{"id":122194,"date":"2021-09-26T19:43:23","date_gmt":"2021-09-26T23:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=122194"},"modified":"2021-09-26T19:50:16","modified_gmt":"2021-09-26T23:50:16","slug":"the-chicago-bears-had-a-complete-offensive-meltdown-in-week-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/09\/26\/the-chicago-bears-had-a-complete-offensive-meltdown-in-week-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chicago Bears had a complete offensive meltdown in Week 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Bears<\/a> offensive meltdown was something the likes of which has only been outdone by one performance once this century. In rookie quarterback Justin Fields<\/a>‘ first start he looked every bit as \u201cnot ready\u201d as Head Coach Matt Nagy<\/a> claimed. And the coach seemed every bit as intent on (and content with) letting that play out in real-time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fields completed just 6-of-20 passes for 68 yards, was sacked nine times, and hit a ton more. It ties the mark set back in 2010 when the New York Giants massacred Jay Cutler. <\/span>Chicago, after a week\u2019s worth of practice with Fields as a starter, finished with one net yard.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt Nagy under heavy fire after Bears offensive meltdown in Justin Fields\u2019 first start<\/span><\/h2>\n

The magnitude of this loss is yet to be determined. It\u2019s just one game on the (tough) schedule. But we know what kind of effect these kinds of performances can have on young quarterbacks. Perhaps most famously, 2002 first-overall pick David Carr. He was almost literally broken taking 76 sacks as a rookie, still an NFL record.<\/span><\/p>\n

We probably shouldn\u2019t expect it to get that bad. But it definitely won\u2019t be much better and everyone had a hand in it on Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n

It Starts Up Top<\/span><\/h3>\n

Nagy said early in his postgame presser that he needs to do a better job of getting the offense prepared this week. This after asserting the game plan with Fields would look different and better after of week of practice. And, despite how it all felt after the end of the game, they did have a somewhat encouraging start.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Bears did manufacture three points on their first drive of the game. But, after receiving the ball on their 47-yard line, they could only muster 24 yards for the 47-yard make by Cairo Santos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Under the microscope should be the weakside toss to David Montgomery on third-and-short that forced the Bears to kick.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s game plan failed to get its rookie quarterback on the move until late in the game. Even those might have been more on Fields breaking the pocket than actual design. But their \u201cattack\u201d called for Fields to stand in the pocket behind a porous offensive line.<\/span><\/p>\n

It also called for leaving the very questionable tackles on an island against a talented pass rush that had underperformed. Browns EDGE Myles Garrett had a career-high four on Sunday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some very disparaging numbers highlight just how bad things have been offensively under Nagy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday marked the fourth time in the last three years the Bears failed to score at least seven points and the first since 2019. That\u2019s not that bad truth be told. But it was also their 20th game with fewer than 20 points with only three of those games coming in 2018. Six of them came last season and already two this season.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Bears averaged 1.1 yards per play vs the Browns, the 2nd-fewest by any team in a game this century. pic.twitter.com\/0oo2rvU99i<\/a><\/p>\n

— NFL on CBS \ud83c\udfc8 (@NFLonCBS) September 26, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n