3 Takeaways from Bears' Week 6 Loss vs. Vikings
All of the positivity the Chicago Bears carried into Week 6 was zapped away by the end of their loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Bears left Soldier Field with an injured Justin Fields, a 1-5 record and little hope that things will improve in the coming weeks.
Fields' thumb injury occurred during an afternoon in which the Bears failed to move the ball through the air.
Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent finished with more passing yards than Fields and D.J. Moore did not involved until the fourth quarter.
The negative takeaways will probably outweigh any positives from Sunday, but if the Bears can carry anything into Week 7, it is an improved defense.
Justin Fields' Injury
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Fields suffered a dislocated thumb, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The injury came as a brutal blow to the Bears offense after that unit eclipsed 400 total yards in each of the last two games.
Fields' injury timetable is yet to be determined as of Monday morning, but even if he misses one game, the Bears offense could look completely different.
Bagent completed 10 of his 14 passes for 83 yards, but he looked flustered under Minnesota's pressure on the Bears' final drive.
Bagent may not hold up against Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders behind a Bears offensive line that allowed five sacks to the Vikings.
The Bears would lose the rushing element to their offense, which is something already damaged by three injuries to the running back room.
Fields could be healthy enough to play in Week 7, and that would be the best-case scenario as the Bears try to get their second win before playing four of the next five games away from Soldier Field.
D.J. Moore Was Ineffective Until Fourth Quarter
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D.J. Moore may have ended the game as Chicago's leader in receptions and receiving yards, but he was silent for most of the contest.
Forty-six of Moore's 51 receiving yards came on the final two drives with Bagent under center.
Moore failed to follow up his two consecutive triple-digit yardage performances with any help for Fields in the passing game.
The Bears could have used more out of the former Carolina wide out on Sunday since they went into the contest with a depleted running back depth chart.
D'Onta Foreman and Darrynton Evans were pleasant surprises in the ground game to complement Fields, but they never received support from the aerial attack.
Chicago could have used a better performance out of Moore, and entire passing unit to be honest, to put Minnesota in a tough spot while it was adjusting in its first game without Justin Jefferson.
Instead, most of the passing yards came while the Bears were in come-from-behind mode and that comeback attempt failed with a backup quarterback in charge.
Defense Turned in Best Performance of 2023
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Let's end on a positive note.
And, no, we're not talking strictly about the Bears' improved NFL draft outlook.
The Bears turned in their best defensive performance of the season on Sunday.
Chicago limited the Vikings to 220 total yards. It marked the first time the Bears held an opponent under 300 total yards this season.
The Bears made life uncomfortable for Kirk Cousins, who had some trouble adjusting to life without Jefferson.
Chicago contained Alexander Mattison to 2.4 yards per carry. The Vikings ran for just 46 yards.
The Bears may be forced to win low-scoring games if they want to break free of their brutal starting record. They have the potential to do just that in Week 7 against a Raiders offense that is dealing with a quarterback injury of its own after Jimmy Garoppolo left Sunday's game against the New England Patriots with a back injury.
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