Robert Quinn

Chicago Bears: An unnecessary implosion against the Vikings

by
bears, matt nagy

Chicago, IL–If you watched the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in week 15, props to you for sitting through one of the ugliest games of the season. A week after losing to the Green Bay Packers on national television, the Bears returned to Soldier Field to take on Minnesota Vikings in another ugly game that was mirrored by inconsistency all across the board for Chicago on offense.

Rookie quarterback Justin Fields had one fumble on the evening but once again, the Bears failed to get any sort of rhythm established around the 11th overall pick, forcing Fields to once again play with desperation, doing anything to keep the Bears relevant. The Bears had five total redzone trips, with just one ending in a touchdown. Add in a missed field goal from Kicker Cairo Santos and the Bears were once again a dumpster fire throughout the evening.

What the Bears did do correctly was play hard-nosed on the defensive side of the ball. Rookie cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. was a pleasant bright spot who emerged in his first career start. Graham Jr. had seven tackles and three pass breakups, leading an already depleted secondary. Pass rusher Robert Quinn took yet another step forward with four total tackles and two sacks as the 11-year veteran looks to chase Richard Dent’s single-season sack record, which is currently set at 17.5.

From a numbers standpoint, the Bears had 24 total first downs and 370 total yards of offense, compared to Minnesota, which had just 193 total yards and 13 first downs. Despite sacking Vikings QB Kirk Cousins four times, what really hurt Chicago was seven total penalties, some of which could be considered questionable calls by the officiating crew.

With the Bears’ latest loss, Chicago has now lost 10 games on the season and has lost three total divisional games this season against NFC North opponents. Up next for the Bears is a road trip to the Pacific Northwest, where Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks await.

Chicago Bears: Losing streak now at five games after latest loss

by
bears, matt nagy

What seemed to be a relatively competitive game for the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon got away very quickly in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Soldier Field. After failing to score on the first six possessions, the Bears finally managed to get on the board after wide receiver Darnell Mooney scored a 60-yard touchdown with just 8:12 remaining in the third quarter.

With rookie quarterback Justin Fields leaving the game due to an injury and then being ruled out, the Bears were forced to turn to veteran Andy Dalton, who tossed two second-half touchdowns, including a 49-yard pass touchdown to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin on 4th-and-11.

Veteran pass rusher Robert Quinn, who is in the second year of a five-year $70M contract signed in 2020 made an impact all afternoon. With Khalil Mack sidelined for the remainder of the year due to a foot injury, Quinn totaled five tackles, 3.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits, making his presence felt from the beginning.

Currently, in the middle of a five-game losing streak, the Bears’ final seven opponents will be against NFC teams. However, this latest loss to the Ravens stings merely because Chicago seemed to be in the game until the very final possession when Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley connected with wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a 29-yard gain with just 33 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. From there, running back Devonta Freeman scored a three-yard rushing touchdown to give Baltimore the lead.

Despite being shorthanded with no Allen Robinson, Eddie Jackson, or Akiem Hicks, the Bears did all a three-win team could to try and stay competitive but ultimately, a missed field goal in the first half by kicker Cairo Santos and an inability to execute in key situations made the difference in the Bears latest loss. With the Bears scheduled to play in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, the opportunity to snap a five-game losing streak presents itself.

Chicago Bears: What did the first half of 2021 teach us?

by
david montgomery, bears

With the Chicago Bears officially on a bye week, the first half of the season has wrapped up and with just eight games remaining, the Bears face an uphill climb to make the playoffs in 2021.

Much has been made of the first half of the Bears season. There have been ups but also downs and while 2021 is all about the development of rookie quarterback Justin Fields, the Bears 2022 offseason is taking shape.

The Bears’ first half has shown us that looking ahead to 2022, much of the roster remains unresolved with impending free agents that include WR Allen Robinson, guard James Daniels, and DE Bilal Nichols. Chicago’s best hope is that Daniels and Nichols market is cheaper than originally expected with Robinson likely on the way out.

While Fields continues to be a bright spot on offense, much like the Bears running game. Chicago’s offensive line has struggled with Center Sam Mustipher being a weak link. When head coach Matt Nagy mentions self-reflection, this should include looking at the offensive line and reshuffling the interior. That means moving veteran Cody Whitehair back to center and inserting Alex Bars into the starting lineup.

