(670 The Score) The Bears kept their playoff hopes alive with a 33-27 win against the Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Here are the observations from the game.
An identity
Early one December, I wrote the following on 670TheScore.com:
"(Bears coach Matt Nagy) was prepared to adapt to his personnel with the hope of saving their season.
"Finding an identity took patience from the play-caller Nagy and commitment from the Bears amid a difficult stretch, but it has being revealed in balance and production amid their three-game winning streak and a fight for the playoffs."
Of course, that was early December 2019 -- not this season. Yet it all rings familiar to the Bears' current situation.
With the Bears needing to save their season, Nagy revamped the offensive identity to better suit quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The results have been strong, with the Bears posting 397 yards of offense Sunday -- 199 rushing yards and 198 passing yards. Finally, they've attained balance.
Why did it take a six-game losing streak before the Bears adjusted their offense to Trubisky's liking? Well, Nagy and the Bears entered the season with an offense designed to move the pocket for Trubisky and create opportunities for running back David Montgomery. Then the Bears fell behind 26-10 in the third quarter against the Falcons on Sept. 27, and Nagy pulled the plug on Trubisky and that offense, benching him for veteran quarterback Nick Foles.
After going back to Trubisky in late November, Nagy said that he didn't regret benching him for Foles. But as the Bears offense emerges from being one of the worst in the NFL to saving the team's season, it's hard to imagine Nagy isn't kicking himself for his lack of trust in Trubisky within the originally planned scheme.
The Bears' offense has taken off thanks to Nagy breaking away from his ideal playbook and letting offensive coordinator Bill Lazor lead as the play-caller.
Finally, the Bears have an offensive identity and are putting up points, averaging 31.0 in their past four games. But will it once again be too late to matter?
Mitch, please?
It's fitting that after four seasons of polarizing play from Trubisky, curiosity surrounds the final games of his rookie contract.
Should the Bears bring the 26-year-old Trubisky back on a new contract? Well, it's complicated.
Trubisky has been an effective leader of the reshaped offense, which has taken advantage of his mobility. The Bears have tailored a system to his strengths, giving him and the offense as a whole a better chance to succeed.
The Bears could sign Trubisky to a two- or three-year deal that's structured in a way that gives them the option of parting ways after each season if they see fit. If that were the case, it would place responsibility on Nagy to keep the Bears' offense in its current form.
Of course, if the Bears were to bring Trubisky back on a new deal, they would have the same dynamic on their quarterback depth chart, with Foles serving as the backup. Chicago should still be seeking a quarterback in the draft, regardless of what decision it makes on Trubisky.
If the Bears are willing to continue tailoring a scheme well-suited for Trubisky, they could come back in 2021 with him leading the way.
Monty's move
In the first 25 games of his NFL career, Montgomery was a mystery. The Bears had scheme problems and poor run blocking. He didn't have much of a chance.
It's been a different story lately. Montgomery has rushed for 434 yards in the past four games behind a reshuffled offensive line and with Lazor serving as the play-caller. Montgomery is 94 yards shy from his first 1,000-yard season. The Bears are now giving him a volume workload and also trusting him in the passing game.
Montgomery has been quick to recognize rushing lanes, dangerous at the second level and refused to go down easily.
"David is a special running back," Trubisky said. "He runs with such great passion and will when he gets the ball in his hands."
Secondary uncertainty
The Bears relied on two young cornerbacks to play significant roles Sunday, and the Vikings made a point to take advantage.
Early in the first quarter, the Vikings broke the huddle and ran up to the line of scrimmage with three receivers lined up to the left. Their goal was to create confusion for rookie cornerback Kindle Vildor, who was filling in for starter Jaylon Johnson (right shoulder), and second-year nickel cornerback Duke Shelley, who had replaced Buster Skrine (concussion).
Quarterback Kirk Cousins snapped the ball quickly, and Shelley failed to recognize his matchup with receiver Adam Thielen, who had an easy opening in the end zone. Shelley ran with receiver Justin Jefferson, who was already covered by Vildor.
Thielen made an easy touchdown catch on the kind of breakdown that the Bears need to prevent from happening again as they face must-win games down the stretch.
So you're saying there's a chance
The Bears have a 31% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight. The Vikings fell to 2% after losing Sunday.
A win against the Jaguars on Sunday would boost the Bears (7-7) only to 40%. In other words, they need some help to get in as they still trail the Cardinals (8-6) by one game for the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC.
Extra points
-- The Bears won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kick. That's a new one from Nagy, who wanted to get his offense on the field. Chicago went three-and-out on its opening drive and was forced to punt. That was the team's lone punt of the day.
-- What a different story this could have been if Trubisky's interception late in the fourth quarter led to the Vikings taking the lead. It was a throw intended for receiver Allen Robinson but sailed on him so badly that it was officially ruled the first target of the season for tight end J.P. Holtz. The Bears' defense bailed him out with a stop.
-- After the Bears' prolonged efforts to find a kicker since releasing Robbie Gould in September 2016, they found one by accident. Cairo Santos was brought to Chicago as a practice squad stash and insurance policy to Eddy Pineiro, who suffered a groin injury in August. Santos has now hit 22 straight field goals and is 25-of-27 on field-goal attempts this season. That could earn him a contract extension this offseason.
-- Third-year defensive lineman Bilal Nichols is proving to be one hell of a fifth-round pick. He has five sacks this season and seems to be getting better and better.
-- Montgomery's 14-yard tocuchdown run in the third quarter was blocked to perfection. The block from left guard Cody Whitehair was particularly impressive.
-- For the second time in these last three weeks, the Bears had a 30-20 lead in the fourth quarter. This time, they held on for a victory.
-- The Bears may be saving many jobs from being lost at Halas Hall on Black Monday. They've made the final weeks of the regular season more intriguing.
-- Just go ahead and ignore Nagy this week when he says the Jaguars' 1-13 record doesn't matter. They're bad. Like, really bad.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.