Bear Digest

What shootout loss to 49ers says for Bears' playoff preparedness

The Bears' game plan last week correctly forecasted how they had to play that game, and consequently Ben Johnson's team looks as set for postseason as anyone.
Gene Chamberlain|
49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks tries or an open-field tackle of Bears running back Kyle Monangai Sunday night.
49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks tries or an open-field tackle of Bears running back Kyle Monangai Sunday night. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

How last Sunday's loss turned out did not sit well with the Bears' defense, but the fact they needed to try to outscore the 49ers in a shootout definitely didn't surprise the Chicago coaching staff.

It's a scenario they prepare for, according to offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.

Sometimes the defense is going to have its hands full and definitely did against a 49ers offense that hadn't punted since November. Knowing the Bears, with QB Caleb Williams, are preparing for all eventualities can only instill more confidence in fans about Ben Johnson's approach, his coaching staff and the future.

"So we felt like with an offense like that on the other side, the game could turn into something like that, where it's a shootout and you got to go blow for blow," Doyle said. "And we kind of knew that all week. We were preparing for that, just in the case that that happened.

"The last time we had to do that was really Cincinnati, where you're going against a high-powered offense. And a lot of games into the postseason are like that. The mentality was we (on offense) control what we can control."

Last year in the playoffs' 13 games, the average winning score was 31.7 points. The winning team scored less than 27 point only three times.

In the previous season, the winning team averaged 31.6 points. In the regular season, the average number of points scored in a game by any team has never been higher than 24.8 points and that was in the pandemic year of 2020. This year it's 23.2.

So when winning playoff teams scored 31.6 and 31.7 the last two seasons and 30.4 in 2022, it's a sure indication what's needed once the postseason begins. Being able to press the accelerator and go all out to get to the end zone becomes the norm in postseason. Teams don't and can't hold anything back.

The times when teams play a defensive struggle and gut out a win to advance have become ancient history. Only twice out of 39 playoff games in the last three years did the winning team come in with a score below 20.

Could you have imagined a Matt Eberflus Bears team going into the playoffs prepared to go all out with the run and pass to put up a huge number in a track meet type of game?

The decision to hire Ben Johnson, the staff he assembled, and the style of play the Bears have is finally conducive with the 21st century and the way postseason football is played.

It all means an exciting postseason, if not a long one.

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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.