As a vertical passing game, Fields improved chemistry with wide receivers Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney was on display in week nine. This is a connection that needs more growth with the hope that Mooney and Fields are on the same page by seasons’ end.

Then there’s the defense. Without Khalil Mack for two straight games, Chicago struggled to generate any consistent pass rush while holes in the secondary were visible. Second-year cornerback Jaylon Johnson has taken a leap and safety Eddie Jackson remains an asset in coverage but a liability as an open field tackler. Veteran Robert Quinn continues to have a resurgent season but still needs to be consistent during the second half of the season.

The Bears 2021 season has showed that work remains to be done. Fields makes Chicago’s future bright and the Bears have a quarterback. What remains to be seen is whether or not the Bears can build around Fields, using the rest of 2021 as a roster evaluation to build a plan around Fields as soon as 2022 arrives.

Chicago Bears: Holes apparent in week eight loss

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Trevis Gipson, bears

In what was deemed a very winnable game for the Chicago Bears in week eight at home, the Bears struggled, failing to put together a complete game in all three phases. Chicago averaged 4.8 yards per play, with rookie quarterback Justin Fields rushing for a 22-yard touchdown on fourth-and-one to give the Bears some life.

The Bears season isn’t necessarily over but Chicago has now lost three straight games to NFC opponents. Since week six, losses to the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and now San Francisco 49ers have put the three win Bears on the outside looking in, in the context of a playoff spot.

Sunday afternoon was an eye-opening moment for the Bears as a whole. Through the first seven games of the season, the assumption was that Chicago featured a solid defense while the offense would struggle. Sunday afternoon proved to be different.

The 49ers gashed the Bears’ defense throughout the second half, with multiple throws down the middle of the field late in the fourth quarter. Chicago simply wasn’t playing with enough speed on the defensive side of the ball to warrant slowing down the 49ers’ offense. The Bears pass rush failed to generate any sacks, even with Khalil Mack out

Mack’s absence leads to an important question regarding Akiem Hicks and Robert Quinn, both of whom failed to record a sack on Sunday. How much of Hicks and Quinn’s success in 2021 is the result of Mack’s presence? Mack may not always pad the stat sheet but his impact was felt on Sunday afternoon.

The Bears offense did show signs of life but there wasn’t enough. It’s clear that the Bears aren’t a very good team around Fields, with the inability to execute prevalent from the wide receiver, tight end, and offensive line.

The Bears have a long way to go before being relevant again. Fields provides hope for the future but Chicago’s holes were visible on Sunday afternoon for a team that has struggled mightily in 2021.

Chicago Bears: Will short-handed defense rebound in week eight?

by
Trevis Gipson, bears

With the Chicago Bears returning home in week eight to take on the San Francisco 49ers, there is a high likelihood that Chicago is without pass rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. Add in a groin injury for defensive lineman Akiem Hicks and Chicago’s defense could be missing three integral pieces from its front seven.

If Hicks, Mack, and Quinn don’t suit up for the Bears, Chicago will need to rely on depth to beat San Francisco, who is averaging 22.5 points per game, good for 19th in the NFL. While the Bears defense allowed just three points in the second half of week 7 in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, another noteworthy stat from week 7 is that Chicago also failed to record a sack for the first time all season.

The Bears are hoping to redeem themselves in a big way on Sunday afternoon. A win against the 49ers on the heels of a solid defensive performance before what is expected to be a tough road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers would be a confidence booster heading into the bye week.

“You know, that’s part of this NFL, is, it’s a long season and that was week seven and obviously the result wasn’t what we wanted from a team perspective and certainly from a defensive perspective,” said defensive coordinator Sean Desai via the Bears official YouTube channel. “But having said that, there’s also some things that we can build off of, off that tape. And there’s some things of swarm and particularly in the second half where the guys play with tremendous energy and good technique and fundamentals that we’re going to continue to build on.”

Chicago will need to get creative when it comes to putting together a good enough game plan. Can cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor forget a shaky performance where both defensive backs allowed a combined four passing touchdowns while the front seven gets back to sacking quarterback? A win could certainly alter the trajectory of the Bears season.

Chicago Bears: Time for Trevis Gipson to step up

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Trevis Gipson, bears

With the Chicago Bears returning home to take on the San Francisco 49ers in week eight, reports have surfaced that the face of the Bears defense, Khalil Mack is unlikely to play due to a foot injury.

