Well, for a moment it seemed as if the Chicago Bears would finally have a game in which they could relax and enjoy a blowout.
In the middle of the second quarter, they owned a 21-0 lead over the Arizona Cardinals.
However, we are talking about the Chicago Bears. No lead is safe (for them).
They already blew three double-digit fourth-quarter leads this season.
Even with a big cushion, the fans were still nervous. It turns out that they had reason to feel that way.
From the 7:12 mark of the second quarter until the end of the game, the Bears had seven drives.
Four of them ended in punts, one in an interception, and another two were field goals. The Cardinals outscored the Bears 16-6 during that period.
With three minutes remaining in the game, Chicago held a tenuous 24-16 lead.
However, Cairo Santos hit a 29-yard field goal with 1:02 left in the game to seal the Bears’ sixth win of the season. That is double the total of last year.
Despite the victory, many fans were still bemoaning the inconsistent offense.
It seems like the Bears can run out to big leads, only to later collapse and lose.
It felt like the fans were waiting for another collapse on Sunday.
However, the Bears gave their fans a win for Christmas.
It was ugly, but a win looks beautiful in the record book.
Yes, the Bears won. However, the same inconsistency we have seen from the coaching game plan was on full display.
Again, the Bears rush out to a big lead and look like they can beat any team in the NFL.
They somehow stop doing what made them successful, though, and struggle the rest of the way.
This is a concern that has been haunting this coaching staff. It isn’t just this season.
They had games last season in which they were competitive or had leads, only to lose out in the end.
Those games were not considered impactful because of the lack of talent on the team.
However, this team has a lot more talent.
If the Bears did not collapse in those games this season, they would have a 9-6 record and challenge the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title.
This has become almost a weekly occurrence. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy stubbornly runs the same conservative offense after looking exciting early in the game.
It seems as if he is trying to milk the clock from the second quarter on.
This is why it looks more and more as if the Chicago Bears front office, namely General Manager Ryan Poles and President Kevin Warren, will likely find a new coaching staff this offseason.
Getsy does not make adjustments. In fact, the only adjustment he seems to want to do is to turn Fields into a pure pocket passer.
We could see that Fields is more successful when he is on the run.
Dropping back all the time just hurts him and wastes his abilities.
