Bears Talent Deficit Obvious at Games' Ends

There is no leniency in the NFL for a team trying so hard and failing due to lack of talent.

This is what the Bears have been doing at the end of games, when they always find ways to lose.

It's not a situation they're likely to remedy until the much-promised influx of talent $115 million can buy in free agency, or until another draft goes by when they actually have a first-round pick and others at the top of each round.

For now, they can get coached into position to win and try to get it done but ultimately it will be virtually impossible to come away with one of these tight games against a more talented team still focused on winning games.

Perhaps the season finale in the cold against a Vikings team that could be resting starters for the playoffs is a place where they might finally make a breakthrough. Or it might even be at Detroit, another team they've already failed to beat at game's end with late mistakes and a missed extra point.

As there is no leniency on the field for young teams with little talent who try hard, there also is none in grading them.

Losing to the Green Bay Packers is exactly that, regardless of whether they had things under control until the fourth quarter.

The Bears did everything they needed to do to win the game until that point and statistically it was evident.

They averaged 8.2 yards per play to Green Bay's 5.7, they averaged 10.2 yards yards per pass to 5.9 by the Packers. They averaged 6.2 yards per rush to 5.5.

The Bears offense achieved a season high in yardage (409) and the defense held Green Bay to its season low in passing yards (182) despite playing 80% backups against the Packers in the secondary.

They still lost because they turned the ball over three times, they had a field goal blocked and missed an extra point. They lost because they couldn't make plays at the end of the game.

Here's the report card from yet another failure to finish by the Bears.

Running Game: C

Their 155 yards rushing says success on the ground but it came sporadically against a team ranked 31st against the run. They had 100 yards on 24 carries unaccounted for by Justin Fields' 55-yard run off the right side for a touchdown. While David Montgomery had 4.4 yards a carry, he also encountered too many runs without an available opening to attack. Bringing back Khalil Herbert might open up much of this problem because it will keep teams from mesh-rushing as much, knowing they could get burned for just as big of a run by the running back as the quarterback on an RPO. It also opens it up more because Montgomery's longest run was only 8 yards on Sunday. Either way, the run blocking needs to be more consistent.

Passing: C+

Whether you blame Fields for the interception by Jaire Alexander or wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, it was still an awfully big disaster. The final interception was basically garbage time and taking a gamble then had no bearing on the game. Chase Claypool seemed to fit better in the offense downfield but he can't fumble the ball the way he did regardless of whether he was injured or actually did fumble it. Fields made big strides at getting the ball spread around, at getting through his progression and at finding Cole Kmet. Pass blocking held up against a team they've often struggled against, as there were no sacks allowed.

Run Defense: D-

In keeping with a theme central to the Bears defense all year, whenever the Packers needed yards on the ground they got them. They also ran for 20 more yards rushing than the Bears had without benefit of a quarterback piling up rushing yards. The 21-yard TD run by AJ Dillon and the 46-yard end-around TD run to help clinch it by Christian Watson both went to the same spot along the line. Al-Quadin Muhammad is supposed to be more stout against the run and the linebackers/safeties didn't fill the next gap. Other defensive players got caught away from the point of attack on those plays, either being blocked or just out of position to do anything about it. There were four Packers rushing plays of 11 yards or more, and three of 16 or more.

Pass Defense: C

You don't hold the Packers to a season low in passing yards with four backup players in the secondary very often. Making matters even more impressive—or depressive from another standpoint—there was no pass rush to speak of so young defensive backs like Elijah Hicks, Josh Blackwell and Jaylon Jones had to defend forever on plays to make it work. They had the Packer so befuddled that Rodgers spent much of his time whining to officials about holds or interference, although that's nothing new. The Bears have still had two sacks by defensive linemen, ends or tackles, since Week 2. A pass rush doesn't have to have sacks to be effective. There is always pressure. The Bears didn't have that either.

Special Teams: D-

There were a few positives, like averaging 28.4 yards on five kick returns or keeping the Packers at their own 20 or worse after three kickoffs, but Cairo Santos can't miss a fourth extra point on the season and get a relatively short 40-yard field goal blocked. That kick came off fairly low. The first field goal he made came off his foot low and knuckling, as well, and somehow made its way through the uprights. What started as a brilliant season for Santos has seemed to tail off into a dark place and his mistakes Sunday far outweigh any strides they made elsewhere.

Coaching: B-

One of their best-coached games in terms of game planning and using their talent was wasted by just a few negative plays. When they lost both Khari Blasingame and Trevon Wesco by the third play of the game, they had no fullback or third tight end and that puts a severe restriction on blocking for the run. Somehow they found ways to stay afloat with formation and play call. The play calling, in general, knew exactly where to hit the Packers' struggling defense in the passing game. When they executed the blocks, the same was true with the running game. Coaching three completely inexperience defensive backs and four sub DBs overall is usually a recipe for NFL disaster, especially against Aaron Rodgers. Somehow the staff got the coverage to work to a very high level, holding the Packers to a season low in passing yards.

Overall: D+

The best aspect of the game might have been how they showed they could compete with Green Bay using numerous subs, but in the process still maintain their hold on the No. 2 pick in the draft.

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