Offense did just enough to succeed against a weak defense
As I mentioned, a win is a win. As long as you get a win that gets you out of the basement of the division, it’s good. Going forward this season, however, there are still a lot of questions.
- Three plays, 7 yards, punt
- Six plays, 12 yards, punt
- Three plays, 9 yards, punt
- Three plays, -3 yards, punt
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These were the results of the Bears’ first four drives. They looked like they were on their way to another struggling performance like last week. On their next drive, though, something happened. Perhaps it was the confidence gained from converting the fourth down, but they suddenly looked different. Here is what happened:
- 10 plays, 76 yards, touchdown
- Five plays, 54 yards, touchdown
- Three plays, 25 yards, touchdown
As you see, the Bears started to gain more yards and finished their drives with touchdowns. They had a 20-6 lead and were poised to pull away. However, they went back to their struggling ways and the game was closer than it should have been. Here were their final five drives:
- Three plays, 8 Yards, punt
- Seven plays, 22 yards, punt
- Three plays, 7 yards, punt
- Three plays, 1 yard, punt
- Three plays, 8 yards, punt
You can notice that the final three drives were especially concerning. They gained only 16 yards during the time the Lions were trying to come back. They did the defense no favors by just going three and out and giving the Lions opportunities to come back.
The offense needs to have more sustained drives. They don’t always have to finish the drives with touchdowns, but a field goal or two and the Bears pull away. At the very least, a sustained drive, even if it ends in a punt, gives the Lions fewer opportunities to score.
The Bears were fortunate that Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t play. If you give him enough chances, he’ll cash in the opportunities. He wasn’t there, though, so the Bears happily enjoy the win.