Bears Questions and Answers – Chicago Tribune

Biggs: Be smart. The question of Mack's right ankle was not addressed. I say that while fully understanding its value to the team and the defense. Mack was injured in Miami and not only did he finish the game, but he missed very little time against the Dolphins. Although it was not so explosive, it was not a serious injury. The Bears took it for an x-ray after the match and have undoubtedly explored what's going on here. It may take a bit of time for it to be completely healed, and that requires some rest and good decisions regarding training, but the best players – and Mack are part of the team. elite – find ways to solve minor problems while remaining productive.

Campbell: Highly, seriously consider retaining him from the Jets game. They may have to handcuff Mack to the bench to keep him off the field, knowing that he has never missed a game. But if we are real, the Jets offense is no better than the Bears defense even if Mack is removed. Beyond Sunday's game and the trip to Buffalo to play the Bills, the Bears play three division games in 11 days. His effectiveness in these games against Lions, Vikings and Lions should again be the top priority.

Kane: Find a way to get the other smugglers moving while he recovers. Without attending Mack's sessions with doctors and coaches, I do not believe that a stranger can make the call if he has to sit at a game or two or continue playing through his injury. Maybe they'll be using the struggling Jets and Bills for the next two weeks as a window to use at least Mack more selectively to get back into a series of big games at NFC North . But even if he plays less than 100%, the Bears need more, especially Leonard Floyd, who still has not registered a bag this year. His broken hand is better, and it's time to move up a gear.

Wiederer: Proceed with caution. Too many of the Bears' recent seasons have turned around the drain after a series of injuries to key starters. Mack, who has never missed a game of his career in the NFL, can not become the next name added to the list. The bears are in a delicate place. They will play two winning games that could position them for the second half of the season. And yet, they must understand Mack's long-term value and not put him in a situation where he: a) aggravates his injury; or b) does not play effectively on a painful ankle for a month or more. There are no easy answers here.

Biggs: Probably a slight difference from the message he sent to the quarterback in the meeting room. There were just too many unframed shots against the Patriots and if Trubisky had been more accurate, the offense would have been much better. The Patriots should have picked him up twice in the end zone. That being said, he did very good things and made very big games with his legs. He is taking better and better decision making and he has done a lot better to keep his eyes down, which Nagy reported to the media on Monday. It's a growth process for Nagy, Trubisky and the offensive as a whole, and given the number of people wanting to present hot positions and definitive statements about Trubisky's career every week, it can be overwhelming . Nagy is Trubisky's biggest supporter at Halas Hall and he must be. You have to sift what you saw and what you heard and make your own opinion.

Campbell: Authentic, even if it did not match the view test. In all fairness to the coach, we must pay attention to his assessment that the Patriots have covered the receivers of the Bears very well. They absolutely did, and the statistics reflect that. From the point of view of the quarterback, Trubisky did not open the players, but leave these criteria aside after constantly talking with open receivers. Trubisky is considering a fitness match on Sunday against a secondary Jets team that has no more half-corner due to injury. More importantly, for me, Trubisky's top priority must be bullet security in the red zone. For two consecutive weeks, he was fragile.

Kane: This is probably not what most people have felt watching Trubisky complete 26 of his 50 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Negative impressions sometimes last longer for fans, and the flurry of imprecision and bad decisions that ruined Trubisky's day is not a "good game". But I do not see any problem with Nagy taking this line publicly, whether or not he wants to hold the rest of his team accountable, he wanted Trubisky to be self-critical in order to absorb the issues. global positive where he actually saw growth that others did not know. Special teams and defense played as important a role in defeat as Trubisky, if not more.

