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The Chicago Bears almost pulled off an improbable upset of the Steelers after trailing by multiple scores late in the game. In the end, Pittsburgh came away victorious but Chicago may have gotten the “moral” victory… if you believe in that type of thing. There were actually four points that the Bears made very clear during this game, two positive and two negatives that can have an impact on the Bears' (and especially rookie quarterback Justin Fields') outlook for the rest of the 2021 NFL season.
4 Bears takeaways from MNF Week 9 loss to Steelers
4. The defense is struggling
During the Bears' current 4-game losing streak that has led up to this week's bye, Chicago has allowed 33.5 points per game. New defensive coordinator Sean Desai is in his first year as a defensive coordinator and if he doesn't get his unit together, it will probably be his first AND only season as the defensive coordinator in Chicago.
Head coach Matt Nagy is most likely on the way out the door, meaning Desai theoretically would need to be retained by the new head coach (something that rarely happens) or he could have been next-in-line to replace Nagy (now very unlikely). The team has got to play better on that side of the ball if they want to have any success in the second half of their season.
3. David Montgomery is back to being a Bell-Cow
Montgomery out-touched Khalil Herbert by a more than 4-1 margin, quashing any rumors of a split backfield upon Montgomery's return from injury. It's a nice little bonus for the team to know that they have two very capable running backs to lean on, but when healthy, this is the “Monty Show,” and we got a front-row ticket to it on Monday night.
Look for this to continue for as long as Montgomery can stay healthy. Chicago is able to run the ball, despite being a huge liability in pass protection, so that is definitely a silver lining when discussing the abysmal line play…bringing us to our next takeaway.
2. The offensive line is a huge problem
Justin Fields was running for his life from the start of the game to the finish. Chicago did a great job of booting, waggling and full-on sprinting Fields away from the pocket and into space in order to make a play. This is a great job by the coaches and players of understanding the type of scheme that will work for them. The issue, though, is that you cannot move the pocket on every play.
The defensive players in the NFL are too good and the coaches are too smart to let you have your “fastball” all game. Fields fastball is moving the pocket, and he has got to learn another pitch (throwing from the pocket) in order to fully evolve into the quarterback he is showing the flashes of being.
1. Justin Fields is going to be a star
Most of the rhetoric of this article is based on the Bears putting the Bears' offense and Justin Fields specifically, into positions that will make them successful. All of that is necessary as the rookie learns the ropes of the NFL, but even through the training wheels, you can see that Justin Fields is going to be a star in the NFL.
Fields may still have his bumps and bruises along the way, just like any other rookie quarterback, but his ability to keep the play alive, find receivers downfield, and throw on the run are already elite. When the rest of his skillset comes out to play, the NFL will be put on notice.
