There is a lot to be scared about today on Halloween. To start, like many of you who live in the Chicagoland area, I woke up with snow on my car. Maybe that isn’t too surprising, considering the sporadic weather in the Midwest, but it isn’t ideal.
The only thing scarier than it snowing on Halloween, though, is the way the Bears have played in the month of October. The Bears will end this month with an astonishingly disappointing record of 0-3, with losses to the Raiders, Saints and Chargers. Luckily, the Bye Week saved them from losing a quarter’s worth of a season in a single month.
Maybe the changing of the calendar can bring about some much needed positivity for the Bears.
This is a team that desperately needs it.
In the spirit of Halloween, here are the three scariest things about the Bears heading into Week 9 of the season.
1. Mitch Trubisky
It would be hard to imagine a worse case scenario than the one that quarterback Mitch Trubisky is currently going through in 2019. In what was supposed to be a breakout season, has become a complete disaster for the former No. 2 overall pick.
From Trubisky’s questionable decisions to his inaccurate throws to his fourth quarter turnovers (3), the Bears’ supposed “franchise quarterback” has resembled many of the QBs that played before him. With each game that passes, it seems more likely that he will just be another name added to a list of Bears signal callers that ultimately leave fans wanting more from the position.
Obviously, the Bears made the wrong decision in 2017 when they moved up one spot to select Trubisky. But prior to this season, there was hope that he could, at the very least, be a suitable quarterback. That hasn’t been the case, though. According to Pro Football Reference, Trubisky has a 31.8 total quarterback rating (QBR), which is only .2 points better than what he finished with his rookie season.
The numbers speak for themselves.
Since the Bears didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline, this almost certainly means that Trubisky will play out the rest of the season. Unless he drastically elevates his play over the next nine games, he will likely go down as another failed draft pick by general manager Ryan Pace.
2. Matt Nagy
Former Bears’ head coaches John Fox and Marc Trestman gave fans plenty of headaches during their respective tenures in Chicago. So far this season, Matt Nagy has done the same. It seems so long ago since he was named the 2018 Coach of the Year, and every time he makes a questionable decision, which seems to be happening more frequently, it makes his achievement look more like an anomaly.
In last week’s 17-16 loss to the Chargers, there were a number of mistakes that Nagy committed. After Kyler Fuller intercepted Philip Rivers, the offense started on the Chargers’ 4-yard line. But, as we all know, that drive ended in a field goal, and David Montgomery didn’t have a single touch in the red zone.
Another mind-boggling mistake happened on Eddy Pineiro’s 41-yard missed field goal. Pineiro admitted on Tuesday to Chicago Tribune reporter Dan Wiederer that the left hash mark was not his preferred spot to kick. How Nagy didn’t know this is astonishing. He should’ve put Pineiro in the best possible position to succeed even though the field goal was still makeable.
The last aspect about Nagy that should worry the fanbase is this supposed “202” offense. Where is it? All offseason and in training camp, Nagy talked about the offense expanding, but that hasn’t come to fruition so far. The offense is 30th in total yards and just had its first 300-yard game last week. All fans will agree that Nagy and the offense have been a major disappointment this season.
3. The Tight Ends
There are only two teams in the National Football League that don’t have a touchdown reception by their tight ends. If you guessed the Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears, then, well, you’re correct. The tight end position for the Bears has been abysmal, and that is putting things lightly.
Although the Bears have five TEs on their active roster and two more on the practice squad, the group has hardly made any type of impact this season. Arguably, the greatest contribution from the position came against the Chargers. J.P. Holtz, at times, made his presence felt when he was being assigned to be the lead block on run plays. Other than that, there hasn’t been much for Bears fans to cheer about.
The two biggest disappointments are clearly Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen. Burton signed a 4-year, $32 million contract in 2018, and his average salary of $8 million a year is the eighth highest among TEs. The former Philadelphia Eagle has 14 receptions for 84 yards in six games this season. Shaheen on the other hand has nine catches for 74 yards and a two-point conversion reception in the same amount of games. The former second-round pick most likely will join Trubisky, his former roommate during rookie minicamp, as being labeled a player who failed to meet expectations.
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