For the last two weeks, the Chicago Bears have played well enough football to pull out two gutsy wins. Although they played two mediocre teams, beating such teams is a vast improvement from last season in which the Bears struggled mightily against the teams they should have defeated. Before the Bears beat the Oakland Raiders two weeks ago, Chicago’s last victory came in Week 12 of last season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Well-coached teams win games that they should win. This Bears team has an all-star coaching staff with two coordinators who are capable of becoming head coaches in the near future led by an established head coach with two Super Bowl appearances under his belt. In fact, offensive coordinator Adam Gase and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio interviewed for head coaching positions during this past off-season, but the Bears were fortunate enough to sign them to coordinator positions.
Exactly this time last year, Chicago’s record was identical to these current Bears at 2-3. Many fans in Chicago had Super Bowl expectations for the Bears last season, but they were disappointed very quickly. Coming into this season, however, Bears fans had much more tempered expectations, some of which were so low that they believed the Bears would get the number one overall draft pick for the 2016 NFL draft.
The Bears’ 2-3 record is a bad indicator of what they can be by season’s end. To start the season, the Bears played arguably the three best teams in the NFC, and not surprisingly, lost all three. Additionally, the Bears have been decimated with injuries since the preseason. Losing rookie wide receiver Kevin White initially created a void in the passing game considering the Bears traded Brandon Marshall for merely a sixth round draft pick. Star wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has had a lingering hamstring injury since early August. The offensive line has already shuffled too many times to count. Veteran safety Antrel Rolle missed last week’s game.
Amidst all of these injuries, the Bears have been impressively resilient. Quarterback Jay Cutler is playing the best football of his career with consecutive game-winning drives. Many believed that Cutler needed a slew of established offensive weapons in order to even have a chance at winning games, but he has found ways to win with much less. Wide receivers Marquess Wilson and Josh Bellamy deserve credit for stepping up without Eddie Royal and Alshon Jeffery in the starting lineup, but Cutler is performing as if Royal and Jeffery have been playing this whole time. The defense is also shaping up to be a respectable defense that can make key stops on third down and late in games. Without the defense, Cutler would not have had the opportunity to win the last two games.
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Wide Receiver Marquess Wilson, 10, has been productive in the absence of star Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL is a “players” league. Players perform on the field and win games, but coaches are the ones who prepare these players every week and teach them particular schemes and skills. This Bears coaching staff has maximized the talent that has been available for them. This is what the Bears needed since Lovie Smith: a coaching staff that knows how to win, especially against teams that they should beat. I fully expect the Bears to defeat the NFL’s lone winless team in the Detroit Lions.
