Fox Sees 'Some Bright Spots' For Bears In Loss To Colts
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Despite falling to 1-4 after a discouraging 29-23 loss to the Colts on Sunday, Bears coach John Fox said "there were some bright spots" for his team as they prepare to host the Jaguars next week.
Fox told WBBM Newsradio's Josh Liss he thought the offense played well against the Colts – racking up 522 total yards, their most since 1989 – but too often failed to capitalize on drives deep into Indianapolis territory.
"Anytime you get in a game like that, it comes down to your red (zone) trips," Fox said. "I think we were 1-of-3. We just ended up settling for field goals. In fact, one missed field goal. You know, as far as the point total, we had plenty of yards. I thought we moved the ball. I think we operated pretty well, but just some costly penalties and turnovers were the difference."
Fox also said the offense would continue to lean on rookie running back Jordan Howard moving forward, after he topped 100 yards in each of his first two NFL starts. Howard rushed for 118 yards on 16 carries Sunday and also had 45 receiving yards on three catches, including a 21-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
"He continues to show his vision and ability to hit holes, and he is a rugged runner," Fox said.
Kicker Connor Barth struggled again, missing a 54-yard field goal and then missing a 49-yard retry after the Colts were flagged for running into the kicker. Barth said he wouldn't be surprised if the Bears brought in another kicker to challenge him for the job, but Fox didn't say if the team plans to hold a kicker tryout.
"Really, at the end of the day, we're always looking to get better, but we have confidence in Connor," Fox said. "I think he's been pretty good at the range that we evaluated him at, and we just have to continue to get better and more consistent."
You can listen to Fox's entire interview below.