Bye Week Assessment: Disappointments

What has disappointed you the most?

Though the Bears have won their last three games, they have been far from flawless.


First and foremost, the running game has been a huge disappointment. Many assumed that the addition of Cutler would loosen up defenses and open running lanes for Matt Forte. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Forte's average is a reasonable 3.8 yards per carry, but if you take away his two long runs against the lowly Lions that drops to an embarrassing 2.5 ypc. I realize that's not entirely fair, but I feel that most would agree the running game has been closer to embarrassing than reasonable. Obviously, Forte deserves his share of the blame, but it is apparent that the line is leaving a lot to be desired in run blocking. The Bears attempt to get bigger at the interior line position simply hasn't panned out.

Speaking of the offensive line, pass protection hasn't looked so good either. The left side of the line has looked particularly bad. Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale have been severe letdowns. Many believe that Omiyale should not even be starting on the line in the first place; he hasn't done much to prove them wrong. It is unclear if Beekman has any chance of usurping Omiyale's position as a starter. Pace was brought in to protect Cutler's blind side while mentoring Chris Williams as the LT of the future. We can only hope he is better at the latter than he has been at the former. It seems that the Rams may have parted ways with Pace at the right time.

As much as it pains me to say this, the last individual who really sticks out in my mind as a disappointment thus far is Greg Olsen. I have noticed Olsen's improvement in the blocking game and he has raised no questions about why the staff trust him enough in that area to have him replace Clark as the starting TE. Oddly enough, it is Olsen's receiving game that has me worried. While Olsen does have 2 touchdowns, he only has 10 receptions for 94 yards through four games. Those are not the Pro Bowl numbers that many (including myself) expected from Olsen this season. The expectation was that with the addition of a passer like Jay Cutler, Chicago would really be able to take advantage of Olsen's athleticism and pass-catching abilities. While some of the tight end's lack of receiving stats can be attributed to the unexpected, solid performance by the receivers, Olsen certainly deserves his share of the blame. The usually reliable pass-catcher has had several puzzling drops and poorly run routes. He has not made the extraordinary plays we have grown accustomed to; Olsen has been ordinary, at best.