The Chicago Bears let a winnable game slip away on Sunday night. Defensively, they were superb, holding a loaded Houston Texans offense to only 19 points, including three in the second half. Unfortunately, as has become tradition over the years, the offense couldn’t fulfill their end of the bargain. Caleb Williams was sacked seven times and hit another 11. Protection was an issue last week against Tennessee. It morphed into a full-blown crisis in this game. The entire right side of the line struggled. Houston blitzed all night, and there were no answers for it. However, Cole Kmet saw something else.
While the tight end acknowledges the protection issues as a big problem, his primary concern lies elsewhere. He told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune what that was.
“It was definitely a little chaotic out there. Just a lot of things we have to work out. (Williams) is taking too many hits. We’ve got to run the ball better. I think the main thing is establishing an identity on offense. So we gotta figure that out. I think that’s what it comes back to. It will be sort of the challenge this next week and trying to establish that.”
This was supposed to be the strength of the Bears offense. Last year, the team’s running backs averaged over 4.0 yards per carry. Through two games, high-priced free agent D’Andre Swift has 48 yards on 24 carries. Khalil Herbert has seven yards on four carries. Head coach Matt Eberflus echoed the same concern after the game.
“In terms of running the ball, we obviously want to run the ball better than we did. It was OK but not good enough. Not good enough. We’ve got to establish the run game. I think that’s always a good friend to a young quarterback when you can do that.”
Cole Kmet and Bears have a good chance to fix it next week.
The Bears’ next opponent is the Indianapolis Colts. Their run defense is by far the worst in the NFL so far this season, allowing 474 yards on the ground combined through the first two weeks. This team needs to rediscover their identity. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron may wish to do that by throwing the ball, but the way things look right now, that is not possible. Don’t be surprised if the Bears place a heavy focus on the ground attack next week, making a concerted effort to get more physical in the trenches.
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It would also help if they got Cole Kmet more involved. They did that in the Texans game, connecting four times for 27 yards. Unsurprisingly, the offense looked a little better. He no doubt can help with their ground attack. While not a great pass protector, the big tight end can be a force in the running game as a blocker. It is time to do right by Williams and make a concerted effort to ease the pressure on him. Run the ball. Regain the identity that made last year’s offense palatable.
