Column
Offensive Line Development and additional adjustment in COVID-19 living can help the Bears get back on the right footing in the NFL.
by Alexandra Acain
“As we sit here today, the Bears probably have to ask themselves, can we do any better than Nick Foles?” was a question that was asked by DePaul adjunct sports professor Fred Mitchell in regards to analyzing the overall performance of the Chicago Bears. One key component can be consistency. Consistency can be made a lot more possible with improved coaching, free agency signings and trades. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, injuries, and low trading capital have made such things difficult for the Bears front office and the team.
“There was no preseason last year in the NFL. It made it difficult for a lot of teams to evaluate their new talents,” said Mitchell.
With what can be seen as a “trial by fire” NFL season fourth year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky would ultimately regain his position after Nick Foles got hurt. However, that may not always be a good thing for the Bears. It came to the point that Bears fans have gotten what they have asked for with head coach Matt Nagy stepping away from play calling.
“One of the other key things that happened was that head coach Matt Nagy relinquished the play calling duties. And a lot of people have been asking for that basically because they felt that he was hindering Mitch Trubisky by putting him in situations that he was not likely to succeed.”
A big strength of Trubisky’s that must be utilized is his mobility as he is able to make the right and quick decisions that way. With more usage of Trubisky’s ability to scramble, he could’ve gotten in less trouble piling up little to no turnovers and interceptions. Whoever the Bears front office brings in, settling for someone who can call quality plays is the biggest priority that should be met. Pair quality play calling with the improvement of the offensive line to protect the quarterback, and it will bring about better games.
One other elephant in the room that should be addressed is budgeting for the team. More of their trading capital should go more into more offensive weapons than defensive ones.
“Based on the talent that they have, they spent a lot of money under defense, they don't have a lot of trade, capital, or craft capital right now, going into the ground, because it gave away so much to get Mitch Trubisky a couple of years ago. And it's saying that they put so much into their defense,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell also points out that most offensive linemen will tell anyone who will listen that they prefer run blocking to pass blocking, pass protection and that they can do a better job of pass protecting. That will then help create a running and game similar to what was seen in the 2018-2019 Bears, or better. Bears coaches, and the front office also have that chip on their shoulder knowing that athletes like Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles are not Aaron Rodgers, they’ll have to help them be more unique than Rodgers gradually throughout more games that can lead to better postseasons.
As of last season going forward, the biggest piece of resiliency for the Bears would have to be the special teams.
“Their special teams did a very good job last year. Placekicker, Cairo Santos was almost perfect. Throughout the year, I think he wound up making 27 straight field goals, not mistaken. And that had been a problem position the previous two or three years at least. So they got that. So the punting game was fine,” Mitchell said.
For right now, there can only be so much to say about what the Bears need to improve, and what they can keep doing well up until the 2021 NFL Draft, one of them having Nick Foles develop additional chemistry with his Bears teammates.
Until next season, and for another year of the Bears community living amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Mitchell also has this to say: “I'll just say that you know, for all the teams last year in addition to the fact that there is no preseason, limited practice live practice sessions. And the fact that there were no fans in the stands was a significant, intangible. It's hard to measure. I know Bears fans are some of the most enthusiastic fans in the NFL. For that reason, there's a significant home field advantage, so to speak. But that can be said for all the teams, I guess. So I think that will be another important issue that we'll be able to examine, assuming fans will be allowed next fall.”
Sean Desai Analysis
4 Key Takeaways of Recent Bears Hire
By Alexandra Acain
Another postseason has come and gone for Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears. The Bears came close to winning another Wild Card game against the New Orleans Saints. However, Drew Brees and his Saints proved to be too strong for Mack and the Bears defense, ultimately beating them at the Mercedes Benz Superdome 21-9. The Bears front office then made a promising change for the Bears by promoting new and young defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Here are four things that all fans should learn about and expect from him in the hopes of having a fresh and new-look defensive line.
1. Intelligence is a key characteristic that can help bolster the Bears defense with Desai at the helm.
One of the first things to learn about him is that his nickname is Doc since he has a PHD in postsecondary education from Columbia University.
“He's very smart, and hungry. And a lot of people think that he was projecting to be someone who was going to be a defensive coordinator. I do not know if anyone thought that he would jump to this spot this early in his career. But I think that it is a fresh look at the way the defense can be deployed.” said Laurence Holmes, host of daily radio program Laurence Holmes Show on 670 The Score that runs in the afternoon from Monday to Friday.
Holmes also pointed out that he used to be an apprentice of long-time, and well-respected former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. New, and lifelong fans alike can expect to pick apart that brilliant mind adding in what he knows from Fangio, along with some other things that he wants to do.
2. The team's future defensive bench will be in good hands from the 2021 NFL draft going forward.
“Well, I imagine that what they'll do is one of the things that he's going to focus on is trying to get more pressure up front.” Holmes said. Until the Super Bowl gradually becomes a realistic goal in the Bears locker room, Desai and the personnel are more than capable of making the right decisions for new and young defensive weapons during the free agency period in March, and the 2021 NFL Draft in May. He will also be a strong leader to better maximize key defensive players Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks. Robert Quinn is someone that fans can expect to go from disappointment to a stud like Mack and Hicks, materializing in an overall a much better and improved defensive line.
3. Desai will certainly keep his relationship and approach fresh to today's players with his youth.
“Well, he's younger. So, I think that it'll be easier for him than others. But his former boss I talked about earlier, Vic Fangio was kind of an old school guy, and he was able to relate to the players,” Holmes said.
Fangio has passed down this key sentence to Desai: “This is the way I want things done, and this is why I want these things done this way.” That key sentence is a surefire and proven way of commanding respect and a good response from all Bears players because of the clarity and simplicity behind it.
4. Desai can use his hunger as an extension of his strength to help the Bears defensive line contribute to more wins throughout the coming season.
“So, all of the coaches that he brings in are the coaches that are still on the staff, they've got to be aligned with what his overall defensive philosophy is going to be. And that means that he has to know what everyone is doing,” Holmes said.
With other experienced coaches to advise him, he can have a better understanding of each position group’s strengths and weaknesses in his big leap from position coach to being in charge of the entire defense. Desai is one of those coaches who can possess a pliable coaching philosophy on how the defense works that will aid in his creation of a plethora of specific game plans for each opponent they battle against. That then goes to show that flexibility, and progress over perfection can help win more games leading to more playoff spots.