It’s taken 14 weeks, but the Chicago Bears finally arrived at their bye week. The good news is that it’s a chance for the team to regroup before the final stretch of games. The bad news is they’ve already been eliminated from playoff contention and will play for pride and draft position.
The Bears (3-10) are riding a six-game losing streak in head coach Matt Eberflus’ first season and are in line for the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The good news, however, is quarterback Justin Fields looks like the real deal.
Fields and the offense have looked unstoppable at times while the defense has struggled to keep opposing offenses at bay. The result more often than not has been competitive games where the Bears fall just short of victory.
The Bears were never supposed to be a contender, but has that changed our outlook on the season? Now that there’s a break in the action, here are our takeaways following the first 13 games of the season.
1. Justin Fields is on his way to becoming a superstar quarterback
Remember way back in late September when Justin Fields was struggling against the Houston Texans? Sure, the Bears won that game but not because of the second-year quarterback. It feels like a lifetime ago considering the strides and progression he’s made in those two-plus months. Fields has played like a star since mid October and flirted with superstardom on multiple occasions this year. He’s setting all sorts of records with his unreal running ability and looks like a completely different player in the pocket when it comes to passing.
Fields’ development was never going to happen overnight, but it’s steadily improved week by week as he’s checking off more and more boxes in his quarterback report card, if you will. Any talks of the Bears possibly drafting a quarterback early in 2023 are laughable at this point. Simply put, Fields is on his way to becoming a super star quarterback in the NFL, something Bears fans have been devoid of for years. It’s actually happening and fans should be in for a fun and exciting ride.
2. Fields needs to continue playing the season out
Fields missed all of one game with a left shoulder separation that he suffered in the 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and returned last week with one of the best passing performances of his career. Fields completed 20-of-25 passes for 254 yards and although he threw a pair of interceptions, his timing and accuracy overall were on point. Fields said his shoulder didn’t bother him too much and his play was proof of that. So why in the world is there a discussion about the Bears needing to shut him down?
The Bears may be playing for pride and a high draft pick over the final four games and while Fields continues to ascend, he isn’t a finished product yet. Considering the amount of growth we’ve seen from him over the course of 3-4 games from late October through mid-November, who’s to say he can’t take another jump to end the season?
Fields has been deemed healthy to play by all necessary personnel. The team gave us a peek behind the curtain at their evaluation prior to the New York Jets game two weeks ago where he sat and that’s good enough for me. Play him and see how much he can continue to grow heading into 2023.
3. Ryan Poles whiffed with this year's free agent class
It’s rare for a general manager to go gangbusters in free agency during their first year on the job, especially when they’re inheriting millions of dollars of dead cap space. But even with those caveats, Ryan Poles whiffed on his inaugural free agent class this offseason.
The Bears signed nearly two dozen players in the spring and summer, albeit mostly to one and two-year deals. But of all of those players, there’s a realistic chance only 2-3 return in 2023. Stop gaps such as wide receivers Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Dante Pettis have underwhelmed. Linebackers Nicholas Morrow and Matt Adams have been overshadowed by an undrafted rookie. Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad is invisible as a pass rusher. Linemen Lucas Patrick and Dakota Dozier have been injured. The list goes on.
Only defensive tackle Justin Jones and fullback Khari Blasingame have met or exceeded expectations. Those two, along with backup quarterback Trevor Siemian, are the only ones who would be worth bringing back at this point.
A general manager’s first free agent class won’t make or break their tenure. But even with the cash constraints, more could have been done to build a better team for this season. Free agency is only supposed to fill the few holes a team has and hopefully the Bears find themselves in that situation in the near future. That will mean their foundational core is set.
4. Luke Getsy has established an offensive identity
Though he’s come under fire for some questionable playcalling the last few weeks, there’s no denying how offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has improved the offense from the last couple years and, more importantly, gave it an identity.
Getsy is in his first year as an offensive coordinator and has built an elite rushing attack thanks to Fields and running backs Khalil Herbert and David Montgomery. After 13 weeks, the Bears still lead the league in rushing with 189 yard per game. Some of his conservative calls may be unpopular, but for the most part, he’s catered to the strengths of his players to create a sustainable product on the field. Isn’t that what everyone wanted the last coaching staff to do?
