Early Thoughts (Week 10): Chicago Bears Bear Watching

It’s interesting how a coach that has now won 131 total games with three different teams and taken two different franchises to the Super Bowl somehow gets overlooked.

Such seems to be the case when it comes to John Fox. During his days with the Carolina Panthers, he took the team to the playoffs numerous times and led them to Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003.

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In 2011, the sideline leader took over in Denver and helped lead the Broncos to four consecutive AFC West titles and a Super Bowl XLVIII appearance in 2013. As we know, that did not go well and after another early postseason exit in 2014, Fox was given his walking papers by Denver general manager John Elway.

Fox would inherit the Chicago Bears job this offseason after the organization parted ways with Marc Trestman following a 5-11 showing. But at the start of 2015, this club looked worse than the previous year. A tough 31-23 home loss to the Green Bay Packers was followed by embarrassing setbacks to the Cardinals (48-23) and Seahawks (26-0) and three games into the season, Fox’s newest club was winless and had been outscored by a combined 105-46.

Nov 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) passes against the St. Louis Rams during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Then a funny thing happened on the way to another loss. Quarterback Jay Cutler led the team to fourth-quarter wins over the Raiders and Chiefs. Then came back-to-back three-point losses to the Lions (in overtime) and Vikings.

But over the past seven days, Chicago has now managed to get within a game of .500 with road wins over the Chargers and Rams, the latter an impressive 37-13 win in which Cutler threw for 258 yards and three scores (connecting on 19-of-24 passes). Against a tough Rams’ defense, the Bears rolled up 397 total yards and rookie running back Jeremy Langford totaled 182 yards from scrimmage and a pair of scores.

Under offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Cutler has looked like a more confident quarterback after some early-season issues and a rough 2014 campaign. The strong-armed signal-caller has thrown 13 touchdown passes and turned over the football only seven times (5 interceptions, 2 fumbles lost) in eight games this season. A year ago, he threw for 28 scores but coughed up the football a league-high 24 times, including 18 interceptions.

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Then again, you also have to give credit to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and the rest of the Chicago defense, which has looked a lot better than its recent predecessors.

Nov 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Shea McClellin (50) is congratulated by teammates after recovering a fumble by St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason (27) during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports

In nine games this season, the Bears have allowed a so-so 234 points and 20 offensive touchdowns. But that’s a glowing performance compared to the previous two seasons in which the team gave up 442 points and 46 offensive touchdowns in 2014 and a whopping 478 points and 47 offensive touchdowns the season before that.

On Sunday at St. Louis, Fangio’s unit limited Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley to 45 yards rushing on 12 carries. Jeff Fisher’s team scored on an 80-yard drive to open the game and Chicago held the Rams to a combined 205 total yards the remainder of the game.

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A look at the recent landscape in the NFC North has the Packers slumping and the Minnesota Vikings playing better football. Also in that mix are the Bears, who are now 4-2 in their last six outings following that dreadful 0-3 start.

Would it really be the crazy to see Chicago make a second-half playoff run.

Crazy? Like a Fox?

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