Regardless of Cutler’s Status, Bears Season Lost Because of Defense
At the end of the Bears’ 45-41 loss to the Washington Redskins, Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs were on the sidelines, left to play the role of assistant coaches. Julius Peppers was getting run over and getting a piggyback ride from Alfred Morris. These were the most important pieces of your defense, now they have the best seats to a weekly offensive explosion by whoever the Bears are playing that week. Major Wright and Chris Conte? They’ve been exposed for the frauds they are. Without a decent pass rush, they’ve proven that they can’t cover or tackle, two important attributes safeties should possess. Shea McClelling is on the road to Bustville. The rest? A patchwork of bodies; players who fill roles and contribute but aren’t viewed as key cogs.
Oct 20, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) lays on the field with an apparent injury against the Washington Redskins during the first half at FedEX Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears defense used to subscribe to a “bend don’t break” philosophy. I’m here to tell you that it’s bent and broken. Mel Tucker brought some contagion with him from Jacksonville and it’s infected the Bears defense. He doesn’t have the answers.
The Bears have never scored this many points and lost a game. Ever. What’s worse? There are no quick fixes or band aids out there. Brian Urlacher isn’t riding in on a white horse to save the day. Lovie Smith is not getting up off his couch to fix it. This is the price the Bears have to pay for years of blown draft picks and an emphasis on fixing the offense.
I’ve got news for you. Even if Jay Cutler had played the full game and not gotten hurt, there’s a good chance the Bears wouldn’t have gotten out of DC with a W. Consider what Josh McCown did in the second half in relief of Cutler. How many points is the Bears offense going to have to score to keep up with the like of Green Bay and Detroit when 41 points weren’t enough to beat the previously 1-win Redskins?
It looks like the offense is getting fixed but it was done at the expense of the defense. We don’t know how long Jay Cutler will be out, but I’m preparing for bad news when the MRI results are made public. It certainly doesn’t look good, but regardless of what happens with Jay Cutler, the season is lost because the defense is dead.
What do YOU think? Is this season salvageable? Can they turn the defense around and find a way to win some games if Cutler is gone?