4th and Goal(s): Post-Bye Bears Are Beat Up, Still Looking To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
Ravens come to Chicago with Lamar Jackson's status up in the air
After a much-needed bye week, the Chicago Bears look to turn things around and end their current four game losing streak when they face the Baltimore Ravens in Chicago on Sunday.
Last year, the Bears tried to spin their six-game losing streak and their response to it as an example of the collaboration and determination that permeates throughout the franchise. So, I guess things are going as planned once with another healthy, mid-season losing streak that could eventually prove the team’s mettle.
Yet it doesn’t feel like this year’s collaboration and determination are working. Outside of quarterback Justin Fields, there isn’t a lot of warm fuzzy feelings about any other aspect of the team.
To make matters worse, arguably the Bears best player — edge rusher Khalil Mack — is officially done playing this year after being required to undergo a season-ending foot surgery. We can expect the Ravens to try to take advantage of a struggling Bears team that just can’t get fully healthy.
Still there are some things the Bears can do to compete — here is how the now-rested squad can turn this predicted outcome around.
Opportunities in the three phases – Word started a couple days ago of the possibility of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson possibly missing this game due to illness. Jackson has since been cleared to start, but Saturday it was announced that he’s back on the injury report and officially questionable for tomorrow.
You can say with or without the former MVP and current MVP candidate, the Bears will need to create some opportunities for themselves in order to win this game. Usually, these opportunities come in the form of takeaways or special teams returns. The Bears can’t be picky about which opportunities they get, they should just focus on maintaining an aggression that helps produce as many breaks as possible to compete with the current leaders in the AFC North.
The Bears need to create havoc and get this game to unfold as a street brawl rather than a pure execution of football prowess, they stand to be outclassed in such a contest.
Put into the right positions – Seemingly every week this year the Bears have been out-coached. Why is that? Could be any number of reasons.
For that matter, maybe that statement is a bit of an overstatement, but fans should be prepared for another week of “bad” coaching this week, at least in a relative sense when pairing coach Nagy against former Super Bowl champion John Harbaugh.
Harbaught’s advantages over Nagy are many but they grow deeper when you realize that so far under Nagy the Bears have not won a game following a bye week. On top of that, the Ravens have had extra time to prepare for the Bears since they played Thursday Night Football in Week 9.
Even at the pro level, coaches play a large part in the execution within the game, even if the players ultimately decide things. Nagy and his staff must be solid beyond their current reputation and not handicap their players with so-so game planning and lackluster adjustments in-game.
Forge ahead – Usually after a bye week teams get about as healthy as they are going to be all season long, aside from the start of the season. The Bears’ injury report has undercut any belief that could be the case for this team.
All off-season the Bears praised the depth of the team as well as its rising talent level. It was a guess back then that the team had been truly transformed for the better and unfortunately all hypotheses gets put to the test in the NFL. Having quality depth is important for games like these, and even though the Ravens actually have more of its players on its injury report, its depth by position also out does what the Bears have to offer.
Late in the season with starters out in a game the Bears need means someone has to step up — who will that be?
A fully healthy Chicago team could struggle against these talented Ravens so its no doubt a major key that some big-time efforts have to come out of guys we’ve seen little from in the first nine games of 2021.
Got to want it – The Bears’ bleak playoff hopes are on life support and that’s a very maddening realization because in the end is it actual playoff hope that’s fueling this team at the moment? Being alive mathematically in a top-heavy NFC because there are eight games left isn’t much of a prayer.
Overall, the Bears are playing much better at home but that still has resulted in them winning only at a .500 level at Soldier Field (2-2). Losing this game and becoming 3-7 would really limit the opportunities the Bears have to make a return trip to the playoffs and things wouldn’t get easier starting with a tough road game in Detroit on Thanksgiving on three days rest. If that locker room is being honest with itself, then a lot of the players should be sending the message that this is a do or die week with two do or die games.
But before looking ahead, the carrot of having a 4-6 record should be enough to motivate the Bears as winning Sunday would allow the Bears to stay right in the NFC wild card heap.
When a football team plays desperate and aggressive sometimes it can get its wheels spinning in a positive direction. Now is the time to see just what type of fight is left in this club.
Ryan Bukowiecki covers the Chicago Bears and professional football for WARR