The Bears are 1-0 and headed for a divisional matchup against the Packers after a thrilling comeback upset against the 49ers in a game with heavy rains and standing water on the field.
It’s hard to know how good this team is, given the unusual weather in week one. But assuming typical weather for this week’s game, there are plenty of concerns, from the offensive line to David Montgomery’s role in the offense.
Here are three concerning things as the Bears prepare for Sunday’s game in Green Bay.
1
Is the Bears' offensive line good enough to consistently protect Justin Fields?
The Bears offensive line was better in week one than in years past. Fields led the NFL on time in the pocket in week one. On top of protecting the second-year quarterback, the Bears did an excellent job keeping Fields off the ground. He got sacked twice but was only knocked down once.
Compare that to Kirk Cousins, who was only sacked once but knocked down seven times in week one against Green Bay. Knockdowns affect quarterbacks mentally — it causes them to speed up to brace for the hit. If that happens, it will create chaos for the Bears’ timing-based offense.
2
Can Fields control the offense and move the ball with a clean surface and regular weather?
Yes, the weather was terrible, but what’s concerning is the lack of accuracy in the quarterback’s throws. Before the long touchdown pass to Dante Pettis, Fields was 4-of-10 for 22 yards and an interception.
The air yards per attempt were even more concerning than the lack of accuracy. Fields only averaged 3.6 air yards per attempt, while Trey Lance averaged 4.2 in the same conditions. So again, I’m unsure if it was the playcalling or the decision-making, but the ball has to get downfield.
Half of Fields’ completed passes were behind the line of scrimmage. And on attempts to stretch the defense, he was 3-of-7 with two touchdowns and an interception. If the weather is clear in Green Bay, we’ll get an answer as to whether or not he’s up to the task.
3
Has the new wide-zone scheme made David Montgomery irrelevant?
David Montgomery isn’t the best fit for the wide zone running attack. He lacks the speed to press the edges of the defense and then accelerate after making one cut. Coming out of Iowa State, Montgomery was much more of a bruising, inside zone power runner.
A leftover from the Nagy era, the veteran running back is a much better fit for the Kansas City-style inside zone. In that scheme, the running back is asked to press vertically towards the play-side guard and work to get downhill or find a cutback lane.
In the new wide zone scheme, running backs aim for the hip of the play-side tackle (or fullback) and need to have the speed and vision to either bend (one cut), bounce (get outside), or bang (inside run). This scheme is better suited for Khalil Herbert.
While Montgomery’s not the prototypical wide zone running back either, his speed, agility, and vision allow him to have success. In week one, Montgomery and Herbert split the snaps 70/30. I’m not sure that’s sustainable if Montgomery continues to struggle running off tackle.
