Thanks to the Week 14 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, the Chicago Bears have gained contender status. They are, however, a uniquely puzzling team.
ESPN’s Field Yates shared a recap of Chicago’s last five touchdowns, and the list is both impressive and legitimately concerning.
Bears last five touchdowns:
* Mitch Trubisky pass to OL Bradley Sowell
* RB Tarik Cohen pass to WR Anthony Miller
* DL Akiem Hicks 1-yard TD run
* Chase Daniel pass to TE Adam Shaheen
* S Eddie Jackson pick-six— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 10, 2018
On the bright side, the Bears aren’t fully dependent on the offense’s stars to score touchdowns. Conversely, the offense’s stars don’t score a lot!
Chicago’s defense — particularly Eddie Jackson — has a unique ability to turn takeaways into points! The Bears also are no strangers to gimmicks in the red zone, often leaning on gadget formations and trick plays for touchdowns.
Yes, the shoulder injury that briefly sidelined Mitch Trubisky has partly contributed to the bizarre list of recent touchdowns. That is true.
But even Sunday night in his return, Trubisky finished with a final line reading 16-of-30 with 110 yards, one score and three picks. Drives stalling in the red zone were yet again a common sight for the Bears.
The triumph over the NFC-leading Rams effectively secured 9-4 Chicago’s place in the postseason. However, the question of sustainability will linger around this defensively elite, offensively flawed roster.