Chicago Bears Week 4 vs Lions: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions (Week 4): The Good

The offense was fueled by Chicago’s running game from the very start. Running back David Montgomery led the way early and often with his second 100-yard rushing game of the year. The three-year veteran carried the ball 23 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow running back Damien Williams contributed with 55 rushing yards and one touchdown of his own on eight carries.

Obviously, none of this could have been possible without the blocking from the offensive line. Their control of the line of scrimmage was the total opposite from what fans saw against the Cleveland Browns last week, when they surrendered nine sacks and managed to help their ground attack to gain only 46 yards. The offensive line did have help with extra tight ends in pass blocking and fullbacks in the backfield leading the way out of the I-formation.

The passing game wasn’t as productive, but wide receiver Darnell Mooney did haul in five catches for a game-high 125 yards.

Defensively, the Chicago Bears continued to do what they’ve done all season. The unit recorded four sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. The most impressive thing the defense did was stop Detroit’s offense from scoring any points on four separate occasions while in the red zone.

Yes, all of this is good news, but what was the best news of all was the offensive play-calling—more specifically who did the play-calling. After getting a lot of heat from last week’s play selection, Nagy wisely surrendered his play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. As a result, Chicago’s offense had a balanced offensive attack. Hopefully, this strategy will be a mainstay for the Bears and their offense.