Chicago Bears Stat of the Day: QB Red Zone Rating

Nowadays it’s fairly easy to generate offense between the 20s. It’s in the red zone where the best teams make their money, including the Chicago Bears.

Or they would if they were any good at it. The key to winning in the NFL is scoring touchdowns. Often the best way to do that is finishing drives inside the 20-yard line. Settling for field goals or turning the ball over is often an easy way to set yourself up for crushing losses. Sound familiar? It should for Bears fans. Poor red zone performance is a persistent theme throughout their steady decline over the past eight seasons.

For all his physical talent, perhaps the biggest Achilles heel for former Bears QB Jay Cutler was his red zone performance. Just look at where the offense ranked in red zone passer rating throughout his time with the team from 2009 to 2016 according to Sporting Charts.

• 2009:  30th
• 2010:  30th
• 2011:  25th
• 2012:  6th
• 2013:  20th
• 2014:  27th
• 2015:  24th
• 2016:  28th

Outside of one season, the Bears never ranked higher than 20th and ranked in the bottom five three times. That is the poster child for bad. Also just to rub a little salt in the wounds, here’s the rankings for the Green Bay Packers across that same time span.

• 2009:  6th
• 2010:  9th
• 2011:  1st
• 2012:  2nd
• 2013:  14th
• 2014:  15th
• 2015:  28th
• 2016:  9th

Conversely their longtime rival ranked in the top 10 five times and outside the top 15 just once. Is it any wonder they’ve never missed the playoffs across the entirety of that period? Proof positive that teams who operate well in tight spaces without mistakes tend to win more often than they lose.

Chicago Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky for a reason

More than ever the selection of North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky makes sense for the Bears. Arguably the biggest calling card for the 23-year old was his accurate passing. Nothing is more important in the red zone for a quarterback than his accuracy. With such little room for receivers to operate, it can be a difference of inches between them and the defensive backs. That makes having a precise throw paramount.

Trubisky proved himself a viable threat not just as a passer but a runner as well. He scored a few touchdowns with his feet, proving he understands how to operate based on situation. That speaks to his film study and preparation, another reason the Bears drafted him. Of course the early trials will be inconsistent once he gets on the field. Still, if he can improve the team in this vital area it should have an instant impact on their fortunes.