Why Chicago Bears QB David Fales Should Start in Week 4 Against Oakland Raiders
Published by Matt Eurich on September 29, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Quarterback Jimmy Clausen struggled in the Chicago Bears‘ Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and his struggles on Sunday could open up the door for second-year quarterback David Fales to get the start in Week 4.
Clausen was thrust into the starting lineup late in the first half of Chicago’s Week 2 loss to the Arizona Cardinals due to an injury to starting quarterback Jay Cutler, and he completed just 14 of his 23 passing attempts for 121 yards with one interception. He was sacked twice and finished the game with a 56.6 quarterback rating.
After Chicago’s loss to Arizona, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Cutler would miss at least two weeks with a hamstring injury:
Head coach John Fox said very little about Cutler’s injury last week, and he named Clausen the starter for Week 3 last Friday, per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
Clausen made his first start since Week 16 of last year on Sunday, and he struggled against Seattle’s vaunted defense. In the first half, he completed five of his nine passing attempts for just 22 yards. He attempted eight more passes in the second half, but his final stat line showed just how inept the team’s passing offense was in Week 3.
He did a nice job of protecting the football and did not force any throws into tight spaces, but he looked uncomfortable in the pocket all game long. He occasionally stepped up in the pocket or rolled to the outside when he felt pressure, but he was unable to connect on any big plays down the field. His longest completion of the day came on a 21-yard pass to tight end Zach Miller.
Miller led the Bears in receiving with one catch for 21 yards, while Eddie Royal hauled in three catches for 17 yards, Martellus Bennett recorded four catches for 15 yards and backup running back Jacquizz Rodgers made one catch for 10 yards.
Clausen targeted running back Matt Forte three times and wide receivers Joshua Bellamy and Marquess Wilson both two times, but none of them were able to record a catch.
“It was tough,” Clausen said after the game, per Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Our focus was [to] run the ball against these guys. That was the game plan—just stick with it, run the ball, try to take shots when shots were there.”
The Bears ran the football 27 times for 98 yards, but the opportunity to throw the football down the field never materialized. Even though Clausen did not play well against Seattle, he did receive some support from his teammates—including guard Matt Slauson.
“I thought he did well,” Slauson said after the game, per ChicagoBears.com. “He hung in there with us. It’s a tough, tough position to be in to get put in that role in a place like this. I thought he held it together really well. Now, we just have to do a better job as a group moving the ball.”
Clausen may have received praise from his teammates after the game, but the Bears should consider going in a different direction this weekend when they take on the Oakland Raiders if Cutler is once again unable to play.
Cutler’s status for Week 4 is up in the air, and considering how Fox approached the subject last week, it would not come as a surprise if a starter is not named until Friday. If Cutler is still out, and the Bears are convinced they have seen all they are going to see from Clausen, Fales could get the start.
CBSChicago.com’s Dan Durkin and Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei both discussed the possibility of Fales starting in Week 4:
The Bears selected Fales in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, and after spending all of the offseason and preseason with the team last year, he was waived before the start of the regular season. The Bears signed him to the practice squad on September 14, and he was eventually added to the 53-man roster after the New England Patriots attempted to claim him off the practice squad, according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
He served as Cutler’s primary backup in Week 17 last year, but he did not take any snaps in the regular season.
Fales practiced with the team during minicamps and organized team activities (OTAs) this offseason, but he missed the majority of training camp with an undisclosed illness. The team signed Zac Dysert late in training camp after he was released by the Denver Broncos, but Fales’ performance in the preseason finale helped him land a spot on the team’s 53-man roster over Dysert.
The former San Jose State Spartan played three-plus quarters against the Cleveland Browns in the preseason finale, and he completed 14 of his 18 passing attempts for 131 yards with two touchdowns and recorded a 134.0 quarterback rating.
Fales showed good pocket presence against the Browns, and he did a nice job of pushing the football down the field.
“I thought all week, his attention and preparation and everything were phenomenal,” said receiver Marc Mariani about Fales after the preseason finale, per ChicagoFootball.com’s Arthur Arkush. “Tonight, he just came out and slang it and did what they asked. I couldn’t be happier for him. … I think the numbers showed it: He had a good night tonight.”
Fales had a strong showing against fellow third-string players in the preseason finale, but his performance should not be discredited because of the level of talent he went up against. He played behind an unproven offensive line and had limited weapons on offense, but he looked comfortable in offensive coordinator Adam Gase’s system.
He is an accurate quarterback who is at his best in the short-to-intermediate passing game, but he has a strong enough arm to make throws down the field. Fales is an intelligent quarterback who rarely puts the ball in harm’s way, and he is athletic enough to roll out of the pocket to pick up extra yards with his feet.
On Monday, Fox was asked whether or not he would consider starting Fales this Sunday against Oakland, and he did not rule it out, according to Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:
If Cutler is healthy and able to play this Sunday, he is without a doubt the team’s best option at quarterback, but if he cannot play, the Bears would be wise to give Fales an opportunity to run the offense.
There is no guarantee Fales plays better in Week 4 than Clausen did in Week 3, but at this point, it makes the most sense for the Bears to see what they have in their young quarterback.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.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
