One player on offense really stuck out as an offensive dud for the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears offense was completely checked out of this game by the time the fourth quarter hit. It caused a lot of fans to wonder why Justin Fields was still in the game. The Bears never stood a chance considering how bad the offensive line played. They were able to overcome it in the first quarter by running Fields, but after a rough hit he was a little banged up and they put him back in the pocket.
Braxton Jones had one of his worst games as a rookie, which was surprising because he has been getting better every week. He was beaten on a lot of third downs which led to several sacks and pressures. His lack of strength and an anchor was on display against the Lions, so he will have to address that in the offseason. It was an uncharacteristically poor performance for the fifth-round rookie who has impressed everyone in the Bears’ management this season.
The entire offensive line was terrible, even if they were banged up. Dieter Eiselen was not good as the emergency fill-in for Michael Schoefield, and the combination of Larry Borom and Riley Reiff at right tackle also did not help. The Lions were able to get pressure on what seemed like every third down or passing down, and it set the tone for the entire game. The Bears were completely defeated in the trenches, and it resulted in one of the worst offensive games of the season.
Also, Chase Claypool got the start after being cleared to play and produced a goose egg in the stat column. This was a great chance for him to show if he could be a number one type of receiver for this team, and he did not even get a reception. He was only targeted once, which is not his fault as much as the offensive design. Still, he also was not getting open on a weak Lions secondary.
Give some blame to Luke Getsy who should have called more run plays considering the Lions are one of the worst run defenses in the league. He also should have gotten Fields outside of the pocket on some bootlegs and rollouts because his quarterback was a sitting duck in the pocket all game.
The Bears’ offense failed in this game, but it was so frustrating because the Lions’ defense is not good this year, statistically. They just played with more effort and hustle than anyone on the Bears and looked like an elite unit.