7 Keys to Victory in Chicago Bears' Week 6 Matchup
The Chicago Bears did the most important thing right despite an eventual loss in Week 5 by starting rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Now the Bears have to turn around on a short week thanks to the Monday game and refine their approach in all areas. Anything less than the proper adjustments will not only likely send the team careening to 1-5 but also impede much-needed progress from a rookie pegged as a potential franchise quarterback.
It sounds difficult—and is—thanks to a road game against the Baltimore Ravens. Quarterback Joe Flacco and his team sit joint-first in the AFC North and enter Sunday off a road win against the Oakland Raiders. So the veteran team knows a thing or two about getting after rookie signal-callers.
Let's outline a viable strategy for the Bears to follow in critical areas if John Fox and his side are intent on picking up an unexpected momentum win and building Trubisky's confidence.
Prioritize Kendall Wright and Zach Miller
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The Bears have come a long way in just a few weeks after the disaster that was a Mike Glennon game wherein one wideout caught a single pass.
Trubisky's natural abilities with his arm and legs open up the playbook and extend drives, something seen easily enough based on the numbers Kendall Wright and Zach Miller put up during the 20-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5.
There, Wright led the team in receiving with four catches on five targets, putting him at 46 yards. Miller led the team with seven targets, bringing in three of those for 39 yards and a score.
Those aren't eye-popping numbers by any metric, but it's good to see a Trubisky-led offense focus on the team's best weapons, which hasn't always been the case this year. If the rookie can get both of these guys going again, it opens up the running game and perhaps even gives the Bears a shot to beat the Ravens at their own game.
Better Usage for Tarik Cohen
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What is going on with Tarik Cohen?
Over the course of the first two gameweeks, Cohen looked like one of the bigger breakout rookie names around the league, rushing the ball well and providing a dynamic presence through the air.
With a better quarterback under center in Week 5, Cohen fell flat, with six carries for 13 yards and one catch on a single target.
Defenses were always going to adapt to Cohen the more film he accumulated, but usage like that given his ability is asking to lose. The Bears can't trot out the same limited approach against the Ravens.
With Cohen, Trubisky has a safety net who can score from anywhere on the field. He's an easy completion and confidence builder for a quarterback. Working the game plan through his talents as he moves all over the field seems an obvious way to enter Baltimore with an advantage.
A Cody Whitehair Turnaround
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Cody Whitehair might be the most disappointing member of the Bears this year, which is saying something.
Whitehair came out of nowhere to be a breakout rookie star in 2016, shifting to center and starting after injuries ravaged the interior of the offensive line. He excelled for a struggling offense and made it look like the Bears had a long-term starter at a key position.
The following note by Adam Hoge of WGN Radio says it all: "Very surprised by Cody Whitehair's performance this season. I thought he had a legit shot at the Pro Bowl this year."
Against an elite defensive front featuring Brandon Williams and others, the Bears will have a hard time keeping Trubisky upright in a hostile environment if Whitehair can't have a bounce-back performance.
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Get Another Monster Performance from Leonard Floyd
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Leonard Floyd went off against the Vikings in the wake of a season-ending injury to Willie Young, a key rotational depth piece and yet another injury woe suffered by the linebacking unit.
Floyd tallied two sacks and four tackles for loss Monday, bumping his season sack total to three.
It is time for Floyd to put together a nasty tear against the rather immobile Flacco. He's struggled behind an iffy offensive line this term, throwing four touchdowns against six interceptions while taking nine sacks.
Granted, Floyd doesn't need to register sacks to make an impact. If he can apply consistent pressure to a stagnant offense, the Bears have a great chance at stealing a win—and helping increase the odds this next talking point occurs.
Force a Turnover
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The Bears haven't done much of this all season.
Despite boasting Floyd, Akiem Hicks and a completely rebuilt secondary, the Bears have yet to even record an interception this year and didn't tally any turnovers in the three-point loss to the Vikings.
It should go without saying, but one big play by the defense could have helped make Trubisky's NFL debut a win against an NFC North rival.
The problems run deeper than this season. As Hoge pointed out, since 2013, Bears interceptions have dropped from 19 to 14 to eight to eight to zero outright this year.
Scheme plays a part given the way Chicago's defense funnels the ball where it wants. But the Ravens, like the Vikings, are yet another team that are beatable if the Bears can just secure the one backbreaking turnover.
They say better late than never, but it's getting mighty late.
Clean Up the Silly Mistakes
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While the Bears don't force any turnovers through the air, they seem to have made a habit of tripping over their own feet.
Look at the game against the Vikings, wherein the Bears turned it over twice and committed eight penalties for 55 yards. That doesn't sound like much, but the nature of the flags—like one from Whitehair on a key play—have had a big impact on the team's overall record.
Mistakes aren't limited to flags. Think back to the season-opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons, during which a huge 88-yard touchdown coughed up in the fourth quarter thanks to a miscommunication turned a potential upset into a 10-point game. Or think about Monday, when Fox oversaw a few head-scratching moments, like punting in a seemingly advantageous position.
In hindsight, the gaffe against Atlanta was much more than a simple early-season mistake the team can iron out considering the way flags and errors have chased the Bears to a one-win season heading into Week 6.
Get Trubisky Out of the Pocket
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Part of the allure of Trubisky is his sheer athleticism.
Trubisky arguably looked his best in his debut when throwing on the move. He wasn't perfect in this regard, but the threat of a viable bootleg and rollouts opened up the field in a way the offense under Glennon would have never had.
Granted, he's still learning what throws he can make on the move at the pro level.
"It's part of the learning process," Trubisky said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Adam L. Jahns. "I think extending plays is part of my game. We're going to need that, and it helps. So I just got to learn when I'm extending plays that it's a for-sure completion or when I just need to eat it and play the next play."
That learning process is, in a word, fun. Trubisky isn't going to be perfect, but it's clear NFL defenses already respect what he can do on the run. The Ravens will as well, so the Bears should have him getting away from a shaky offensive line and creating opportunities both on immediate plays and later in the game as well.
All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
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