CHICAGO -- A few thoughts on the Chicago Bears' 20-14 loss to the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field.
What it means: Nothing tangible as this team has been out of postseason contention for quite some time, but at the very least, Jimmy Clausen's performance could give ownership pause regarding what seemed to be an inevitable conclusion (firing) for Bears coach Marc Trestman.
Trestman stirred controversy last week by benching Jay Cutler, the club’s $126.7 million signal-caller, in favor of Clausen, a backup with a career record of 1-9 as a starter. Facing a playoff-bound Detroit squad which ranks No. 1 in the NFL in points allowed and No. 2 overall, without the services of both starting guards, Clausen may have proved that Cutler, not Trestman, was the offense’s problem all along. Perhaps that viewpoint is too simplistic, but ownership definitely has to at least ponder Clausen’s strong outing in determining the futures of general manager Phil Emery, Trestman, the rest of the coaching staff and Cutler.
Clausen probably didn’t save Trestman’s job. But given Clausen’s limited prep time, the caliber of competition, and the fact that he faced the Lions without two starting interior protectors, ownership has to be feeling some buyer’s remorse regarding Cutler, while questioning Emery’s skills as an evaluator. After all, Emery has been steadfast in his support of Cutler, calling the benched starter a franchise quarterback on multiple occasions.
Stock Watch: Chicago’s offensive line gave up seven sacks in the team’s loss to the New Orleans Saints’ 31st-ranked defense, yet it kept Clausen relatively clean against Detroit’s No. 2-ranked defense. The Bears lined up with their seventh combination of starters against the Saints, only to see that number climb to combination No. 8 against the Lions as Kyle Long was forced out of the lineup due to a hip injury. With Ryan Groy and Michael Ola filling in at the guard spots, the Bears limited Detroit’s dominant front four to only one sack.
Attendance waning: Undoubtedly Chicago’s struggles on the field have manifested themselves at the ticket gate. The Chicago Bears announced 9,028 unused tickets for Sunday’s game. During the team’s 31-15 loss to the New Orleans Saints on "Monday Night Football," the Bears announced there were nearly 11,000 unused tickets.
Game ball: Despite limited prep time, a scaled-back game plan and two backups in the starting lineup along the offensive line, Jimmy Clausen performed efficiently enough to keep the Bears in the game until the very end. Instead of taking unnecessary chances and turning the ball over the way Cutler did prior to his benching, Clausen stayed within the confines of the offense, and helped the Bears take a 14-10 lead into the fourth quarter. Clausen tossed one interception, but that came on a desperation pass on fourth down with less than two minutes remaining.
What’s next: The Bears take the next two days off before heading back to Halas Hall to kick off preparations for the season finale at Minnesota.
