Bernstein: Undermanned Bears Get Dose Of Reality
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) Any pretense of contention for the Bears was fun while it lasted, our little flight of fancy to keep it interesting longer than we may have thought possible when first looking at this team.
No apologies are necessary from any of us after the Bears' recent back-to-back wins rekindled misplaced short-term hope, not in this ridiculous league. There were some, in fact, maintaining that merely splitting these two games against Denver and Green Bay would be enough to stay viable, dubious though that may be.
The Bears' 17-15 loss to the Broncos on Sunday at Soldier Field was a microcosm of the season, a display of so many of the steps forward and backward on the way to respectability under a new regime. The Bears were close enough to compete and give themselves opportunities, lacked too many individual playmakers who can win matchups at critical times and lost to a better team – never stopping, always working, but ultimately in vain.
Considering the final differential, Chicago coach John Fox will face deserved scrutiny for his decision to pass up a chip-shot field goal from the Denver four-yard line with about 10 minutes left in the game while facing a 17-9 deficit. One could understand his belief at the time that the offense was unlikely to be that close again, but that logic was undermined after the fact by a late touchdown drive that gave the Bears a chance to tie. The call for an ill-fated inside running play on that two-point conversion instead of keeping the ball in the hands of their most talented player will also require explanation from coaches.
Jay Cutler can only be asked to do so much, and that's exactly what he had done up to this point. He has taken snaps from three different centers behind any number of differently constructed offensive lines, required to incorporate too many nobodies at important spots. On Sunday, he was missing Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal against one of the league's most aggressive and physical secondaries. Though the pass protection held up enough for Cutler to keep plays alive with his feet, the windows were small, and the red-zone routes were covered consistently.
Ka'Deem Carey was knocked out of the game, leaving only Jeremy Langford to toil away in his toughest rookie test yet, and he'd manage only 25 yards on 13 carries.
It was supposed to be about Brock Osweiler replacing Peyton Manning, but while Osweiler acquitted himself nicely in completing 20 of 27 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, it was the surprising success of their running game that had at least an equal share in the outcome. Ronnie Hillman repeatedly beat Bears defenders to the edges in rushing for 102 yards, and C.J. Anderson added 59.
The defense was without safety Antrel Rolle, forcing recent Jaguars castoff Chris Prosinski into a rare start, and Pernell McPhee appeared to play with a limp for most of the day, receiving treatment on his ailing knee between series.
The margin for error just isn't there yet, whether that applies to a roster still far too reliant on replacement-level bodies all over the field or coaching decisions that don't provide the absolute best chance every bit of the time, even in a game in which they didn't commit a single penalty. That only underscores the point, in fact.
The Bears remain interesting in their noble effort to make something competitive and entertaining out of whatever this is right now.
Truth is, they're just good enough to be not good enough.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.