Poor Execution, Play-Calling Costs Bears in Week 14 Loss to Redskins
Published by Matt Eurich on December 13, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears had a chance to earn just their second win of the season at home in Week 14, but poor execution and play-calling cost the team in its 24-21 loss to the Washington Redskins.
The loss dropped the Bears to 5-8 on the year, and they have struggled at home the last two seasons, according to ESPN.com’s Jon Greenberg:
Offensively, coordinator Adam Gase struggled with his play-calling throughout the afternoon, and the defense failed to limit Washington’s aerial attack. In crucial moments near the end of the game, the Bears failed to execute on defense and special teams.
The Offense Failed to Find a Rhythm
Gase has done a nice job this season of finding a good tempo with his play-calling on offense, but he struggled to get into a flow against the Redskins Sunday.
After Chicago’s defense gave up a 15-play touchdown drive to start the game in which the Redskins controlled the ball for more than eight minutes, the Bears ran just five plays on offense for eight yards on their first possession and were forced to punt the football.
A sack and a holding penalty cost Chicago crucial yards on its opening drive, and following a punt from Pat O’Donnell, Chicago’s defense once again gave up a long touchdown drive.
With the team trailing 14-0 early in the first quarter, the Bears were in the middle of a 10-play drive before quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled the football on a sack from the right side of the formation. The Bears struggled to get into a rhythm once again on their next possession and were forced to punt after running six plays and gaining 36 yards.
Chicago’s offense looked stale, and Gase remained conservative with his approach before the offense got the ball back with 1:10 remaining on the clock in the first half.
Cutler managed to get himself out of the pocket to complete a 44-yard pass to running back Jeremy Langford and a 36-yard pass to wide receiver Deonte Thompson on Chicago’s final drive of the half before completing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery in the end zone.
The Bears played a bit more uptempo during the final drive of the first half, and Cutler and the offense looked like they had found a rhythm going into halftime down 14-7.
Chicago received the ball to start the second half, but the offense lost one yard on three plays and was forced to punt once again.
The Bears scored a touchdown on their second possession of the third quarter following a 10-play, 80-yard drive that saw them pound the ball on the ground with Langford and pick up yards through the air on three completions of more than 10 yards to Jeffery, Langford and wide receiver Marc Mariani. Tight end Zach Miller hauled in a nine-yard pass from Cutler in the end zone to get the Bears within a touchdown of Washington at 21-14.
An interception by cornerback Kyle Fuller on Washington’s ensuing possession set up a seven-yard touchdown run by running back Matt Forte, and the Bears were able to tie up the game 21-21 late in the third quarter. Washington took a 24-21 lead early in the fourth quarter, and the Bears were forced to punt on their next possession after gaining just eight yards on three plays.
Following a Redskins punt, Chicago started to find a rhythm again on offense before deciding to run a screen pass to Jeffery to the right of the formation on 3rd-and-10. Washington read the play well and held the former Pro Bowl receiver to just a two-yard gain.
Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com and the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Patrick Finley both questioned the decision to throw the screen in that situation:
The defense forced Washington to punt on the next drive, and the Bears got the ball back at their own 20-yard line with just over two minutes remaining on the clock. Cutler hit Jeffery down the sidelines for a 50-yard gain on first down following a false start by center Hroniss Grasu, but the offense failed once again to build off its momentum.
Kicker Robbie Gould attempted a 50-yard field goal with just under two minutes remaining on the clock, but he missed wide right.
After Gould’s miss, ESPN.com’s Matt Bowen noted the Bears missed opportunities on their final drive:
Gase‘s play-calling was a bit too conservative at the beginning of the game, and despite Cutler finding most of his success in the passing game when the team ran its uptempo offense, Gase stuck with his game plan.
In the end, Chicago’s offense did enough to put the team in position to win the game against Washington, but the team failed to capitalize near the end of the contest.
Bears Failed to Capitalize in Big Moments
Chicago’s defense allowed Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins to complete 24 of his 31 passing attempts for 300 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but it had an opportunity to shift momentum late in the fourth quarter.
On third down from his own 37-yard line, Cousins rolled out to his left before spinning backward and working his way back to the right side of the formation. The young quarterback threw the football across his body to tight end Jordan Reed, and nickelback Sherrick McManis had an opportunity to intercept the football.
However, the ball slipped through the former Northwestern Wildcat’s hands and tipped off Reed’s hands before Washington running back Matt Jones was able to make the improbable catch.
Not only did McManis fail to haul in the interception, he also failed to recover a fumble by Jones after the former Florida Gator let go of the football before being touched down.
The Chicago Tribune‘s Rich Campbell noted how close the Bears were to changing the tone of the game on that play:
McManis‘ miscue once the ball was in the air cost the Bears an opportunity to gain momentum, but Gould’s big miss late in the game for the second week in a row cost the team an opportunity to possibly play for the win in overtime.
The veteran kicker missed a game-winning 36-yard field goal at the end of the game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, and he missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt late in the fourth quarter on Sunday that would have tied the game 24-24.
According to WGNRadio.com’s Adam Hoge, Gould was confident in his range before the missed field goal:
There is no guarantee the Bears would have been able to come away with a victory had Gould nailed the late field-goal attempt, but the defense played well down the stretch, and the offense had shown it could push the ball when Gase let his unit play an uptempo game.
The Bears will need some sort of miracle this season to make the playoffs now that they sit with a 5-8 record, but Gase will need to improve his play-calling and the team will need to do a better job of executing in key moments if Chicago wants to come away with a victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15.
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.
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