Chicago Bears Don'ts Against the Green Bay Packers
Amid the hype and hoopla of a Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers game in the season finale with something at stake for both teams, it's easy to forget what's important.
In other words, it's easy not to see the trees for the forest.
Here's a checklist of don'ts for the Bears heading into Sunday's Armageddon on the lakefront.
1. Don't run tight end jet sweeps at the half-yard line
Or triple reverses or flea flickers. Last week's embarrassing end-around by tight end Cole Kmet from the half-yard line on first-and-goal for a 3-yard loss had to be the worst play call of the Matt Nagy coaching era. Mike Ditka once said George Halas told him after a similar debacle that he had a play to run, and if it doesn't work run it again. It's called a quarterback sneak and it won Papa Bear a championship.
2. Don't run shotgun at the half-yard line
See the first don't. The Bears actually did this earlier in the season, sending the quarterback from under center to shotgun with the ball on the half-yard line. They got a false start penalty for their trouble. Note: See the first don't. You can't run a quarterback sneak from the shotgun.
3. Don't let Mitchell Trubisky try to imitate Aaron Rodgers
Trubisky for some reason thinks he can't run anymore and has to simply buy time in the pocket with his feet until a receiver comes free. When Rodgers does this, a receiver comes free and he gets the ball there. When Trubisky does it, he doesn't see a receiver, forgets he can still just run, then panics and throws it into a crowd for an interception in the end zone. Scrambling is what he does best, so he should do it instead of just buying time with his feet and throwing it.
4. Don't forget Anthony Miller
They've targeted him six times total in the last three games.
5. Don't go away from the running game
They ran 16 times in the first game with Green Bay. Sure, they got behind in a blowout, but they only ran nine times in the first half.
6. Don't watch the scoreboard
Mitchell Trubisky once said to turn off the TVs at Halas Hall. They should do the same on Sunday with the out-of-town scoreboard at Soldier Field. They don't need to watch it because they've got too much to worry about with the Packers, and the Rams aren't going to help them out anyway. Now the Rams not only without quarterback Jared Goff and running back Darrell Henderson, but Cooper Kupp might have COVID-19. The Cardinals aren't losing.
7. Don't forget to blitz Aaron Rodgers early
In the last game, an early blitz by Tashaun Gipson seemed to take the Packers by surprise as Gipson came in quickly untouched but Rodgers threw the ball out just as quickly for a nice gain. Then Chuck Pagano decided to sit back in zone and the Bears either got picked apart or had the ball shoved down their throats in the running game. Blitz and play man-to-man, stuff the running game with the blitz too. Pull out all the stops because this is it.
8. Don't turn your nose up on a Cairo Santos field goal
Matt Nagy still has this reluctance to let Santos try 50-plus field goals. He put them in overtime with one into the wind against New Orleans. He can make those, and while you want seven points and not three, three is better than none. Remember, three is better than none.
9. Don't forget David Montgomery can also catch passes
They've only thrown to Montgomery three times in the last two games and six times in the last three. Yet, he's averaging 14 yards a catch over the three games, the highest average on the team in that three-game winning streak.
10. Don't let Packers receivers just run wide open deep
We saw that one in the 2013 finale against the Packers with a playoff berth at stake. It doesn't end well.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
