Coaches don’t commit penalties but when yellow flags fly in profusion, the primary cause is lack of discipline and that typically reflects, fairly or not, on the coaches.
That said – the Bears drew 17 penalties for a total of 170 lost yards – Bears coaching showed creativity under some roster difficulties occasioned by injuries, with coaches clearly putting players in the classic best positions to be successful.
Offensive coordinator Adam Gase didn’t just open up the playbook to a new page; he went into an entirely different chapter. Missing injured wideout Alshon Jeffery, Gase opted for early use (two first-quarter receptions) of No. 2 tight end Zach Miller, going for matchups with a good pass-catching tight end over a lower-tier wide receiver. The personnel package and look set up Arizona’s secondary for confusion in coverage, leading to the Josh Bellamy TD reception in the first quarter.
[MORE GRADES: Offensive line ¦ Secondary]
“We kind of expected it to be that way,” Bellamy said. “Jay [Cutler] told me all week to keep it at a high angle and expect to be open because they were probably going to drive hard on the flat [route] and that’s what happened.”
That was followed in the second quarter with runs by Cutler off a read-option look, creating decision situations for Arizona defensive backs and linebackers. Cutler’s fourth “carry” was toward the right edge but ended with him pulling up a throw to Eddie Royal in a situation opened by the run looks previously.
The Cardinals were anything but done in by the unusual use of Cutler: “I don’t think Jay is going to kill us running the ball,” said Arizona coach Bruce Arians. “As far as him keeping it on the option, sooner or later he is going to get hurt.”
(Cutler did get hurt, although through no fault of option keepers.)
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Special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers saw a second week of problems on kickoff returns (one, for 108 yards). But player execution was very poor getting off blocks, and punt coverage allowed Patrick Peterson just six yards on his one return, and zero on one by J.J. Nelson.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was without defensive end Ego Ferguson (knee) and his unit held the Cardinals offense to 300 total yards. Fangio created one rush package with four edge rushers, which allowed linebacker Pernell McPhee a free run at quarterback Carson Palmer for what McPhee considered a missed game-changing sack.
“If you look at that game statistically,” said coach John Fox, “it doesn’t speak to the score. I think turnovers and kicking-game exchanges were a factor. But a lot of things we need to clean up and fix.”
Moon's Grade: B