The Bears ’ offensive woes continue to haunt their chances of catching first place in the NFC North and making the playoffs. In a must-win divisional game against the Minnesota Vikings, it was QB Kirk Cousins who finally got his first win in a prime-time Monday night game as the Vikings defeated the Bears 19-13.
While both teams offensively did not produce an exciting high scoring game, it was the Bears offense that continues to be the weakest link of the chain. Chicago posted -1 yards in the third quarter and only had a total of 108 passing yards throughout the game. While the offensive line has expressed its struggles, it was QB Nick Foles that added fuel to the offensive dumpster fire and failed once again to move the chains.
Inconsistency and bad throws from Foles cost the offense from putting up six tonight. Foles overthrew his receivers on key third down plays, which was a huge reason why Chicago was 2-10 on third downs. A bad night would soon turn to worse late in the fourth quarter as Foles was slammed to the ground and carted off with 34 seconds left.
Many fans on Twitter continue to call for QB Mitch Trubisky to return as the starter once he is healthy again, and they may get their wish soon as Foles’ health is now in question heading into the Bears’ bye week. Trubisky was benched because of inconsistency and decision making, which was a problem that HC Matt Nagy hoped Foles would solve. The Bears are running out of time to resolve the QB position issue that seems nearly impossible to fix now.
The Bears defense once again kept the offense within striking distance. The extra day to prepare for Minnesota RB Dalvin Cook certainly showed early. Red hot Dalvin Cook racked up 206 yards and averaged 9.4 yards/carry in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions, but struggled immensely against Bears DC Chuck Pagano’s defense, who held Cook to just 32 yards and 2.3 yards/carry in the first half.
All that would disappear as soon as DE Akiem Hicks was sidelined with an unexpected hamstring injury. As soon as Hicks left the second half of the game, the Vikings offense began to move the ball towards the Red Zone. While the Bears defense still produced two turnovers and gave the offense opportunities to take the lead, the team proved that if you do not have a QB, you cannot win.
The Bears have now lost four games in a row and face many issues in the coming bye week. Their season may be in jeopardy in Week 12 as they have a date with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, who can extend their lead in the NFC North. While Chicago awaits the news of Nick Foles, they need to use this bye week to piece their season back together.
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