Biggest questions facing the Bears heading into Week 1
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The Chicago Bears are gearing up for their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, which will be a primetime affair on Sunday Night Football on Sept. 12.
While there’s plenty of excitement with the start of the season, there are still plenty of questions surrounding this team just about a week away from the regular season.
With the start of the 2021 season just around the corner, our Bears Wire staff is sharing their biggest questions facing the Bears. heading into Week 1.
Alyssa Barbieri: Just how bad will things be at cornerback?
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears might have the worst cornerback group in the entire NFL, which isn’t exactly encouraging as they’re set to face some high-flying offenses, including the Rams, right out of the gate. Aside from second-year pro Jaylon Johnson, there are questions throughout the Bears cornerback room, starting with who will be the starters at outside corner and in the slot. Second-year corner Kindle Vildor looks to be starter opposite Johnson, where Artie Burns remains another possible option. Marqui Christian figures to be the best option in the slot over Duke Shelley, but we'll see how things play out when the first depth chart is released. The Bears very well might not be done forming their cornerback room, which includes rumors of the Bears showing interest in trading for Broncos corner Bryce Callahan, who was solid in the slot when he was in Chicago a few years ago.
Bryan Perez: How long will Matt Nagy wait to put Justin Fields in the game?
AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski
This may seem like a silly take, but it really is the Bears’ biggest question entering Rams week. Sure, there are problems along the offensive line and we have no idea whether the band of misfit cornerbacks working alongside Jaylon Johnson will be able to slow Matthew Stafford, but the real question that needs to be answered is when -- not if -- Justin Fields enters the game. The Bears’ best chance at beginning the season 1-0 is with Fields under center. Even if he isn’t a finished product and even if rookie mistakes are certain to occur, his playmaking ability will offset Chicago’s troublesome pass protection. Los Angeles' defense will have to defend both Fields’ impressive passing ability and dangerous running skill set on every drop back, which makes the big play a better chance of occurring. And that leads to points. Which could lead to a victory. Andy Dalton, on the other hand, is a JAG -- just a guy. He’ll lead the Bears to (maybe) 13 points in a boring and uninspiring fashion; it’s not how any team wants to begin the 2021 season.
Brendan Sugrue: What will the offense ACTUALLY look like?
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
It’s safe to say Bears fans were a bit underwhelmed with quarterback Andy Dalton leading the starting offense in two of the preseason games. Head coach Matt Nagy continues to stand by Dalton as the starter heading into Week 1 and that’s not changing. So, after seeing the vanilla schemes and plays this summer, what is the actual offensive gameplan going to look like? We know Nagy keeps things close to the vest, especially when it comes to preseason. Even after saying he was taking a different approach this season, it was still watered down with many starters not seeing action. That’s perfectly fine, so long as he has a plan in store come week one. I want to see Dalton use the entire playbook, throwing to Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney, Jimmy Graham, and Cole Kmet. I want to see David Montgomery get the 20 touches Nagy promised this offseason and commit to the run game. I want to see Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd use their speed to create a big play. I just want to know what this offense is going to consist of against the Rams.
Ryan Fedrau: How short is Andy Dalton’s leash?
AP Photo/David Banks
The Bears are still looking for answers at quarterback. Andy Dalton signed a one-year deal back in March, but as their placeholder. He was never the long-term fix. Since drafting Justin Fields, the question has been, how long until Fields is the starter? That depends on how long of a leash Dalton is given. Fields, today, gives the Bears a better chance to win. Still, Matt Nagy has decided to go with the veteran, instead of his first round draft pick. It’s obvious that Nagy is going with Dalton because he promised him the starting job when he signed. How long is that enough to keep him under enter though? I believe Dalton has a short leash. If he comes out slow, the offense stalls, and turns the football over — Justin Fields will play as soon as the third quarter starts against the Rams. If Dalton plays solid, keeps the Bears in games, and isn’t the main reason why they lose games, his leash will get longer. [vertical-gallery id=479793] [listicle id=479737] [listicle id=479755]
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