The Chicago Bears' loss to the Cleveland Browns ensured that the team would finish below .500 in the regular season. So, while they are not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the team does know that they have little chance of making it and that if they do, it would be a lot of help from other teams.
The Bears will continue to try to win games, but the focus has to start to shift towards the future in the final three weeks. There are three rookies who deserve more work in the final three games of the 2023 season.
3. The Chicago Bears need to play Gervon Dexter more
The Chicago Bears have started to play Gervon Dexter more, and they like what they are seeing. Dexter has played 39% of the defensive snaps this year, but he has gone over that rate in four of the last five games. He has 13 of his 22 pressures this season in the last five games as well.
Still, the team has been fearful of using him on run-downs, and it has kept him below 50%. He has not played over 48% of the team's defensive snaps in a game this season. That has to change in the final three weeks. Dexter may struggle against the run, but he is not going to get better just sitting and watching. At some point, he has to struggle and find ways to survive.
The Chicago Bears are going to lose Justin Jones to free agency this season, and he is having about the same season he had last year, nothing more or less. The team knows what they have in him, and while they should not bench him completely, he could go from closer to 70% of the snaps to the 50% range.
The Bears need growth from this rookie. They have seen it in the last five games, and now it needs to be stronger.
2. The Chicago Bears should shift Tyler Scott into the slot
When the Chicago Bears drafted Tyler Scott, it was clear what their intentions were. Darnell Mooney will be a free agent after this season, and Scott has a very similar profile based on his size and athletic ability. The Bears probably needed Scott more than they wanted to play him due to the injury of Equanimeous St. Brown and the trade of Chase Claypool.
While he has not produced, he also is not playing in the role that many see him filling next season. Tyer Scott is expected to replace Darnell Mooney in the slot. However, he has jus a 21.6% slot rate this season, and he is obviously the number three behind Mooney when they only have two wideouts on the field.
The Bears do not have to go as far as taking Mooney out of two wide receiver sets, but if he is already playing some outside, and he spent good portions of his career on the outside, why not just keep him outside for the final three weeks? It may help Mooney, who is due to be a free agent. He could produce more and at least show the versatility.
More than that, it helps Tyler Scott. If he can go from four or five slot snaps to 17 to 20 in the final three weeks, the Bears would have a much better idea of what to expect from him in 2024. Right now, he is a huge question mark. That answer is more important than anything right now.
1. Roschon Johnson should be the Chicago Bears lead back
This move is the most likely to happen, but it also may be coming by default. The Chicago Bears have a three-man committee, but two of them are coming back from injury, and neither looks like their old self.
D’onta Foreman has played two games but has had 17 carries for 44 yards since his return. He had 11 carries in his return and had six after that because he did not look the same. Khalil Herbert had 16 carries in his first game back and has had 15 in the three games since then. In total, he has 31 carries for 75 yards.
The two have 48 carriers for 119 yards in their recent touches. That is awful. This season, Johnson has 60 rushes for 274 yards. In the four games since Justin Fields came back, he has had 22 rushes for 107 yards. Johnson also has nine catches for 64 yards in that span while being the best pass protector.
He is not overly dynamic, but he is better than what these two injured backs are bringing. He is also the one most tied to their future. The Chicago Bears should ride with Roschon Johnson for the final three weeks.