Better Personnel Only Answer for Bears Issues

Analysis: Stopping the run and executing the running game efficiently can only be addressed by the Bears with better personnel.

At this point in the season, there is only so much a team lacking personnel can do.

In the Bears' case, trying to stop the run almost seems futile. Running it hasn't been a problem but now is.

"I told the guys after the game about a couple things, about how we need to do a better job running the ball and stopping the run and then really we did win the all—we won the ball, we just gotta capitalize on those," coach Matt Eberflus said.

As Eberflus said, the Bears defense did get three takeaways for the second straight week against Buffalo. However, the offense's problem running the ball and the defense's issue with stopping the run are serious, and the defense's situation is one requiring offseason personnel change to fix.

The defense's weakness against the run is chronic.

They have appeared to solve the problem at times, but the issue keeps returning.

They gave up 379 yards in the first two weeks, held Houston to 93 yards and then saw the Giants run all over them for a season-high 262 yards. Surprisingly, their run defense stiffened for two more weeks after the trade but just when they appeared to have it solved they have given up 149 yards, 158, 175 and 254 the last four weeks.

The Bears have dipped to 30th against the run, and before their last game Eberflus pointed out the successful defense they had in Indianapolis had always been strong against the run.

This one won't be.

"We just didn't fit 'em right," linebacker Nicholas Morrow said. "We didn't have really good gap integrity. We did a good job with some of our line stunts. The tackles did a good job of chasing them in there and making it a little difficult, a little muddy for the second-level reads.

"But kudos to them. But also we gotta be better, second level and first level, of fitting those runs up."

Defensive Front the Biggest Issue

This has been a common battlecry for the Bears defense during their season of collapsing run defense.

It happens because of the Bears' weakness up front. They lack defensive linemen with elite ability necessary to both rush the passer and stop the run. They devote energies to pass rush, and they leave the running lanes open.

It's why their major offseason focus needs to be defensive line, although they have a few other spots to address elsewhere.

Tackles Armon Watts and Mike Pennel have given good effort but haven't put up numbers. Justin Jones looks capable but hasn't been a great factor. Angelo Blackson has been relegated into the background, with nine plays or less in four of the last five games. He wasn't active on Saturday, and actually didn't fit this scheme when they switched to a 4-3 because he had always been a two-gapper in a 3-4 before this year.

Real run-stopping issues did not begin immediately with Smith's trade but it couldn't have helped. Jack Sanborn gave a good account of himself stopping the run at linebacker but is done for the year.

They were playing without a first- or second-round draft pick in their entire front seven. In fact, there was no one besides Jones who was selected on the first two days of the draft.

The two linebackers who played the most, the weakside and middle, were undrafted free agents after Smith was dealt.

Run Problems More Injury Related

While the defense's issues exsisted all year, the inability to run the ball Saturday was alarming—especially Justin Fields' inability to get loose. His 11 yards was a season low but Eberflus didn't think Buffalo's tactics had a thing to do with it. Tackle Braxton Jones agreed.

"I mean the biggest thing obviously I'm seeing is mesh charge so the D-ends are slanting inside and bringing the backer over top, but then they're blitzing off of that as well," he said.

The mesh charge is the defensive ends advancing in at an angle toward the quarterback. They've seen this numerous times since Fields began running more, but Buffalo does it with better defensive players.

"They did get us, I feel like, on some of those safety pressures," Jones said. "And we've got to be a little bit better when we do have movement and stuff like that. I mean, it's just stuff that we're always going to see. We've just got to execute a little bit better."

The offensive line's issues are not chronic like the defense's. While they need upgrading at some positions, they have some bonafide talent and getting players healthy back like Teven Jenkins and Cody Whitehair makes a difference.

Playing without your starting guards is going to inhibit any running game.

Stopping a running game without many high-quality players in the NFL is all but impossible, and the Bears have found this out.

It usually comes down to personnel at the end of tight games, and as a result it's easy to see why the Bears are still talking about becoming closers with two weeks to play.

"They’re getting close to really understanding how to finish the game and you finish with game-defining execution," Eberflus said.

And you get game-defining execution with talent, not undrafted free agents and seventh-round draft picks.

TICKETS TO SEE JUSTIN FIELDS AND THE BEARS AVAILABLE THROUGH SI TICKETS

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven