The Chicago Bears’ winning ways were short-lived as they dropped to 1-5 with a 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings — and lost quarterback Justin Fields to a dislocated right thumb in the process.
As the Bears prepare to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Soldier Field (noon, Fox-32) with Fields doubtful to play, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs opens the weekly Bears mailbag.
Where is Kevin Warren? Wasn’t he hired for this exact reason? Once again, the Bears’ total incompetence from the top down is an embarrassment to the fan base. — @heapbig
What would you propose Warren do right now? It would be great if he could rush the quarterback or fill one of the holes created by injuries on the offensive line. But he was a basketball player in college.
I’m pretty certain Warren’s No. 1 order of business is the new stadium initiative, which seems sort of stalled months after the team finalized its purchase of the land in Arlington Heights. Warren is overseeing all aspects of the organization. He has been at the road games. He’s prominent at Soldier Field on game days. I’d bet good money he’s as disappointed as you are with the 1-5 record.
Maybe you would like to hear Warren publicly say he’s not happy with the team’s struggles through the first six games. Perhaps that would make you feel like he’s on your side and devoted to cleaning things up. Would that really make a difference, though? That might send a message to potential future hires that the Bears have an overbearing president/CEO who doesn’t have a background in football personnel. Would that help the Bears the next time they are seeking to fill a key position?
General manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus don’t need the heat turned up on them right now. Trust me, they understand the stakes. They’re not new to the game. They know it’s a bottom-line business. The last thing the Bears want at this point is Warren to give off the impression he’s a boss you might not want to work for.
It’s not often you see someone in Warren’s position publicly address a team’s struggles during the season, unless it’s an owner — and that’s a totally different ballgame. If you own the team, you can do whatever you want. George McCaskey isn’t going to morph into Jerry Jones and begin taking postgame questions every week.
Warren’s time is best spent getting a feel for all areas of the organization with a focus on the football side while trying to generate momentum on the stadium front. We’ll see what changes, if any, he has in mind after the season concludes. Sharing his frustration right now wouldn’t be productive.
What are the chances the Bears end up with two of the top five draft picks next year? — @diehardcubfan3
Chances are very good, and if the draft order were based on the current standings, they would be picking first and second — the first team to be in that position since the Indianapolis Colts in 1992. I’ve made the chase for the No. 1 pick a semiregular feature in 10 thoughts; it was No. 9 in my column on Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Bears own the Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick by virtue of the trade they made in March, and the Panthers (0-6) are the only winless team behind a group of five one-win teams that includes the Bears. The tiebreaker for the draft order is strength of schedule, with the team with the lowest strength of schedule getting the highest pick. The thinking is that team faced an easier group of opponents and thus had a a worse season. The Bears’ current strength of schedule is lowest among the one-win teams.
- Bears, .471
- Arizona Cardinals, .528
- Denver Broncos, .556
- New York Giants, .629
- New England Patriots, .639
That tiebreaker will fluctuate a little every week, and with 12 weeks remaining in the season, there could be a lot of movement. Obviously it’s highly unlikely there will be a five-way tie when the 17-game season is completed.
Remaining strength of schedule can be instructive to provide an idea of what lies ahead for these teams. For that, I ventured over to Tankathon, which does a terrific job of tracking this data.
- Bears, .460
- Panthers, .492
- Broncos, .516
- Patriots, .531
- Giants, .538
- Cardinals, .581
That means the Bears — with the 24th most difficult remaining schedule overall — have the easiest path ahead among these six teams. That might suggest it’s possible for them to play their way out of a top-five pick. Their toughest remaining opponents are the Detroit Lions (twice), New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and, yes, the 3-3 Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. That’s not exactly a gauntlet of teams expected to play deep into January.
Ultimately, winning some games might be more beneficial to the Bears than you think. Their young players, guys they believe will be core performers in the seasons to come, need to start playing better and developing some natural confidence that comes with winning. That matters for an organization trying to improve its culture. But the 2024 draft will be so critical to the future of the franchise that I understand the fascination, just six games into this season, with how things will unfold.
Are the Bears going to break tradition and move on from Matt Eberflus before the season ends? — @bearlyfantasy
Cover the NFL long enough and you learn never to say never. But I have yet to receive a question on this topic — and there have been a LOT — that has suggested how this would benefit the team. If you’re looking to create more adversity throughout the building and give the impression things are in total disarray, fire away. If you think firing Eberflus in season would give the Bears a head start on a coaching search, I have news for you. Any competent leaders can begin the process of assessing what they’re seeking in a new candidate, compiling a list and doing preliminary background work without having to fire a coach first.
I get it, fans are deeply disappointed with another poor start. As I have written in this space and elsewhere recently, you have to separate the 3-14 season in 2022 from this season. I’d even venture to guess that some — not all — of the people calling for Eberflus’ head are ones who suggested a tank job for the No. 1 pick last year was the Bears’ plan. Everyone in the NFL realizes Eberflus is on the hot seat. Some expectations for this season were totally out of whack, but there’s no question home losses to the Green Bay Packers, Broncos and Vikings were disappointing. Eberflus has been working with a quarterback he inherited in Justin Fields, and that hasn’t gone well. Sure, you can place some of the blame for that on coaching.
Add to this discussion the fact that defensive coordinator Alan Williams has been gone since the opener. Fire Eberflus and then do what on defense? Promote senior analyst Phil Snow to coordinator? He has no relationship with the players and doesn’t even know them. The Bears have played better on defense the last two weeks. You want to see young players on that side of the ball continue to make gains so you feel better about some of the core guys on the roster going into 2024. How does canning Eberflus affect that?
There are many layers to this. I’m not defending the job Eberflus has done this season. I’m just saying you have to consider all factors when calling for a guy’s head. Ultimately you have to answer if the move can improve your team right now.
Justin Fields seemingly regressed on Sunday. He appeared to turn a corner against Denver and Washington, but his truncated play against Minnesota showcased struggles shown earlier in the season. Is his performance in Weeks 1-3 and 6 more reflective of who he is as a QB versus Weeks 4-5? — @mmesq11
I wouldn’t say Fields regressed in the loss to the Vikings. That was consistent with what we’ve seen for the vast majority of his career — a quarterback who struggles with progressions, seeing how coverages are rolling and understanding where pressure is coming from. He played really well against the Broncos and Commanders, and a lot of season remains if he can return from his right thumb injury in the near future. But you’re going to have to see a lot more high-level play to begin considering whether he’s turned the corner.
There were folks in the media who suggested Fields had turned the corner a week into training camp last summer. There are so many hot takes and knee-jerk reactions, and everyone wants to plant their flag and be out in front of some kind of major declaration. You have to let these things play out, and the more we’ve seen Fields, the more apparent it has become that his struggles remain consistent with what ultimately prevents a lot of prospects from panning out.
Ja’Tyre Carter played well Sunday. Will he get more playing time with Nate Davis’ injury? — @stephenclapp1
That’s a great question and it will be very interesting to see what shakes out on the offensive line this week. Will left tackle Braxton Jones be healthy enough to return after spending the minimum four weeks on injured reserve with his neck issue? I’m told things are trending in the right direction, but that’s far from a guarantee Jones will return to practice Wednesday or be in the lineup Sunday against the Raiders at Soldier Field.
The Bears have to sort out what to do at center. Cody Whitehair was benched in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings and replaced by Lucas Patrick. Both are possibilities along with Doug Kramer, who also would have to be activated from IR after he sustained a hand injury in the preseason.
Then you have the matter of plugging the hole at right guard for likely a number of weeks with Davis out with a high right ankle sprain. Carter has logged 171 of 380 snaps this season with two starts. His play has been a welcome surprise after the 2022 seventh-round pick watched from the sideline for the majority of last season. This is purely speculation, but I’d think the Bears want to keep Carter on the field while Davis is out. Like you said, he has played pretty well and the more experience he gets, the better he can become.
Of course, with more playing time, he also could be exposed. But the only way to find out if Carter can be a potential building block on the line is to give him more opportunities.
How would you grade this season so far? Is it worse than last year? — @just_acy
Yes, it’s worse than last year, when the Bears started 2-4 before an upset victory at New England improved them to 3-4. Beyond the records, it’s more disappointing because there was an expectation in 2022 that the team was launching into a rebuilding process. Now, sober minds would have reminded you that the process was continuing this season, but it’s fair to say this season began with expectations for improvement.
The defense looks a little bit better, certainly the last two weeks, though familiar problems remain in terms of rushing the quarterback and creating takeaways. The Bears were rock solid on third down against the Vikings. The offense isn’t running the ball with the proficiency it enjoyed a year ago, and the passing game has been up and, more times than not, down. There has been a slew of injuries to the secondary and offensive line, and now Justin Fields is banged up.
