NFL Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears’ Offense Continues To Disappoint Despite Week 12 Win

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Jay Cutler Chicago Bears fumble

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For the Chicago Bears, 2014 will be remembered as the year the offense regressed by record proportions. Considering how historically bad their defense has been, that’s a tremendous accomplishment. The outstanding plays the Bears expected on offense are only showing up as consistently bad plays, regardless of the level of competition they face each game.

Case in point is the most recent outing against the 2-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Offensive problems plagued the Bears once again as they struggled to sustain drives and put points on the board.

Forget that the Buccaneers self-destructed and handed the game to the Bears in the third quarter by turning the ball over to the Bears’ defense on three consecutive possessions. The real story was the offense’s lack of intensity, execution and production throughout the first half.

Jay Cutler, had he not been anointed the franchise quarterback with a massive contract this past offseason, would deserve to find himself on the bench. The nine-year veteran fails on so many levels, but perhaps the most important is the carelessness with the football. Cutler leads the NFL in turnovers — fumbles and interceptions combined. As of this game, Cutler has 12 interceptions and five lost fumbles. Aside from the turnovers, his lack of ability to push the team downfield given his choices of receivers is mind-boggling.

Marc Trestman, despite his reputation as a quarterback-friendly coach, is being exposed as an inadequate play-caller. Week after week, the oversized, slow receivers struggle to get open. Despite the consistent failure of the receivers, the offensive game plan does not change. The same routes fail each game. The league knows how to defend the Bears, and it’s apparent that Trestman has no answer except to try the same thing over and over and over.

The Bears’ offense is predictable, unimaginative and identifiable by their lack of execution. The last trait is the most troubling, and is a reflection on Trestman’s ability as a head coach more than his ability as an offensive leader. When you reflect on the teams that lead the NFL year after year, you notice their incredible execution. The New England Patriots are perhaps the most notable team that comes to mind for perfection of the fundamentals and a command of the mental aspect of the game.

The Bears are the polar opposite, with a level of execution that is suspect in all phases of the game. You can’t expect to perform at a winning level if you don’t have a command of the fundamentals of the game.

The Chicago defense has shown an ability, at times, to hold a team in check long enough for the offense to take control. Today against the Buccaneers is the prime example, as the defense held the Buccaneers to 10 points in the first half. Despite the effort of the defense, the offense could barely string together a drive with more than one first down. It is the offense that is failing this team more than their sad defense.

The boos rained down early and often at Soldier Field for the inept offensive performance in the first half. In fact, by the end of the game, it was the Bears’ defense that showed flashes of playing up to their preseason potential. The defense was built to rush the passer and play with a lead — something they assumed would be easily accomplished this season.

Despite the way this game ended, the offense is still a huge concern, and the defensive effort against the lowly Buccaneers hardly instills confidence that the misery will end anytime soon.

Paul Kakert is an NFL and Chicago Bears writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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