Hoge's Bears Things: Three ways to get back on track in Tampa

Good morning, Bears fans.

Well, after two days of watching tape of the Bears’ stunning blowout loss to the Packers, I’m left with more questions than answers. Hopefully Matt Eberflus and Co. provide some of those answers quickly, starting today at Halas Hall. 

In the meantime, I have some ideas to get the Bears back on track this weekend in Tampa Bay:

Get back to what works for Justin Fields. In all the lead-up to Bears-Packers — months’ worth — it never occurred to me that the Bears would run the type of offense they did Sunday. Almost zero designed runs for Fields, “11” personnel nearly the entire game, and less outside-zone than normal. Perhaps Luke Getsy thought he would catch the Packers off guard, but he put his quarterback in an unfair situation. Get back to what Fields does well and what has already proven to work in this system. Then slowly add to it while he’s comfortable and playing confident.

Be more creative on defense. If the Bears think they will consistently get pressure with just four rushers, they are in for a long season. Right now, they lack the penetrating 3-technique they need, so Alan Williams will have to get more creative with blitzes. I realize that’s not necessarily this unit’s preferred style of play, but players like Jaquan Brisker and Jack Sanborn have shown a knack for getting to the quarterback when blitzing. Dial up more pressure.

Send a message to Chase Claypool. His effort and play Sunday did not match the HITS principle. The coaches might be preaching HITS, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t hold the players accountable. I remember Lovie Smith benching cornerback Tim Jennings late in the 2011 season and Jennings will be the first to tell you it worked. He was a second-team All Pro the following season. 

Up Next: Wednesday promises to be an interesting day as players return to Halas Hall for their first practice of the week. We’ll have you covered a Noon CT edition of The CHGO Bears Podcast and check in with Nicholas Moreano, who will be in Lake Forest.  

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