Just when it looked like the Bears may have finally turned a corner, they suffered a defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. The Bears’ offense continues to look great, putting up 29 points against one of the top defenses in the league. The same can’t be said for the defense. For the first time in a while, the Bears’ loss fell on the defense. One day after the game, Roquan Smith gets traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a second-round pick, a fifth-round pick, and linebacker A.J. Klein. Although it seems like the Bears are heading into a dumpster fire, there is plenty of evidence that shows the Bears are heading into a bright future.
Justin Fields did what Justin Fields does best against the Cowboys. The second-year quarterback threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns while running for 60 yards and a touchdown. Fields keep improving every week. For a rebuilding team like the Bears, that’s the most important thing. It seems like first-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has finally found his groove, scoring 33 points last week against a very good New England Patriots defense. Following that up with 29 points against the Cowboys defense, which is arguably better than the Patriots says a lot.
The defense was practically non-existent for most of the game on Sunday. The only positive to come from the defensive side was Eddie Jackson’s interception, which helped set up a field goal right before halftime to put the Bears back in the game. Alan Williams, the defensive coordinator, is known for being able to make adjustments at halftime to prevent further scoring. That just wasn’t the case last game. The defense also took a crushing blow, losing star linebacker Roquan Smith. Smith, who leads the NFL in tackles, was an integral part of this team and there is no doubt that this defense will suffer heavily without him.
Even though it doesn’t seem like it, the front office has put the Bears in a very good place for the future. The offense is playing terrific, even with little to no weapons. The defense looks questionable, but that issue can be resolved in the next off-season. After the Roquan Smith trade, the Bears now hold nine draft picks, along with over 100 million in cap space next year. With that kind of money and picks, fans won’t be complaining next year about Fields not having help.
