It’s 3 up 3 down time again as we tackle the Bears latest loss at home against the 49ers.
Well I suppose this is what I get for being hopeful of a win. Not great at all for the Bears getting done over by a poor San Francisco team, that went into week 8 with 4 losses on the bounce. It’s just adding more clouds onto an already dark season and I’m already expecting the rain to come crashing down before the season’s end.
3 UP 3 DOWN: THE UPS
Justin Fields
Probably the biggest up in a long time, or at least it feels like that to me. I have had Fields in my ‘downs’ a few times this season but he really showed up in week 8 and he deserves the applause.
He ended the game with 19 completions from 27 attempts, 175yards passing, 103yards rushing and 2 TDs (one passed and one rushed himself). Boy oh boy, when Fields took off for his rushing TD on 4th and 1yard, it was electric. He showed the movement and speed we all thought he had and got over 100 rushing yards as a QB.
Then there is the throw to Jesse James for the TD. On the move, throws during backwards motion and still puts it a window so tight that smoke would struggle to get through it. The man is a talent. We need to protect him and fill the team with quality around him because we saw exactly what the Bears traded up for in the draft.
3rd/4th conversions
Justin Fields had a good game and you can see what happens when he gets rolling as the offense looked much better. You only have to see the up-turn of 3rd/4th conversions to see the confidence growing. 9 completed out of 16 attempts, which is just over half; let’s be clear it is no terrific, but is a step in the right direction.
Anything positive we can build from and show progress is an Up and this offense showed us that they can progress. There is more to come and more to be desired but I give credit to the progress shown.
Offensive Turnovers
Just one turnover is a huge Up in my opinion. After all the sacks, interceptions, fumbles that we have had over the last few weeks, to see only one turnover is definitely progress. This interception in particular was a garbage time throw from Fields who was trying to claw something out of a poor game.
If you ask me, if the scores were closer, this wouldn’t have happened. He was trying to make a play to help make the score look more competitive. So with all that into consideration, 1 interception after the way we have been playing recently, I will take that.
3 UP 3 DOWN: THE DOWNS
If I could shorten it, it would just be “the defense” as they were awful. I said last week that the OLine were ghosts but it’s like we can’t have one without the other. The defense just seemed to quit. The fight, tenacity and grit that we’re accustomed to seeing just wasn’t there, and against a 49er’s team who were there for the taking.
Yards Allowed
477 yards allowed. 477. Holy smokes we just opened the door and said come right in, take what you want guys. From a team with banged up QBs, we allowed them to throw for 322yards. What was our secondary doing? Was it a lack of concentration or an over-confidence? They needed to show up and they did the complete opposite.
Then there’s the run game, allowing 145 yards. San Francisco aren’t exactly thought of as a running team but yet Elijah Mitchell got 137 yards, he powered through us like a hot knife through butter. To cap it off, all three of the TDs we conceded were all from rushes. It’s going to be tough watching that tape.
No Sacks
It’s simple, there was nothing doing in this at all. We know Khalil Mack was out but this can’t be the result if he isn’t there, surely he can’t make that much of a difference. Quinn leading sacks just gets double teamed and that’s all she wrote? Surely not? But there was no pressure, no threat on the QB and allowed them the confidence to play.
A big example of how little pressure there was, the 49er’s didn’t punt the ball once. Not once. How does that even happen? Oh and – big sarcasm warning – Jimmy.G was that comfortable he ran for 2 TDs, you know because he is so famous for that. It was just too easy.
No takeaways, turnovers, interceptions, fumbles created
What more do you need me to add to the title, really? We gave ourselves no chance. It didn’t help that Eddie Jackson had to leave the game with a hamstring injury but you need players to step up and make plays. You need Sean Desai to read the game, understand the feeling of it and set the team up to win or at least put up a fight.
However they went about it this week, it just fell through the cracks.
Join us again next time for another Bears 3 up 3 down.
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