3 Takeaways from Bears' Week 12 Loss vs. Jets
Chicago Bears fans knew that the team would have a tough time winning in Week 12 if budding star quarterback Justin Fields couldn't suit up. However, they probably didn't anticipate things going this poorly.
Fields, who is dealing with a severe shoulder injury, didn't start. Trevor Siemian started in his stead, despite suffering an oblique injury during warm-ups. While Siemian played respectably at times, he isn't the dual-threat Fields is, and the Chicago offense was stagnant for much of the afternoon.
The Bears defense was even worse, doing little to slow the Mike White-led New York Jets offense. The result was a lopsided 31-10 beatdown and the latest chapter in what has been a disappointing campaign for Chicago—the Bears were eliminated from the NFC North race on Thanksgiving.
Here are our three biggest takeaways from Chicago's Week 12 loss to the Jets.
Chicago May Not Win Another Game If Fields Doesn't Return
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The Bears may have a tough decision to make on Fields moving forward, as his shoulder injury isn't minor.
"It's a separated shoulder with a partially torn ligament, basically an AC joint," Fields said, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.
Chicago has little left to play for in 2022, and so it may not make a whole lot of sense to rush him back and potentially risk further injury. At the same time, though, sitting Fields could result in the Bears going winless down the stretch.
The Bears' final five games—vs. Green Bay Packers, vs. Philadelphia Eagles, vs. Buffalo Bills, at Detroit Lions and vs. Minnesota Vikings—are daunting, and Chicago isn't much of an offensive threat without the off-script ability of Fields.
With Fields on the sideline, Chicago's extreme lack of offensive playmakers was apparent. Siemian helped lead two scoring drives to start the game, but things slowed tremendously from there.
After scoring a touchdown early in the second quarter, the Bears failed to reach Jets territory until the fourth. In the fourth quarter, the offense reached the New York 27-yard line before turning the ball over on downs. It reached the Jets' 10-yard line before Siemian was picked off by linebacker C.J. Mosley.
By the fourth quarter, though, the Bears were sitting in a 31-10 hole.
With the defense playing poorly, the Bears have to win games with their offense. Unfortunately, Chicago just doesn't have the playmakers needed to do that if Fields isn't threatening defenses with his legs.
It's already hard to see Chicago winning another game, and if Fields remains out, the Bears may struggle to even be competitive.
Chicago Needs Playmakers on Both Sides of the Ball
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The Bears' lack of weapons was on full display Sunday, and things got even worse when wideout Darnell Mooney—one of the team's few reliable pass-catchers—exited with a leg injury.
David Montgomery is a serviceable starting back, but the Bears desperately need to upgrade their receiving corps in the offseason. Fortunately, Chicago is projected to have a league-high $116.2 million in cap space when free agency opens.
The Bears also have an extra fourth-round pick and will likely end up with a top-five selection in the first round. It's worth noting that in the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's early top 100 rankings, two of the top nine prospects—Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer and USC wideout Jordan Addison—are pass-catchers.
Of course, Chicago cannot focus solely on upgrading Fields' supporting cast. The defense needs help as well, especially after Chicago traded away playmakers Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith.
Chicago came into Week 12 ranked 16th in yards allowed but 27th in points surrendered. It looked even worse against the Jets.
Looking for an offensive spark, New York started White over 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson, and the decision worked. The Bears did little to contain White, who finished 22-of-28 for 315 yards and three touchdowns.
The Bears will need to commit a chunk of their offseason draft capital to fixing the defense as well.
Injuries Loom Large Coming Out of Week 12
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The Bears will find it extremely difficult to win without Fields, and his injury isn't the only reason why Chicago should be concerned. The Bears may have suffered another pair of critical losses against New York.
Mooney left with a leg injury and did not return. According to Fishbain, he was not putting weight on his left leg en route to the locker room. Losing Mooney for an extended period would be a huge blow, as he leads the team in receptions (40) and receiving yards (493).
Starting safety Eddie Jackson suffered a non-contact foot injury while trying to defend Jets wideout Garrett Wilson, and he did not return. His injury appeared to be even more severe than Mooney's.
"Jackson could not bear weight on the foot and needed to be helped off the field by members of the Bears' athletic training staff," ESPN's Courtney Cronin wrote. "He immediately went into the medical tent for evaluation and was ruled out shortly thereafter."
Non-contact injuries are always concerning, and losing Jackson for any stretch would be problematic. The six-year veteran has started all 12 games for Chicago and came in playing 99 percent of the defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Reference.
The Bears have now watched their starting quarterback, top receiver and one of their best defenders go down in a week's time. That's a huge issue for a team that lacked top-tier talent to begin with.
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