To be clear, the Bears have yet to make a final decision on whether or not Mack will be placed on injured reserve. Should the Bears elect to place Mack on injured reserve, the Bears could be without their top two pass rushers on Sunday.

Chicago, whose pass rush is already short-handed with veteran Robert Quinn being on the reserve/COVID-19 list will likely rely on second-year pass rusher Trevis Gipson to fill the void. Expect undrafted free agent Charles Snowden to be called up to the active roster.

With an aging defense, the only silver lining is that Gipson and Snowden will get additional reps, giving the Bears an opportunity to evaluate what young talent of the future is able to do. While Mack is under contract through the 2024 season, the likelihood of Quinn being designated as a post-June first cut in 2022 seems high, especially with the Bears hoping to extend linebacker Roquan Smith, a key face of the defense.

For the first time all season in week 7, a hobbled Mack and banged up Bears defense failed to record a sack. While Chicago is one of the NFL’s leading teams in total sacks, the 49ers do have a solid enough offensive line that will be sure to test Gipson and Snowden.

Gipson’s progression as a rotational player will be under the microscope throughout the rest of the season. Playing just 35 percent of snaps on defense in 2021, the second-year pass rusher has missed 23.1 percent of tackles but racked up two sacks, two quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss.

For the first time in what feels like forever, the Bears defense may not trot out Mack against an opponent, meaning the true mentality of next-man-up will be on display Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field.

Chicago Bears: Aaron Rodgers praises the Bears defense

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Ahead of the Chicago Bears Week 6 matchup against the division-rival Green Bay Packers, the Bears will welcome Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to town for potentially the last time. Rodgers, who’s become a defining factor in the NFL’s most storied rivalry over the last few years has seen plenty of Bears defenses throughout his tenure.

Through five games in 2021, Chicago is allowing just 20 points per game, good for 7th overall in the NFL. Pass rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn have combined for 9.5 sacks, while Roquan Smith has 50 tackles. Chicago currently has 18 sacks, leading the NFL while allowing eight yards per pass attempt.

“Yeah I mean they’re a great defense, they’ve always been, been a solid defense over the years,” Rodgers told Packers reporters on Wednesday. “It’s some familiar names who are studs and, and you know Robert Quinn’s having a nice season, getting after the quarterback. Obviously, Khalil (Mack) is still one of the top players in the league. Akiem Hicks, when healthy, is as disruptive as he possibly can be. Roquan (Smith) has emerged as a top-tier linebacker, I mean he’s kind of been in that position since he got in the league but he’s steadily improved every single year. He’s a complete linebacker. Backend is very solid, they’ve got some younger players but they’ve definitely improved and been playing well.”

For Rodgers to praise the Bears defense isn’t anything new but we must also keep in mind that the Bears have beat Green Bay just once since 2018. For many, the Bears drafting Justin Fields, combined with 2021 potentially being Rodgers’ final season with the Packers means a changing of the guard could soon be happening in the NFC North.

Chicago’s defense will look to be competitive on Sunday afternoon and employ a bend-don’t-break type mentality. The Bears may not be able to stop Rodgers entirely, instead the focus will shift to neutralizing Rodgers as much as possible, hoping the Bears offense can complement the defense by moving the football and scoring enough points to win the game.

 

Chicago Bears: Week 4 wrap up, quick takeaways, and week 5 preview

by
justin field, bears

After winning at home in week 4, the Chicago Bears improve to 2-2 on the season with solid performances from rookie quarterback Justin Fields, running back David Montgomery, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and the Bears defense. Let’s look back at week 4.

1) Head coach Matt Nagy admitted after the game that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was calling plays. Guess what? Lazor calling plays should be part of the Bears gameplan moving forward. The Bears were efficient on offense, running and passing the ball effectively, being a threat to score on every single play.

2) Fields deep ball was a thing of beauty. A quarterback capable of hitting any throw, Fields connected with wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a 32-yard gain down the sideline with just 10:54 remaining in the third quarterback. The two also connected three times on the Bears first drive for 29 yards. Fields excels at hitting the deep ball and the Bears need to get more explosive on offense, so expect to see more of the Fields-Mooney connection as the season progresses.

3) Shoutout to running backs David Montgomery and Damien Williams. The two combined for 31 carries, 161 yards, and three touchdowns. Montgomery did injure his knee and as we await the results of a scheduled MRI, should the 2019 third-round pick end up missing time, the Bears will turn to rookie running back Khalil Herbert to complement Williams.

