The Chicago Bears have heard it from all angles this off-season. Guys like Dan Orlovsky on ESPN continue to decry the team’s array of weaponry on offense as some of the worst they’ve ever seen. They have no wide receivers and no tight ends. Justin Fields is being hung out to dry by the organization. Former offensive coordinator Mike Martz took it a step further when he called the group the worst since the winless Detroit Lions in 2008. It’s funny how he forgets that offense finished 24th in passing. Not exactly the bottom of the barrel. Maybe that’s because they had a future Hall of Fame receiver in Calvin Johnson.
Setting aside Martz’s obvious lack of actual knowledge on this subject, it is time to address the situation with facts. The truth is simple if one were to look honestly at what the Bears have. It isn’t good, but it isn’t bad. It’s average. If people really think this is the worst group in the NFL, why weren’t they saying the same things about Josh Allen’s arsenal back in 2019?
Josh Allen’s weapons in 2019
- WR John Brown – 1,060 yards and 6 TDs
- WR Cole Beasley – 778 yards and 6 TDs
- TE Dawson Knox – 338 yards and 2 TDs
- RB Devin Singletary – 969 total yards and 4 TDs
Fields’ weapons in 2021
- WR Darnell Mooney – 1,055 yards and 4 TDs
- WR Byron Pringle – 565 yards and 5 TDs
- TE Cole Kmet – 612 yards
- RB David Montgomery – 1,150 total yards and 7 TDs
The degree of separation between these two groups is minimal. Mooney is as good as Brown was and will likely end up better. Pringle is a capable slot receiver that can function close to what Beasley was. Kmet was more productive in his second season than Knox was despite the latter being viewed as the superior tight end. As for Montgomery, he is better than Singletary, and it’s not really close.
Justin Fields has enough around him to function.
If people want to see an actual bad offense, go back to 2017 and look at what Mitch Trubisky had. Anybody who thinks this current group is anything like that one with gems like Kendall Wright, Josh Bellamy, and Zach Miller needs to have their head examined. Yes, the Bears’ offense could be better. It could also be much, much worse. The idea that they’ll set records for futility this year is significantly overblown.
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GM Ryan Poles stated his belief that personnel wasn’t the primary issue with the offense last season. He hinted that the scheme was a bigger problem. Head coach Matt Nagy had no idea how to use the players he had, including Justin Fields, to the best of their abilities. New offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has installed a system that is crafted to feature the player’s strengths.
It can’t possibly be worse than what Nagy ran.
If guys like Mooney, Kmet, and Montgomery could be productive in that useless scheme, it stands to reason they can be much better in one that functions properly. Fields may not have a true breakout year in 2022, but like Allen three years ago, he has a chance to take an encouraging step forward.
