It was a good game from the Chicago Bears, but they came up just short against the Green Bay Packers. Although they lost, there are many positives to take away from the game.
One big positive is the play of Jay Cutler. Although he threw a costly pick at the end of the game, this wasn't the same Jay Cutler we saw. He was comfortable in the pocket and rarely forced any throws. He even showed mobility in the pocket and was able to pick up some first downs with his legs. They were moving the ball and picked up key third down conversions by staying in third and short situations. It wasn't like the Bears offense we had seen in the past. The Bears also made a huge adjustment by sticking to the run. They didn't use Matt Forte properly but now Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase and Head Coach John Fox showed willingness to run the ball and it paid off as Chicago controlled the clock and kept pace with the Packers for the majority of the game. Cutler showed improvement but he needs to continue this type of play before anybody jumps to conclusions about how Adam Gase has fixed Jay Cutler. He has to prove that he has changed for the better.
They will be facing a Arizona defense with a strong secondary in Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. With Chicago depleted at the wideout position, the focus will be on the running game again. So expect Chicago to run the ball the same way they did against Green Bay.
But one thing that still needs a lot of improvement is the defense. Aaron Rodgers had a field day against a Chicago secondary that looked all out of sorts. The defensive line didn't even touch Rodgers as he had ample time to find his receivers. Vic Fangio will have another big test as he faces an Arizona Cardinals team that has a great passing attack. The likes of John Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, and Michael Floyd will provide to be big threats for the Arizona offense. With Andre Ellington injured, Arizona will most likely focus on the passing game and with a weak secondary in Chicago, this game could end up becoming a shootout, exactly what the Bears do not want. The linebackers played well as they were able to keep the middle clean and didn't allow any major runs against Green Bay. With Arizona's main running back out, Chicago's secondary will have to be on their A game.
Arizona started their season on the right foot with a 31-19 win over the New Orleans Saints at home and Chicago started with a loss and both teams are desperate to get a win at Soldier Field.