The Chicago Bears lost to the Dallas Cowboys 49-29. Losing by 20 points and allowing 49 should probably never be looked at in a positive light, but it is hard not to walk away from this game feeling optimistic if you are a fan.
Most fans should have known that this was a season about observing and finding things to get excited about in the future, and that is what happened despite the loss.
5. Justin Fields is showing serious improvement.
This is the obvious best-case outcome from this season. If the Chicago Bears’ defense is a problem, they can fix it, but quarterback is the hardest position to find. If the team is going to give up 49, as long as it looks like they have something in Justin Fields, it can be spun into a positive.
Justin Fields only threw for 151 yards, but posted a 74% completion rate, and had two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also added more as a playmaker on the ground. The past two weeks have probably been the best two when it comes to Justin Fields the runner of the football.
The feeling is that he is more comfortable now, and knows when to run, but also when to extend the play to pass. While he is not throwing in high volume, he is making the most of big plays.
Fields does not have much to work with, so it is hard to say that the 62 points over the last two weeks were not mainly because he was willing for the team to score. The defense should get right eventually, and with an offseason to help Fields the realization is that Sunday was positive.
4. The Chicago Bears started Trevis Gipson
When the Chicago Bears traded Robert Quinn it was obviously going to open up snaps for all of the edge rushers. Quinn was the leading snap player, so it was going to take big shoes to fill. However, how the team handled the rotation is telling.
Al-Quadin Muhammad move to the right side and rotated with Dominique Robinson while Trevis Gipson started on the left side. This is the first time that Gipson has started with the new regime. It is telling that the team moved AQM to a new side to allow Gipson to start after AQM had been starting on that side.
They could have asked Gipson to move sides, but admitted that Gispon was better than AQM against right tackles so far this year. This shows that the coaching is learning and making adjustments. They are seeing who is performing and letting them play more. Armon Watts has slowly dipped into the time of Angelo Blackson and that has been justified as well. They are letting the tape dictate who gets playing time.
3. Jack Sanborn got onto the field on defense
We knew we had to see this eventually but it is satisfying to see that the Chicago Bears got Jack Sanborn on the field for a few defensive snaps this week. He had been behind both Joe Thomas and Matt Adams as the third and fourth linebackers, but this week he started as the SAM linebacker next to Roquan Smith and Nicholas Morrow.
Sanborn only played eight snaps, but he entered the game with just two snaps on defense through seven games. They are obviously seeing something with him that is making them give him more playing time.
More than that, they probably realize that of Adams, Thomas, and Sanborn, Sanborn is most likely to be on the 2023 roster. The rest of the season should be about playing 2023 players and seeing if they can make any impact. Players who are placeholders or guys who did well in training camp but are fading should be moved on from.
It is a good sign that the Chicago Bears appear to realize this and are going to be playing their younger players down the stretch.
2. N’Keal Harry is making an impact for the Chicago Bears
It has been slow progress, but considering what the Chicago Bears gave up for him, the N’Keal Harry is probably already a win. The team needed some help for Justin Fields in the short term, and even if Harry does not last for the long term, he is doing just that.
Harry caught a touchdown on Sunday, adding to the catch he made on Monday night against his former team. He is not changing games, and most would credit Justin Fields for a nice throw, but Harry is getting involved in the offense and giving Fields another name that he can throw to.
The Chicago Bears need a wide receiver in the worst way The slow emergence of Equanimeous St. Brown has been nice, and Darnell Mooney is capable when he is a secondary wideout. If Harry could step and add some more depth to ESB they would start to form an actual wide receiver room.
They would have two blockers on the outside and Mooney in the slot. When you add in Dante Pettis and Velus Jones, there is at least a semblance and understanding of what Chicago was going for. It took a bit to figure things out, but the wide receivers are going to finish the season looking better than how they started.
1. Luke Getsy is learning on the job
The Chicago Bears appear to have their offensive coordinator. While he started slow, we should also acknowledge that this season is the first time calling plays. We were patient and willing to give Justin Fields some time to prove himself, because of the players around him, and now that we gave Luke Getsy time, we are starting to see things come through.
The best part of the rise of Getsy is that he is realizing the skillset of his quarterback. We are not seeing his scheme, but rather a collection of plays that make is quarterback look best. That is what good coordinators do.
They are moving him, taking deep shots, and designing quarterback runs. The average of 31 points the past two weeks has to do with Fields taking a step, but Getsy is equally responsible. If the team has a quarterback and a play caller, the rest will fall into place. It almost always does.
However, two things the Chicago Bears have hardly ever had, let alone together is a quarterback and a play caller. The fact that both are showing signs of growth, but also signs of serious upside has to be the biggest takeaway from a loss.