Through the first three weeks of the season, the Chicago Bears have gone 2-1 despite all of the criticism surrounding the team.
At the end of the day, a win is a win, so they say.
But, it’s not all sunshine, rainbows and polish sausages in Chicago. The Bears have looked flat-out deceased on offense — at least, when it comes to the passing game. As a second-year pro who was supposed to take a big leap this year, Justin Fields has done anything but impress.
Bears fans want him to be the guy. We all want to see him succeed, which is why it’s been so difficult watching him struggle. The offense truly looks a lot like it did last year under Matt Nagy, and that’s not a good sign for this new regime. Still, there’s time and the Bears are learning a new offense which is far more complex than Nagy’s.
Now, as for how bad the Bears have been, there needs to be context. For example, a recent stat released will prove the Bears can do at least one thing in elite fashion.
The Chicago Bears are an elite rushing football team, so if Justin Fields can catch up, they might surprise some people.
Who knew the Bears were tied for the fourth-most explosive plays in all of football through three weeks? 23 explosive plays in three games — that’s pretty impressive, considering the company they keep atop that list.
Just below them, though, are the Cleveland Browns who are in a similar boat. The rushing attack is where these two teams hang their hats.
For the Bears, it hasn’t mattered who is taking handoffs. Whether it’s been David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert or even wideout Equanimeous St. Brown, the Bears have been able to generate explosive plays on the ground.
It is actually impressive that the Bears rank so high in explosive plays, considering Justin Fields set a record for fewest passing yards through a quarterback’s first three games, dating all the way back to 1975.
Much has been made about the offensive line and their struggles at times, but they have not played as bad as some may think. The holes they’re opening up in the run game have been massive, leading to so many explosive plays, of course.
Should Fields and the offense catch on, the Bears’ offense will not be as bad as they are currently. Things cannot possibly get a whole lot worse than they are at the moment, therefore faith has to be in place that this group can take at least a small step forward.
