Poor grades for Chicago Bears in loss to 49ers

5 of 5

Nov 26, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox during the second half against the Green Bay Packers for a NFL game on Thanksgiving at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching: C-

If this could just be a grade for Vic Fangio, we’d be looking at a much higher mark, but instead, his being lumped in with Adam Gase brings the mark down.

Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears outside linebacker Willie Young (97) and Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller (86) sack San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) in the first quarter of their game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Fangio had a stellar game, consistently putting the Bears defense in good positions to limit the 49ers’ offense. The Bears got consistent pressure on Gabbert and limited the 49ers running game, which has been a weak area for the Bears all season.

His playcalling on Gabbert’s touchdown run was a little suspect – a spy on Gabbert may have been in order since he’d already run for one first down on the drive, the defensive line was consistently collapsing the pocket, it was third-and-three (making a scramble for a first down more likely) and the 49ers had thrown for a measly 125 yards at that point, meaning they had zero success throwing the ball down the field in regulation – but it’s easy to come back in hindsight and say Fangio should have used a spy.

Gabbert isn’t a consistent running threat, which spies are used to counter, and there was certainly no reason to think that even if Gabbert scrambled for a first down that Jonathan Anderson or Adrian Amos wouldn’t make the tackle.

The main problem with Fangio’s defense, and this is more than just one game, is the lack of turnovers. Where are they? The Bears are tied for 27^th with a pitiful six interceptions on the year, are 30^th with only four forced fumbles and are 14^th with seven recovered fumbles.

It’s not a traditional problem of Fangio’s defenses – in 2011 they were second in the league in interceptions and in 2014 his 49ers defense led the league, while the intervening years they were average – but this year, his defense has failed to generate the interceptions and fumbles his schemes usually produce.

The only defensive problem for the Bears that rivals the lack of turnovers is the run defense, which is now ranked 29^th in the league for yards allowed and 31^st for yards per carry.

Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Marc Mariani (80) reacts after being tackled by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) in the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

But the primary coaching failure in this game lies with Adam Gase and the Bears’ offense, who failed to take advantage of having two good pass-catching tight ends in Martellus Bennett and Zach Miller.

Nov 9, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase looks on before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Gase’s gameplan obviously called for steady diet of running plays, and that was a good scheme that worked to the tune of 142 yards. Yet, in the passing game, it seemed the idea was to target Jeffery first, second and third, and let everyone else pick up the scraps.

Even a bad 49ers defense is good enough to focus on stopping the other team’s top wide receiver, especially with the Bears’ other top two receivers being lost for the game. Gase should have built in a shorter passing game that called for Cutler to get the ball to Bennett and Miller, forcing the 49ers to ease up the coverage on Jeffery in order to stop the Bears’ tight ends.

Instead, the Bears’ tight ends were targeted only five times – resulting in four catches – while Cutler was four of 12 for 85 yards throwing to Jeffery, including a first-quarter interception that was returned for a touchdown.

May 27, 2015; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase (C) talks with Bears quarterbacks during organized team activities at the Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Sticking with Gase, it’s fair to point out that while he’s done an excellent job with Cutler, he’s receiving a ton of hype for an offensive coordinator whose unit is 23^rd in the league in scoring, 19^th in total yards, 20^th in passing offense and 11^th in rushing offense, and one that has scored fewer than the league average of 23.1 points per game in 10 out of 12 games.

Those are pedestrian numbers, even for a unit that has been ravaged with injuries at the skill positions. Gase was a head coaching candidate before he got to Chicago, but it’s a little surprising to hear all the hype surrounding him as someone who seems likely to leave for a head coaching gig in the offseason.

He’s had Peyton Manning to lead his offense, and he’s proven to be a decent lion tamer with Cutler. But in terms of producing a prolific offense – when he doesn’t have arguably the best quarterback who has ever played, anyway – Gase seems lacking at the moment.

Next: Breaking Down Gabbert's Back-Breaking Run

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