4) The Robert Quinn revenge tour continues. Despite being 31-years old, Quinn had five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits. With 4.5 sacks on the season, Quinn has upgraded the Bears pass rush this season, justifying the five-year, $70M contract the Bears dished out to Quinn in free agency during the 2020 offseason.

5) Can we talk about the sneaky good game that inside linebacker Alec Ogletree had? A late training camp addition, Ogletree has quickly emerged as a solid piece for the Bears defense and totaled 12 tackles and one tackle for loss on Sunday. The veteran is making a strong case for keeping the starting ILB job once Danny Trevathan returns.

6) The Bears did struggle on third down, going just 1-for-8. But as Nagy mentioned in his postgame presser, the Bears did avoid multiple third-and-long situations, which should be considered a step in the right direction. Chicago’s offense is still a work in progress and the Bears can’t afford to make many mistakes, so going 1-for-8 is still better than what the Bears have done in the past.

7) Justin Fields needs to get better at protecting the football. His first and only fumble of the afternoon came in the second half but this is the second time at home this season that Fields has lost a fumble. The 11th overall pick lost one against the Cincinnait Bengals in week 2 but recovered it to save the Bears offense.

8) Chicago averaged 6.5 yards per play on Sunday, the most yards per play Chicago has averaged this season and the highest since week 14 of the 2020 season, when the Bears averaged 6.9 yards per play against the Houston Texans at home in a 36-7 win.

9) Fields credited the Bears offensive line on four different occasions during his postgame press conference and Chicago’s front five rightfully earned it. The offensive line allowed just one sack all afternoon, compared to week three, where the entire unit allowed nine sacks.

10) The Bears were better in the redzone too, scoring on three occasions with four total redzone trips. The field gets harder to defend when a defense is back up against the ball and the Bears took advantage with smart playcalling, running the ball every time Chicago converted.

 

What about week five?

Week 5 is sure to be interesting. The Bears will travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, with this being the second time both team’s have met since 2019. It’s another Khalil Mack revenge game, considering the Raiders got the best of Mack in 2019 during the last matchup in London.

Bears fans like to make fun of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden for trading Mack back in 2018 but Gruden also has the Raiders offense averaging 30.0 points per game. The Bears secondary will be tested in this game. Quarterback Derek Carr has passed for 435, 382, and 386 yards in three games this season.

The Bears will need to account for the Raiders skill position players, including tight end Darren Waller, wide receiver Henry Ruggs, and running back Josh Jacobs, who is listed as questionable for Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chicago does enter another must-win game. Win in Las Vegas and Fields, who could start for the third straight week will enter week 6 against the Green Bay Packers at home with a major boost in confidence. The Bears will have a chance to get to 3-2 before having to play Green Bay and then travel to Tampa Bay in week 7 to take on the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.

 

Chicago Bears: Week 3 wrap up, quick tidbits, and more

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After a week three loss the Chicago Bears will officially turn the page and look forward to week four against the Detroit Lions. But before Chicago welcomes Detroit to Soldier Field for a divisional showdown, let’s look back at week 3.

 

1) First things first, let’s talk about first downs. The Bears had just six, which is the fewest of the Matt Nagy era. Not a good showing for a team that’s led by an offensive guru at head coach.

2) Some positives? The Bears pass rush duo of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn got going, combining for 3.5 total sacks. Quinn now has more sacks in three games with the Bears than he did all of last season. Chicago is finally seeing the returns that the franchise hoped when signing Quinn to a five-year deal worth $70M in free agency in 2020.

3) “I obviously as a head coach did not do a good enough job of getting this offense ready to go, to be able to play and win a football game,” said Nagy after the game. “It starts with me, it ends with me and it’s as simple as that.”

Nagy’s quote is merely a head coach who’s taking the bullet while being open and honest. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. Everything does start and end with Nagy, which means he’ll need to cater gameplans to Justin Fields skillset, something that wasn’t done in week three.

For anyone who’s trying to get #FireNagy trending on Twitter, good luck. Bears ownership has been clear about how firings are handled. They’ll wait till the end of the season to make a decision on Nagy’s future. The Bears are also 1-2 so far, so Nagy has more room to breathe than most people think.

4) By the way, don’t blame Fields at all. For a rookie making his first start in an incredibly tough environment, Fields got no help from the Bears. If any quarterback deserves a pass for a bad performance this week, it’s Fields, who was sacked nine times, while continuing to remain composed and operating with what the Bears were giving him.

