Offense seems out of step as Pats knock off Bears, 38-31
Statistically, and especially aesthetically, Sunday's 38-31 loss to the Patriots was the worst game of the season for Bears QB Mitch Trubisky.
Trubisky threw for more than 300 yards for the third straight game, but only because of a 54-yard Hail Mary completion to Kevin White that came up a yard short of the end zone as time expired. Trubisky completed a season-low 52 percent of his passes, and he was intercepted twice, offsetting TD passes of six and 11 yards, which left him with a season-low 69.8 passer rating.
The interceptions weren't what made Trubisky's day so difficult to watch after two straight games in which he showed significant progress by throwing nine TD passes and just one interception. There were two other passes in the end zone that should have been intercepted and should never have been thrown, and Trubisky misfired several times when he had open receivers.
The offense struggled to move consistently in the first half, but the Bears made the most of early opportunities, scoring 14 points after the Patriots coughed up fumbles on back-to-back possessions in the first half.
"Early on, it wasn't just Mitch, trust me," coach Matt Nagy said of an offense that seemed out of step. "There were a lot of people that were out of rhythm. I thought Mitch played a good game - there were a lot of things that you guys won't see on tape that I will see, and he was really good. He had a really good game mentally. He made good decisions."
Both interceptions came on excellent efforts by Patriots defenders and on balls that Bears receivers could have done more to break up, but Trubisky could have thrown better balls, as well. It wasn't Trubisky's decision-making that was lacking, but his accuracy.
The first, on a third-and-10 from the Bears' 41-yard line, was a deep ball down the west sideline that WR Josh Bellamy and Patriots CB J.C. Jackson both dove for. Bellamy appeared to make the catch in a tangle but Jackson wound up with the ball at the New England 21.
"The first one turned into being like a punt," Nagy said. "That was the field position thing. (It) didn't kill us. He was trying to give the guy (a chance to) make a play, and the kid made a pretty good play on the interception."
The second pick came on the Bears' next possession early in the fourth quarter, when they trailed 31-24. WR Anthony Miller had a step on CB Jonathan Jones but Trubisky's pass was underthrown just enough to allow Jones to win a jump ball at the Patriots' four-yard line.
"We had a corner route, and 17 (Miller) beat him pretty bad, and the ball was underthrown," Nagy said. "He knows he's got to make that throw, and he didn't. Credit to (Jones). That was one of the better interceptions I've seen in a long time."
But, if Trubisky had led Miller, it's a touchdown and a tie game. Instead, the Patriots went 96 yards for a 38-24 lead.
"I thought I could have out it out a little further," Trubisky said. "But it was a 50-50 ball, and (Miller) had a chance to get it, and the other guy had a chance to get it, and the other dude made a great play."
Other ill-advised throws didn't hurt the Bears but could have, and they will in the future if they're not eliminated. With the Bears leading 10-7 early in the second quarter, Trubisky forced a pass into the end zone toward OT Bradley Sowell, who had lined up as an eligible receiver. The ball hit Patriots LB Elandon Roberts in the hands, but he dropped a potential interception that would have negated a two-yard TD run on the next play by Jordan Howard.
Early in the third quarter, with the Bears trailing 21-17, Trubisky sprinted 39 yards to within a yard of a go-ahead score. After an illegal formation call on the Bears, Trubisky threw inaccurately into the end zone for Allen Robinson, and Stephon Gilmore dropped another potential interception. Two plays later Trubisky threw a six-yard TD pass to Tarik Cohen.
Even with Trubisky's inconsistencies, the 3-3 Bears could have pulled off the upset had they not allowed two touchdowns on special teams, or failed to generate a pass rush for the second straight game. The 5-2 Patriots turned the ball over three times but won for the fourth straight week.
"It's a small margin for error in this league," Trubisky said. "The good teams who win consistently, they just find ways to get it done, like the team we played today."
The Bears' three losses have been by a total of 11 points. A week ago they lost on the final play of overtime. This week they were a yard short of forcing another overtime.
"Close doesn't cut it," Trubisky said. "There's a new standard here."
On Sunday, the Bears and their quarterback didn't live up to it.