Bear Digest

Chicago Bears game day checklist for Week 2 against Detroit Lions

Analysis: The Bears seemed to forget some things during the opener against Minnesota and a checklist can help jar the memory going into Ford Field Sunday.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams escapes the pocket and looks for a receiver downfield last year in Detroit.
Caleb Williams escapes the pocket and looks for a receiver downfield last year in Detroit. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It wasn't like losing on the last play in Washington after Tyrique Stevenson messed up is coverage on a Hail Mary.

Rather, Ben Johnson's opener with the Bears was more like a slow-motion version of that type of loss, with numerous mistake made by players and the head coach resulting in a 27-24 defeat by Minnesota.

"A lot of times, when things are stale, all it takes is one player to make a play,  and it just shoots a shock of electricity through the entire team," Johnson noted. "Likewise, once one bad thing happens, if you're not careful, then that can also be contagious, as well, and catch fire. That's what happened."

Now they need to go into Detroit with that slate wiped  clean, and not let squandering an 11-point fourth-quarter lead take away from their chances of beating Johnson's old team in his old stadium.

The coaches and players alike should have learned plenty from that first defeat.

If a reminder is necessary for the Bears, here's their game ay checklist for Week 2 with the Lions.

10. Wakeup call

Someone let Montez Sweat know the season has begun.

9. Avoid distractions

This game could be a distraction for Johnson but probably won't because the guy is so focused. It needs to be this way for the players, as well. Not so much last week but in the past, Stevenson tended to get carried away with his battle against wide receiver Jameson Williams. Fines and/or penalties resulted.

8. Hangtime over distance

Bears punter Tory Taylor outkicked the coverage several times last week. It helped the Vikings set up effective returns and achieve better field position. His punts tended to be too low but last week it was more a problem of so deep the returns set up.

7. In Jared Goff's face

The edge rush is important but it's especially critical to get the interior rush in Goff's face because he plays his worst ball when he can't operate the timing routes because he's forced to hold the ball or must step or even run in different directions. Green Bay had him on the run last week. Contrary to what the low-hanging fruit eaters in the broadcast booth would have you believe, it wasn't all from Micah Parsons—Pro Football Focus tends to give out pressures if you're within 10 yards of the QB on a throw. Stathead has Parsons at six pressures total in two games. So it started with interior rush from the tackles for the Packers and the Bears had this last week for three quarters before collapsing.

6. Run vigilance

The run defense's duties are never assumed until the final gun. Last week the Bears let it slip away defensively when they quit stopping the run. Jordan Mason runs finally gave Minnesota something positive to work with and it snowballed. Even in the fourth quarter with a lead, Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings, Tremaine Edmunds and Co. can't assume the pass is coming.

5. Don't forget the rookies

One of the problems of past Bears regimes was not developing players. They're not going to develop if they're just playing special teams or watching. Running back Kyle Monangai needs to get some plays and carries. Wide receiver Luther Burden III should get more chances than one catch behind the line and a kick return. Colston Loveland, of all people, can't be forgotten in Michigan. In Loveland's case, it seemed an issue last week more with Williams or Loveland than play calling.  Loveland was on the field for 38 plays. He was used. He got targeted twice with two catches for only 12 yards.

4. Leave the gambling in Chicago

Fourth-down gambles like Johnson took last week are sort of a Lions trademark. Let them take the unnecessary risks. This is a road game and on the road you take the points, provided your kicker can make it.

3. Escape forward

Caleb Williams last week was leaving the pocket in all different directions. Doing this takes away valuable time to escape. His first step need to be forward. It's something he should know by now. Running backwards and sideways lets the defense come to you. He had two runs over 20 mph last week according to NFL NextGen Stats. If he can run that fast, run forward, not backward or sideways.

2. Passing fundamentals

Williams tended to let this all break down in the opener. Bad footwork and indecisiveness, and the end result was taking too long to throw at 3.04 seconds according to NFL NextGen Stats. It was faster than Brock Purdy, Goff and Jalen Hurts, and maybe it isn't the most important thing because Justin Fields took an NFL worst 3.53 seconds but had a strong game last week. But this offense still operates best with the ball out in time and they need to keep on Williams about his fundamentals even during the game.

1. Establish the run

If anyone should know this most basic football need it's Johnson, who didn't let his starting running back carry more than 17 times and had no other back carry the ball. It was the running game that carried the Lions early when they established their offense in 2022 while he was coordinator. Running it for only 53 yards from backs isn't doing it. This won't let them establish play-action passing and won't offer a counter taking pressure off of Caleb Williams.If they want Williams to step forward and throw in the pocket, they can help keep his feet clean by giving the defense something to worry about besides his throws.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.