It’s a big-time disappointment. If the draft were based on the current standings, the Bears would be picking first and second, so there is that. But with 11 games remaining, it’s going to be a long road to the offseason.
In the next four games against the Raiders, Chargers, Saints and Panthers, the Bears look like they can score some wins. In your estimation, can the Bears win all four? Or what might it be? — @mred315
Which team shows up? The one that scored 28 points against the Broncos and walloped the Commanders? Does the defense continue to play well, as it has the last two weeks? How long is Justin Fields out with his right thumb injury? What in the world does Tyson Bagent look like when forced into the starting role? How will injuries to the offensive line be handled?
There are endless questions about the roster right now with the Bears in a soft part of the schedule. If they struggle offensively, they could lose all four games. The Raiders could be without starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (back) on Sunday, which might force them to turn to ex-Bear Brian Hoyer.
Nothing the Bears have done this season would lead me to predict they will go on a four-game winning streak. They have not won consecutive games since Weeks 16-17 of the 2021 season. It would be progress if they split the next two games, and finding a way to go 3-1 would be a step in the right direction. It’s more likely they go 0-4 than 4-0.
A year ago pre-draft, we were talking about the need to improve both lines, including a center, develop a quarterback and improve the wide receiver position. Sure DJ Moore is an improvement, but won’t the 2024 draft plan have the same basic needs? What happened? — @gvr928
No question, some of the same problem areas from the last offseason will need to be closely examined at the end of the season. I would submit that right tackle was a more pressing need than center when you look back at where the Bears were. They had Cody Whitehair, who started every game at center from 2016 through 2018, and Lucas Patrick in the fold. Now they may want to get a look at Doug Kramer before this season ends.
Zacch Pickens made a few plays in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. The development of Pickens and fellow defensive tackle Gervon Dexter will be important as their rookie seasons play out. Edge rushers are needed. The team made strides to improve at cornerback. Justin Fields hasn’t shown the type of growth required to feel good about him moving forward as the starting quarterback. There’s a lot of work to do.
Imagine what Ryan Poles can accomplish if the Bears have the first two picks in the draft and he chooses a quarterback at No. 1 and trades the next pick to a team hungry to draft a quarterback. That would create significant draft capital. You’re not wrong. This roster needs a lot of work.
Why waste a roster spot on a third quarterback? If this team is down to the third quarterback, the season is lost. Instead put someone in that spot to develop. — @papnfussray
This question landed before Justin Fields was injured in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings — and there were multiple inquiries along these lines — so I will address it. The Bears re-signed Nathan Peterman to the 53-man roster Friday after clearing two spots when running back Khalil Herbert and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown were placed on injured reserve. The second spot went to cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was activated off IR on Saturday.
Why give Peterman a spot on the 53? Well, if injuries hit at quarterback (which they have), all of a sudden the Bears would be in a game and might need to play an emergency quarterback. They believe they can battle their way out of their 0-4 start to the season. Peterman would not be eligible to be designated as the third QB for the game if he was simply on the practice squad without an elevation, and those are limited to three. The Bears have carried 17 players on the practice squad all season, so it’s not like they have a shortage of young players they’re working to develop.
I get it. No one wants to see Peterman pressed into action, but good luck finding many No. 3 quarterbacks whom anyone would be excited about. It’s the emergency the Bears don’t want to have to break the glass to address. I’d focus elsewhere if you want to critique issues with the roster.
Matt Eberflus is often evasive when asked about poor performance from his players. See Chase Claypool and more recently Cody Whitehair’s snapping issues as examples. Do you think the players see this as backing them or do they expect honesty and the occasional public call-out? If the latter, does this erode confidence in his leadership? — John
The message Eberflus sends directly to his players is very different from the one he sends to the public. That’s the first thing you have to understand. The coaching staff is very direct with the players, and there’s no doubt in my mind it has been made clear to Whitehair that he needs to smooth out his snapping issues and communication up front. I think the latter is actually more significant.
It wouldn’t help Eberflus in the locker room if he is overly negative about players when answering questions. There is some nuance to what he says. When he’s asked about the play of quarterback Justin Fields, you can understand he consistently has said there are areas that need improvement. That goes for the rest of the roster. Fair question, though.
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