5) Figuring out what the Bears are doing with the offensive line is a tough task. Jason Peters and Germain Ifedi aren’t the tackles of the future, that distinction is reserved for Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom but this game showed that the interior of the offensive line (James Daniels, Cody Whitehair, and Sam Mustipher) needs to get better at communication too.

6) Tons of credit to defensive coordinator Sean Desai. After getting punched in the mouth on national television in week 1, Desai and the defense have adjusted nicely, putting together two solid performances. Desai may not have a talented secondary but the defense is looking better each week, a positive for the Bears.

7) No idea what the Bears are doing with the running game. After two strong performances, David Montgomery was shutdown on Sunday, with just 10 carries for 34 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. That’s the lowest mark of Montgomery’s career since week 17 of the 2020 season. Matt Nagy panicked and got away from the running game way too early, something that’s also been an integral part of the offense when everything is clicking.

8) Jaylon Johnson wasn’t bad but he wasn’t great either. Tasked with shutting down Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the second-year cornerback had some bright moments, showing us all why he’s a rising star in the NFL and one of the most underrated players at his position across the league.

9) We’re all still waiting for the big Darnell Mooney breakout game to happen. After 61 receptions as a rookie, Mooney had just one reception for nine yards on Sunday. The fifth-round pick did have six receptions for 66 yards in week two but has yet to find the endzone this season. Hopefully that changes with the Lions coming to town next week.

10) Khalil Herbert has done some nice work as a kick returner on special teams. After averaging 23.8 yards per return on Sunday, the Bears need to get Herbert involved in the running game, hoping he can provide some sort of spark.

 

Looking Ahead to Week Four

The Lions may be 0-3 but there’s a catch: Two of Detroit’s three losses have been by a combined 11 points. Bears fans like to make fun of the Lions on social media but head coach Dan Campbell at least has this team playing hard when it matters the most.

Perhaps the strongest positional group on the Lions is the offensive line, which features two first-round picks in Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow. Watching Detroit against Green Bay on Monday Night Football in week 2, it was clear that the Lions’ OL was good enough to allow quarterback Jared Goff to at least have a fighting chance on every play.

The Bears will need to account for the Lions running back duo, Jamall Williams and D’Andre Swift. Both have impacted games heavily as receivers this season, with the stat sheet on Sunday being a major example. Swift and Williams combined for nine receptions for 85 yards. Detroit may not have a star wide receiver on the roster but Williams and Swift have quickly become Goff’s best friends.

 

Chicago Bears: For HC Matt Nagy, OLB Robert Quinn is ready to go

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When the Chicago Bears open up the season against the Los Angeles Rams in week 1, the Bears pass rush will look similar to last year on paper. Once again, the duo of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn will be tasked with getting after the quarterback, however, the Bears gameplan for Quinn is expected to be different heading into 2021.

Traditionally a defensive end in a 4-3 defense, Quinn switched to being a standup pass rusher, which led to just two sacks after signing a five-year deal worth $70M during free agency in 2020. Expectations have changed for Quinn as the Bears begin the 2021 season. Expect Quinn’s role to be different, with the Bears putting him in more positions to succeed, maximizing his skillset as a true pass rusher.

“He looks good to me,” said head coach Matt Nagy via the Bears official YouTube Page. “I think he’s put together a really good training camp and now here we are, week 1, and now it’s just about going out and doing his thing and cutting him lose on Sunday night. If you guys know Robert, he’s about as chill as they come. And so is he motivated? Yeah. Deep down inside, there’s a reason why he’s been the type of player he’s been his whole career, so I’m sure there’s a little chip inside, but for him, he does, he never talks about it. He just wants to come out and be a great teammate and make plays.”

Quinn may not be in the Bears’ plans once the calendar turns to 2022 but Chicago is willing to give the 31-year old pass rusher one final to prove himself.

“I think we’re all motivated for our individual reasons,” Quinn said via the Bears official YouTube Page. “The Bears organization is known for the defense, I guess when I was here last year, to go 8-8, middle of the pack, isn’t standard, that I can tell. I don’t accept that as my standard either. At the end of the day, the standard is just keep as many points off the board as possible and just win games.”

When Quinn takes the field on Sunday night against the Rams, every snap of his will be under the microscope, beginning a critical evaluation process that will determine his future in the NFL.