The Chicago Bears lost to the Minnesota Vikings 31-17 in Week 18, ending another disappointing season in the Windy City. The Bears raced out to a 14-0 lead but ended up blowing it in a second-half collapse. After the Bears-Vikings game, we'll be looking at some Bears Week 18 takeaways.
Chicago played without starting signal-caller Justin Fields for the third straight week, as they went with Andy Dalton, who had a shaky performance, under center. In addition to the turnovers, Chicago's defense put together a lackluster effort, though it wasn't all bad. The Bears got an even closer look at their future alpha wide receiver, Darnell Mooney, who put on a show against the Vikings defense. Mooney's effort, as well as the efforts of the other Bears, were not enough to save the job of head coach Matt Nagy, whose job status survived the postgame, though he and general manager Ryan Pace were ultimately fired on Monday, ushering in a new era in Chicago.
That said, here are some Bears Week 18 takeaways from their season finale loss to the Vikings.
Bears Week 18 Takeaways
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3. Darnell Mooney dominated the Vikings
Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney put on a show. Mooney hauled in a season-high 12 catches for 126 yards, as he was far-and-away Dalton's favorite target all game long. The 24-year-old wideout averaged just over 10 yards per reception, as he moved the chains all game long. The monster effort put Mooney over 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his career. His performance in this game- and this season- proves that the Bears don't need to pay up for Allen Robinson, their presumed alpha wideout. They already have one in Darnell Mooney.
2. The Bears need to shore up the back end of their secondary
The Bears franchise is known for having intimidating, imposing defenses that stifle the opponent. Bears fans take pride in a good defense, which is why they were likely disgusted with what they saw against the Vikings. Not only did Minnesota score each of their three second half touchdowns on passing plays, but each play went for 20-plus yards down the field, including two, 40-plus yard pass plays. The Bears aren't going to be successful anytime soon giving up big play after big play like that. In an upcoming draft filled with defensive players, the Bears' new general manager needs to take advantage and bring in some new talent on the back end of the secondary.
1. A new era begins in Chicago
Bears head coach Matt Nagy wasn't fired after the game, but no one would have blamed Chicago if they had chosen to do so. The loss to the Vikings personified so many of the things that went wrong in the Nagy era: poor quarterback play, an offense that too often stalled, defensive problems and yes, a blown lead. In truly ironic fashion, Nagy's first and last game as Bears head coach featured Chicago racing out to a lead, then blowing it in the second half. It's symbolic of the fact that, while there was some success, the Bears didn't advance much in their years under the leadership of Nagy. Now, a new era begins in Chicago.
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