The Bears started of the 2023 season in the worst way imaginable on Sunday, getting manhandled by the Packers 38-20. In what was supposed to be the turning of the tide in the storied rivalry, Jordan Love and Green Bay showed that things may not be changing anytime soon. No matter who won the game, there was bound to be insane overreactions on both sides. Though it’s important to remind ourselves of this, it is simply factual that the Bears showed many glaring issues on Sunday, no matter who they were lined up against. There is a lot to worry about when it comes to the offensive line, playcalling, and the defense as a whole.
Familiar Offensive Line Struggles
One aspect of the team that I expected to see major improvements from was the offensive line. Unfortunately, Sunday’s game felt eerily similar to last season. Justin Fields was surprisingly only sacked once, but this was a testemant to his elusiveness. He was facing constant pressure, just like last season. Considering they’re already down Tevon Jenkins and Nate Davis has barely practiced at all during his stint in Chicago, this group hasn’t played together much. This showed.
In a tough matchup against Packers star Rashan Gary, RT Darnell Wright did not have a strong NFL debut. Specifically, the Bears only 3-and-out of the first half comes to mind. After no gain on first down, Wright was blown by on second. After a Braxton Jones holding penalty set up second and long, Wright was swiftly beaten again by Devonte Wyatt, forcing a rushed incompletion. On third and long, Gary maneuvered around the rookie RT once again, getting right to Justin Fields, who worked his magic and somehow avoided the sack. Although Wright had a tough first game, he also mixed in some nice run-block reps, and will surely improve against lesser opponents throughout the season.
Surely, the group as a whole will improve as they get used to blocking alongside their new teammates. However, this better happen quickly, as next week the Bears are heading to Tampa to face the blitz-heavy Buccaneers. If the line doesn’t get their act together quickly, Justin Fields could have a long day ahead of him next Sunday.
Questionable Playcalling
Luke Getsy did not have a good day in terms of playcalling. I understand what he was trying to do. The Packers are a quarters team, meaning that they specialize in 2-high-safety shells and specifically call cover 4 at a high clip. This is a coverage that drops four defensive backs deep, leaving only three for the space in between the sticks. Against this type of defense, airing it out is not the best option. As Justin Fields pointed out in his postgame press conference, the plan was to spread out the ball laterally. However, the Bears did not take one truly deep shot. It would’ve been great to test the secondary at least once or twice.
Admittedly, criticizing playcalling gets dicey when the offensive line performs as poorly as it did. On more plays than not, Fields would not have had the time to throw the ball deep, even if it was the plan. Still, that isn’t a good excuse for DJ Moore to only be targeted twice. Even if they were bracketing him on every play, you have to find a way to get the ball to the man you just traded the number one overall draft pick for. Also, the amount of screens was ludicrous. If they were working, it would have been one thing. They weren’t, as the blocking was very poor on several of them.
Defense Gets Toppled for 31 Points
I can’t put it all on the offense. The young Bears defense allowed Jordan Love to put up 31 points on offense in a hostile environment. The Packers were running the ball at will with Aaron Jones in during the first drive. They surprisingly went away from him for the rest of the first half and the Bears were able to put together a couple 3-and-outs. However, Matt LeFluer regrouped at halftime and realized that he needed to get the ball into Jones’ hands. He was a major factor in both of their third quarter touchdown drives.
Noticeably, the defense was dominated on third down; the Packers finished the game 9-16. I did not agree with DC Alan Williams’ third down strategy. Williams consistently rushed only four. With a weak defensive line to begin with, the Bears need to blitz to create any type of pressure. Instead, Williams opted to sit back in Tampa-2 and allow Love to survey the field on third. With the amount of time he was getting, Love was able to stay calm and find holeshots, ultimately extending drives. Even though Eberflus loves his cover 2, the Bears need to blitz more on third down.
Positives
Roschon Johnson looked great when he was in there, even securing his first NFL touchdown. He absolutely trucked Packers DB Rudy Ford and provided a real spark on the Bears’ first touchdown drive. I also thought that new addition Tremaine Edmunds performed well. He had a couple of big hits, including two TFL’s.