Wiederer: To be expected. I was not surprised that so many fans and analysts were caught off guard by Trubisky's relentless defense of truffle. The Bears coach, by necessity, is Trubisky's biggest supporter. And his public defense of the young quarterback was understandable even though he was not quite frank. That said, I am absolutely convinced that behind the scenes of Halas Hall, Nagy instructs Trubisky on his mistakes in a demanding way, thus finding a way to counterbalance his public support with a heavy dose of constructive criticism. I come back to something that Nagy told me this summer about Trubisky's perfectionist personality. "It's our coaching job to fix that," he said. "It's not false enthusiasm. You can not give that. You can not give the child the impression that he has just made three mistakes in a row and you are bailing out. No, there is a balance. It's, "Listen, here's why you did what you did. Do not do it next time and everything will be fine. "

Biggs: Disappointing, especially if we judge the production of the half-race and not the portage won by Trubisky, who is ready to run 653 yards. The running game has been largely out of sync, which has the effect of reducing runners' and offensive line times. The Bears also missed opportunities to really get on well, as the second half of the Buccaneers erupted when they pitched and kept throwing. It's now a passing league and teams with the best passing fouls will be the most dangerous threats in January. Yes, the Bears need to improve on the field, but be sure to keep an eye on what's most important and the major improvements to the passing game.

Campbell: Not as useful to Trubisky as he would be ideally. Part of this is called playing the game, but a good part is an incoherent block at the beginning. Linesmen and tight ends would be the first to admit that they had not generated constant thrust on the line of scrimmage. In addition, Howard has prospered in the past two seasons through out-of-box races, which are not so much part of the Nagy program, which relies heavily on the inner zone and power. While Tarik Cohen earns more regular yards for which he has not blocked, Jordan Howard usually gets what is stuck, plus a little after contact. This means that its blockers must be more precise with their technique and timing.

Kane: Not good enough. Nagy said Monday that the Bears have not yet found their identity on the field, and that it was up to coaches "to determine who we are, what we do best". It's one of the biggest offensive surprises of the season as Howard only has 311 yards in 90 runs – just 3.5 yards per run – after two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to open. his career. If it's not Howard, Tarik Cohen must be better than Sunday. Howard said Tuesday that patience was needed, but that the NFL season was coming in the 8th week. Nagy's offense will always be a decisive pass, but he was frank. "When you're not good at running and you become one-dimensional, you have problems."

Wiederer: Average. The offensive line must be better. The halves must be better. And the ranking in the top 10 Bears in hasty attack is skewed by Trubisky's special ability as a jammer. To become a prominent offense, the Bears will have to have a ground game on which they can rely. But those who want to revive certain attacks of the 1980s in which a half-goal in the head reports 25 races per game and 120 miles of sleeves regularly do not keep pace. Take a look at the last 10 teams to reach the Super Bowl. Only the 2013 and 2014 Seahawks had half a ball that totaled 1,200 yards. It was Marshawn Lynch. An always reliable racing game is on the wish list. But producing a prolific transitory attack is a higher priority.

Biggs: Should be able to calm those who have questioned the methods of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio these past two weeks. Darnold seems to have a bright future in the NFL, but the Jets lack wide receiver attack, which really hinders passing play. I expect the defense to have a big afternoon in a game that the Bears will be able to open if the offensive plays well.

Campbell: Can remove the ball by varying their covers and their rushes. Darnold has 10 interceptions. His problem is more centered on the vision of the field, the recognition and the speed of the game than on a simple fundamental inaccuracy. And given that the Jets are without two of the four receivers who dominated their depths chart before training camp on Sunday, the Bears defense offers an excellent opportunity to wreak havoc on Darnold, even though Mack remains at the # 39; gap.

Kane: Could perhaps rediscover their defensive mojo. The Bears face one of the best quarterbacks of all time to face a rookie with 10 interceptions in seven games. So it's a great opportunity to bounce back after two bad efforts against the Dolphins and the Patriots. To do this, they must regain their spirits, even if Mack is still disabled, to force Darnold to be wrong. A bag on two games will not cut it. And they must correct the problems that led to big games two weeks in a row.

Wiederer: Should be able to increase their total interception. The Bears lead the league with 11 interceptions, including three by Kyle Fuller. Darnold, meanwhile, leads the NFL with 10 choices. You do the math. Quarterback subject to errors vs. opportunistic defense. Fuller, Eddie Jackson and the rest of high school should be eager to make things happen on Sunday.