, Fox felt he made the right decision by not using any timeouts, per the Chicago Tribune‘s Rich Campbell:
In addition to not using any timeouts on Detroit’s final drive of the fourth quarter, Fox also accepted a 10-second runoff on an intentional grounding penalty with 49 seconds left on the clock.
The offense had no problem moving the football down the field through the air on its final drive of the fourth quarter, but it would have benefited from having those 10 seconds left on the clock. Wilson drew the pass interference penalty at the 11-yard line with only a few seconds left in the fourth quarter, and those additional 10 seconds could have given the Bears a chance to take the lead.
The Bears fought hard all afternoon against a Lions team that entered Week 6 with an 0-5 record, but mistakes on both sides of the ball cost them the game.
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.
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
