In most Chicago Bears losses in the 2022-23 season, they’ve had opportunities to outshine their opponents and potentially win the game, but with 3 wins from 17 games I think it’s safe to say that they haven’t accomplished that on too many occasions. While there are signs of progress offensively, the players and the manager know that the team needs an overhaul to be competitive again.
Below are some potential areas of defense and offense that Chicago Bears need to improve to turn the losses into wins.
Red Zone Offense
New fans would not believe this, but the Bears had the 5th-best red zone in the season’s first three games. However, things have been downhill from here. The Chicago Bears’ four losses have been a single score, and in two of those (Commanders and Giants), you can blame the team’s red zone problems. Most users of football sportsbook software lost lost some funds because of this.
The Bears must improve their red zone stats if they are going to compete in the 2023 season.
Run Defense
The Chicago Bears run defense has been a big problem for the team, and they’ve been among the worst in the league. Missing tackles has been a massive problem for this defense unit, and it has faced some famous names in the run game, such as Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones, and Dalvin Cook.
At one point, the Bears allowed 189 rushing yards each match, ranking 29th in the league. They only managed to hold one team below 100 rushing yards – The Texans with 92 rushing yards.
Pass Protection
Chicago Bears offensive line was a big concern even before the season began. Although the line has done a great job in run blocking, the team has yet to be able to protect Justin Fields effectively. Struggling pass protection is not a good thing for a 2nd-year quarterback. Fields has been sacked many times this season.
There needs to be more trust in the offensive line because Fields mostly abandons the pocket earlier. We saw this against the Commanders in Match Week 6, where he was pressured 18 times and sacked five times.
Pass Rush
Before the season began, everyone had high hopes for the Bears’ pass rush, despite dealing Khalil Mack to Chargers in the offseason. Trevis Gipson got a mini-breakout season, Robert Quinn had a franchise-record 18.5-sack season, and they signed veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad. However, the Bears’ pass rush has been a vast disappointment on defense.
At some point, the Chicago Bears had 11 sacks, ranking 23rd in NFL. It’s one of the sectors that need to be improved.
Passing Game
Chicago Bears passing game has been abysmal since the season started, and there are no signs of change. The team has been averaging 122.8 passing yards each game. Fields has thrown for more than 200 yards in only a single game the entire season.
According to head coach Matt Eberflus, people know that the team has been running the ball well offensively. He says that they need to improve their passing game. The coach added that in areas they need to improve, they will work hard to achieve that.
Quarterback
At the start of the season, Justin Fields appeared to have regressed. He looks indecisive and uncomfortable in the pocket and has also been part of the problems in pass protection and passing game.
Fields seem to hold the ball for long, and there’s reduced trust in his unimpressive weapons and offensive line. His teammates have not helped, but he needs help with accuracy and footwork.
Field’s best match was in game week five against the Vikings. He looked confident, comfortable, and poised in this game and the passing game looked excellent.
The Bears need to figure out how they can play like this. The offensive line should give Justin time, and the receivers need to make plays and get open, but Fields should rip the ball.
The team’s season is not about winning the title but developing. Fields’ development is the most important thing. The team will need to surround him with talent in the offseason and hope he’ll improve and grow.
Final Thoughts
Currently, the vital thing for Chicago Bears is Fields’s development in the 2022-23 and coming seasons. The quarterback has been impressive offensively, considering the lack of weapons around him and the injuries to the offensive line.
The rebuild of the team revolves around Fields, and while Chicago Bears didn’t sign a super-skilled player or spend a lot of money, they believe Fields can take the team to the next level.