In case you haven’t heard, the Bears lost to the Dallas Cowboys and have fallen to 0-3 on the season. With each loss, Bears fans have become increasingly pessimistic, and more critical of this team, which is fair given the circumstances.
However, even though the Bears are in the bottom of the barrel, it’s not all bad. This may come to you as a shock, but there were in fact, a few positive things that can be taken away from this third straight loss to start the season.
So, if you are feeling down in the dumps today … which I’m assuming you probably are … here are some reasons to hold your head up, because even though the Bears might not be good today, they are showing promise of a better tomorrow.
1. Kevin White’s Best Day as a Pro
It took a few games, but White is looking like he’s starting to get comfortable on the playing field. He finished with six catches for 62 yards, both of which are career highs for the second-year pro.
One of those catches was marvelous…
That’s the type of catch we expect out of Alshon Jeffery. To see White come down with that ball is amazing. It’s the sort of play that could go a long way elevating his confidence level moving forward.
But it was more than just the highlight reel catch, as White is starting to pick up on the little things.
For example …
Even though this play did not count because of a penalty there are a couple of things to notice. First, see how White was double covered in the middle of the field? White noticed Hoyer starting to scramble to his left, and had the awareness to move behind the linebacker, head to the sidelines, come back to the ball, and make himself available to his quarterback.
That’s a veteran move.Â
Second, White was able to shed the tackle and turn upfield. That turned what would’ve been a six-yard gain, into a 12-yard pickup.
It’s not going to make the highlights, but it’s small plays like that that can give the offense some momentum to sustain drives — something the Bears need more of.
2. Jordan Howard Continues to Impress
The rookie tailback out of Indiana keeps getting better. Every time he touches the ball, it seems like the Bears move downfield. Howard does a superb job at keeping his legs moving, which allows him to fight through contact.
Even though this play didn’t go anywhere, just watch as Howard’s legs continue to churn:
He only had nine carries for 45 yards, but he was a dual-threat for Chicago as he caught four balls for 47 more yards, which almost gave him 100 total yards on the day.
Howard gives this offense life, and that spark that he brings to the field is definitely a positive. Now, all the Bears need to do is continue to grow his role and let him continue to develop because he can very well be the future of the Bears backfield.
3. Offensive Line Starting to Gel
The Bears offensive line had its best game of the season by far. Perhaps, it was due to the fact that the Cowboys were without some of their better players, or perhaps the unit is starting to gel.
It was probably a combination of the two, but either way, it was a performance to be content with.
Just look at this running lane they created for Howard:
He wasn’t even touched. Good work!
The line also improved in pass protection as they did not allow a single sack the entire game. For the most part, Hoyer had ample time to step up in the pocket and find his receiver.
Here is just one of the many examples:
Just like Howard and White, this is a performance that the unit will want to build upon moving forward.
Even though the Chicago Bears are 0-3 on the year and hope doesn’t win football games, these three positives from Sunday’s game are a glimpse into the brighter future that’s in store for Chicago.
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