The Chicago Bears had ample opportunities to win their game against the Houston Texans but weren’t able to finish the job.
It was by no means a condemning performance, but certainly a frustrating one. Several players came away knowing they let a winnable one slip away. A number of reasons can be referenced for helping to explain what went wrong. In the interests of keeping it concise and simple, here are the five most telling.
Bad protection on the edges
The key word of this game is “pressure.” Let’s start with the offense where Jay Cutler reverted back to his days of a few years ago when he had to endure seeing defenders in his face almost constantly. He was sacked five times and don’t be surprised when reviews of the tape show the main culprits for that were tackles Bobby Massie and Charles Leno. Both were beaten numerous times by the talented Houston pass rush. Massie in particular was abused by Whitney Mercilus and J.J. Watt.
This was a problem experts and fans were afraid of. While the upgrades to the interior positions at guard and center should become a strength for the team, Massie and Leno were viewed as the weak links to the entire offense and it showed. Leno is a former 7th round pick who is trying to prove he can be a long-term starter. Massie is a castoff from Arizona who brings a reputation of poor pass blocking with him. Don’t be surprised if both are replaced by this time in 2017.
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