Justin Fields playing "robotic" football didn't help the Bears in their 27-17 loss to the Chiefs in Week 2. It's also unfair to heap all of the blame on the second-year quarterback.
There is plenty of blame to go around in Chicago. Head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff need to make a lot of changes before their squad takes the field against the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. It's imperative that Chicago keep this game close if they want to preserve the mental psyche of the roster.
Focusing in on these four problems would provide the Bears with a solid platform for improvement.
Problems the Bears need to fix: 4. Prevent the big play
The Bears secondary really struggled to stop Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers' receiving corps last week. Mike Evans torched Chicago to the tune of six catches for 171 yards. His total included a big 70-yard play that went a long way towards turning the game in Tampa Bay's favor.
The good news is that Kansas City doesn't employ any receiver with the size that Evans possesses. The bad news is that Patrick Mahomes is a much more talented passer than Mayfield. That puts immense pressure on Chicago's secondary to keep the ball in front of them.
The safety combination of Jaquan Brisker and Tyrique Stevenson will face the most challenges. They can't entirely abandon the need to make plays in the box, but getting sucked in on play action or pre-snap motion could leave their cornerbacks entirely unprotected. If the Bears can limit the Chiefs' explosive plays they might be able to stay in this game. If not, it's going to be a third consecutive defeat for Chicago to open the season.
Problems the Bears need to fix: 3. Find a way to generate a pass rush
The edge rushing duo of DeMarcus Walker and Yannick Ngakoue will not strike fear into the heart of Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid heading into the weekend. Neither player is going to torment Patrick Mahomes all by himself. It's essential that Chicago employ a collective effort to build a quality pass rush this week.
The defense did not manage to notch a single sack against Baker Mayfield in Week 2. He got comfortable in the pocket early in the game and it equalled disaster for the Chicago defense. It's easy to envision a scenario where the same thing happens for Mahomes this week if he's allowed to play from a clean pocket.
Both Walker and Ngakoue need to play better but the defensive coaching staff needs to get creative in the ways they will pressure Mahomes. T.J. Edwards needs to be freed up to bring pressure from his linebacker spot. Mixing in an occasional safety blitz could also knock Mahomes off balance.
The Bears don't have the individual defensive talent required to disrupt Kansas City's passing attack with anything resembling a conventional defensive scheme. Variety and creativity will be required to rack up sacks. That's a big challenge for a defense that was lit up by the Buccaneers a week ago.
Problems the Bears need to fix: 2. Justin Fields must protect the football
Fields does share a great deal of responsibility for the Bears' loss in Week 2. He is a young quarterback, that doesn't justify him throwing two interceptions and fumbling the ball twice last week against the Buccaneers.
The former Ohio State star was also sacked six times last week but several of those were a product of him hanging on to the ball too long in the pocket. Fields must make quicker decisions to eliminate negative plays and turnovers against the aggressive Chiefs' defense.
One ploy Eberflus might use to help his young signal-caller would be to get him outside of the pocket, away from All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones. Fields possesses great speed and that shows up when he's given the opportunity to attack the opposin defense. He can make reactionary plays but he's at his best when he gets going downhill at the line of scrimmage.
Fields calling his play robotic is a thinly veiled shot at the coaching staff's use of him so far. Eberflus needs Fields' buy-in if this season is going to get on track. He also needs his offensive talisman to protect the football. Turning the ball over against Kansas City is a simple way for the Bears to get blown out.
Problems the Bears need to fix: 1. The Bears must establish a ground game
One of the best ways to keep Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense at bay is to keep them on the sidelines. There's no better way for Chicago to manage that than by keeping the chains moving with a quality rushing attack.
Starting running back Khali Herbert needs to be a significant part of that equation. He only got seven carries last week against the Buccaneers and that put too much pressure on the team's passing attack. He needs to be looking at 20+ carries with an average of four yards per touch if Chicago is going to spring the upset.
Fields also needs to be a bigger part of the ground game. He only ran the ball four times for a total of three yards last week. That's not nearly enough for a player whose rushing ability is arguably his best skill. A good mix of designed runs and improvised scrambles could do real damage to Kansas City's defense.
The Bears want their offense to be more dynamic this season, but they lack the firepower to go toe-to-toe with Mahomes and Kansas City's skill players. This is a week for ball control for the Bears. That can only happen if they run the ball effectively to dominate the time of possession battle.