He’s not perfect and there’s still development that he needs to do as well. But for what the Bears have personnel-wise, Getsy has done a good job building an offense that can consistently move the ball downfield and keep the team in games.
5. There are building blocks on the offensive line
Coming into the season, one of the biggest question marks was surrounding the offensive line. Do the Bears have enough to keep Fields upright? How will the young players look? It’s been a mixed bag for much of the year but a couple of diamonds were found in the rough in Teven Jenkins and Braxton Jones.
Jenkins began training camp as a tackle, had an injury, was nearly traded, moved to guard, and became arguably the most reliable lineman of the group. The 2021 second-round pick has been a mauler in the run game and has improved as a pass blocker as the season wore on. At worst, he’s an entrenched right guard with Pro Bowl potential. At best, he could still become a very good tackle.
Jones meanwhile was an unknown fifth-round pick who was thrown into the fire immediately at left tackle and has impressed at almost every turn. He’s extremely coachable with outstanding measurables and has more than earned the opportunity to start Week 1 of next season.
The other positions have more uncertainty and there’s still the potential for another player to make a statement these final few games, like Alex Leatherwood. For Jenkins and Jones, though, they both have shown they belong and will be counted in in 2023 and possibly beyond.
6. The defensive line is worse than initially feared
Last offseason, the Bears jettisoned Khalil Mack in a trade and said goodbye to Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman in free agency, ensuring the defensive line would look much different than it had in previous years. It also meant it was likely going to be worse, but no one could have seen it being this bad.
The Bears have the fewest sacks in the league with just 16 and the player leading the team is Jaquan Brisker with three, who happens to play safety. They’re not generating consistent pressure and it’s resulting in chunk plays in the passing game as the secondary isn’t able to hold up. Trevis Gipson and Muhammad have been virtually nonexistent on the edges following the trade of Robert Quinn, while Justin Jones and Armon Watts have been modest at best on the interior.
There are many holes on this team, but a dominating presence on the defensive line is arguably the biggest. It’s why so many fans are enamored with the 2023 NFL Draft with prospects like Jalen Carter and Will Anderson that’s still nearly five months away. The line has been worse than we feared and it’s a big reason the Bears have lost as much as they have this season.
7. Jack Sanborn is the best surprise of the season
When undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn flashed in his first preseason game nearly four months ago, there was optimism in the air that he could play a role for the Bears in the regular season. Nobody could have predicted that he would arguably be the best defender on the team at this point.
Sanborn stepped into the role vacated by Roquan Smith when he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens and didn’t miss a beat. He’s notched double-digit tackles in three of his last four games and has two sacks on the season as well. Sanborn might not be the most physically gifted linebacker, but he plays with instinct and is a sure-fire tackler. He already has as many tackle for loss (seven) as Smith this season for both teams.
Sanborn is easily the best surprise of the year for the Bears and he’s playing his way into a significant role for 2023.
8. The secondary can be dangerous next year
It’s been a mixed bag for the Bears’ 2022 draft class but there’s enough promise and flashes to show this could be a very good group for years to come, particularly with the top-two selections. Cornerback Kyler Gordon and Brisker were tasked with improving one of the worst secondary units in football last year and they’ve done a decent job in their first season. Both have an interception, forced fumble, and multiple tackles for loss.
Gordon, the Bears’ top pick, has had a learning curve and struggled to start the year. He was picked on from the start by opposing quarterbacks, but has shown to be a dependable tackler and looked better in his last few games before getting injured.
Brisker, on the other hand, flashed almost immediately and has been one of the best defensive rookies this season. His knack for making plays on the ball and forcing turnovers has raised the level of play of other defensive backs, notably veteran Eddie Jackson. Both players have been out the last couple of weeks with concussion injuries, but they’re showing promise that they can lead the secondary in years to come.
Should the Bears have prioritized offense early in the draft instead of defense? Perhaps. There were holes at multiple positions on the team, however, and though improvement still needs to happen, we’re seeing the potential of both Gordon and Brisker. If they can come back this season and continue their development, the secondary as a whole has the chance to take a huge leap going into 2023.
