The Chicago Bears is back in the playoff situation. The 5-1 team had lost six in a row and dropped to 5-7. However, they have already achieved three consecutive victories.
After the 41-17 attack on Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, the Bears currently qualify as the seventh seed in the NFC Playoffs.
Although the win leaves Bears fans optimistic, there is still a lot of work to do. For now, everyone can savor the moment and enjoy every minute of this recent rejuvenation.
“How about the bears ?!”
In a tradition like any other, here are the main lessons from the Bears’ declaration of victory over the Jaguars.
Matthew Nagy / Bill Lazor
Once again, the offensive game plan was brilliant. It didn’t start out as well as they expected, but they made impressive adjustments after the break. The Bears’ attack reached a total of 391 yards, with 263 in the air and 128 on the ground. In fact, the offense doubled the number of Jaguars in the initial conversions (28 to 14).
Chicago refused to commit to the run game in the first half, but did so in the second half. The Bears were a tale of two halves, but in a good way. They managed just 13 points in the first and second quarters, but joined a violent attack of points in the last two frames when they found the end zone four times after the break. The Bears are finding their rhythm and this is noticeable in the game of calling. There is a sense of rhythm and flow and a clear identity in the attack.
Mitchell Trubisky
Although Mitchell Trubisky’s dissenting views have polarized Bears fans, one thing is certain: Trubisky has been playing exceptionally well since returning to the title. Once again, he did a great job executing pieces. In what can be considered nitpicking in a 41-17 victory, Trubisky also suffered some mistakes. He made a horrible interception a few drives before the break, after saving time with his legs and fighting while looking for a spot that didn’t exist. He ended up forcing the launch – which was a duck – into traffic in the final zone.
Trubisky even missed a shot to an open Cole Kmet, who was making a spinning route, in the second half. But most of the time, Trubisky was very good against the Jaguars. His final line of statistics was as follows: 24/35, 265 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 97.9 QB Rating.
Oh yes, he added a quick touchdown too.
David Montgomery: Today
It cannot be said how important David Montgomery’s success was to the overall success of the attack. The more they feed Montgomery, the better the attack looks. The attack now goes through the racing game that was anchored by the Iowa state alumnus. Montgomery proved to be a threat in the passing game as well. As a result, the second year running back recorded 111 multipurpose yards. He ran 95 yards on 23 loads and took two 26-yard passes and also added a touchdown.
Bears’ attack seemed slow in the first half and had everything to do with the use of Montgomery, or the lack of it, as he only saw the ball eight times before the break. This production doubled in the second half and helped lead to an explosion of points.
David Montgomery: 2020
Given that the attack was unhealthy and Nagy refused to introduce David Montgomery in the beginning, it is impressive what the running back achieved. Since the Bears began channeling the attack through him in the past four or five weeks, Montgomery has accumulated enough yards to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark. This is the first time in his career and the team’s first since joining the brand since Jordan Howard.
Jimmy Graham
The much criticized off-season hiring paid off. In fact, Jimmy Graham’s hiring was worth every penny.
Graham has been a crucial addition to the attack, as he helped massively in the red zone. The 34-year-old tight end scored eight touchdowns this season, after his two-goal performance today. In total, Graham recorded four 69-yard receptions (nice) and two scores.
Touchdown # 1:
Touchdown # 2:
In the season, Jimmy Graham had 48 receptions, 451 yards and eight touchdowns on 74 targets.
Allen Robinson
Talk about a revenge game for Allen Robinson. When these teams last met four years ago, Robinson was on the opposite sideline. This was his first attempt at an ex-team and man he blew up. Robinson destroyed the Jacksonville high school all afternoon.
Darnell Mooney
No matter how Ryan Pace’s management with the Bears is remembered, it’s safe to say that he found the gold with Darnell Mooney. While Mooney only managed four receptions in 39 yards today, each reception seemed to have come in a crucial third down. Mooney emerged as number two on the depth chart. He certainly overtook Anthony Miller and made him an afterthought.
Roquan Smith
Again, it is worth mentioning how good Roquan Smith is. He is the heart and soul of the Bears’ defense. Smith played like a possessed man today, making eight tackles (all solo), adding two interceptions and catching a fumble. It is evident that he was a great disdain for the Pro Bowl.
In fact, Smith did something today that was not done on many moons.
Artavis Pierce
The rookie had a good day recording two 26-yard rushes and a touchdown.
Cairo santos
This guy made money all year. Santos punctured his attempts at goal and all five extra points. In 2020, the Brazilian kicker is 27/29 (93.1%) in field shots and 35/36 (97.2%) in extra points. Not only that, but today he broke a record previously set by Robbie Gould.
Defense / Pass Rush
Despite facing the statue of a quarterback in Mike Glennon, the Bears defense only got a sack in the afternoon. That single occurrence came in a linebacker blitz. The lack of a quick pass is quite worrying, especially with Bears scheduled to face better defenders if they really make it to the playoffs.
Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack were nonexistent and only appear in flashes. Meanwhile, Chuck Pagano struggled again at the start, as the Jaguars managed to move the ball easily. Jacksonville threatened early, but the Bears defense “doubles but doesn’t break” held firm to force a field goal. However, Glennon played them twice with beautifully launched touchdown passes. Overall, the unit was able to force two turns and six punts with limited damage. While the group did better today, defense remains the weakest link today. This is something that no one thought they would say in week 16, during a playoff push.
Third quarter score!
The Bears post-break scoring drought has not only ended, it has been inundated with scores. Chicago’s attack had not one, not two, but THREE touchdowns in the dreaded third quarter. 21 points in the third quarter would have been mind boggling just six weeks ago. However, here we are.
In general
The Chicago Bears are on the market. Currently, they hold the seventh and final position on the NFC Playoff Picture and control their own destiny with a game to play. The attack is on, kicks and misfortunes are a thing of the past and the coaching staff has considerably improved its number. All of this is great, but the defense is a little worrying, as it is no longer the intimidating force that it had been in the past.
However, the Bears are back on track after bursting for six games and are in a position to secure a spot in the postseason. Don’t look now, but this team is a legitimate competitor if it can maintain that level of play. Although skeptics say they have not yet made a good save, the importance of momentum and confidence should not be underestimated before the playoffs.
Checking the playoff vibration….
What’s on the tap next?
The Chicago Bears has a week 17 encounter at home with its archenemy, the Green Bay Packers. The game takes place on Sunday, January 3, and will be broadcast on FOX. It has not yet been determined whether the NFL will make the game more flexible at a late afternoon time, from the start originally scheduled for 12 noon CT.
There will be a lot at stake when these two division rivals face off. The Bears will try to get their ticket to the playoff with a victory (or defeat of the Cardinals to the Rams). Meanwhile, Packers may be looking to secure NFC seed # 1 and goodbye in the first round, or they may have nothing to play for and rest their beginners with. Either way, it will be yet another classic Bears-Packers game.
Be sure to tune the Bears on tap podcast for post-game reactions, updates and reviews throughout the week, and discussions on a variety of other Bears-related topics.
The Bears On Tap team wishes you all a Happy New Year! See you in 2021!