Chicago Bears Sackwatch 2019: Week 9 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles

The good news was that the Chicago Bears pass protection in the second half of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles was much better than in the first half. But that first half was about as awful as it gets.

Mitchell Trubisky didn’t have much time as the Bears limped to one of the worst first half performances in the history of the league with only 1 net yard passing and 8 yards rushing. I guess if you wanted to look for a bright side, Trubisky accounted for 87.5% of Chicago’s offensive output in the half.

Yay.

Let’s see how things look after half a season is in the books.

Sackwatch after 8 games:

2010 - 32 Martz
2011 - 21 Martz
2012 - 28 Tice
2013 - 12 Trestman
2014 - 20 Trestman
2015 - 14 Gase
2016 - 14 Loggains
2017 - 19 Loggains
2018 - 17 Nagy
2019 - 22 Nagy

Sack 20 - First Quarter 6:45 - Brandon Graham
Before I even get into this sack, I want you guys to watch quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. He takes the shotgun snap, take a long step back then sets his feet, and it’s at that moment where he is supposed to throw the ball. The West Coast Offense is designed for when the QB gets to the top of his drop, that’s when the ball needs to come out. The defense doesn’t always cooperate, but that is the timing of the play.

Now focus your attention on the three receivers to the bottom of the screen. From the outside-in, that’s Tarik Cohen, Anthony Miller, and Allen Robinson. The Eagles are showing a single high safety, but on the snap their left cornerback bails to a deeper zone. The Bears’ receivers are all running short routes, so all Trubisky has to do is pick the guy between zone defenders.

Now let’s take a look at where Trubisky was looking...

He’s looking to his right.

He even cocks his arm back like he wanted to throw, but instead he takes off and I have no idea why.

He may have been looking at Cohen first, but when the slot corner floated outside he should have come immediately to Miller who ran a curl at about the thirty yard line. Maybe he was looking at Miller first, in which case he should have fired it to the second year wide out once he hooked up his route. Then again, maybe he was reading Robinson first, in which case he should have fired it in anticipation of his slant. Either way, he had an option(s), so this sack is on Trubisky.

Sack 21 - Second Quarter 11:14 - Josh Sweat
This sack is just cleaned up by Josh Sweat after getting stymied by left tackle Charles Leno Jr. Trubisky was forced to scramble after Derek Barnett looped around through the middle after lining up outside right tackle Bobby Massie.

The Eagles brought a delayed six (and my guess is that guy was actually spying Trubisky), and the Bears had six in to block with running back David Montgomery staying in the backfield. Montgomery is a little too aggressive in coming up, but he had no way of knowing Barnett is coming on that stunt. I can’t fault the Bears’ o-line for not picking up the long stunt either, because center James Daniels has no way of knowing the defensive end would come two gaps inside. This just a real nice call by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, so I’m putting it in the sacks happen category.

But I did want to point out something on the play. Trubisky starts off looking right and he should be reading a man to man coverage. The single high safety was twenty yards deep, and there was an Eagle on every Bear receiver. The Bears had three receivers to the right with Tarik Cohen all alone to the left. Trubisky’s pre-snap read probably should have told him that Cohen would be able to get an easy inside release (the corner wanted to funnel him inside towards the safety help), and since Cohen was running a drag route he should have been able to beat his man across the middle. Cohen does come open across the middle, but Trubiksy never had a chance to check back that direction.

Sack 22 - Second Quarter 2:56 - Malcolm Jenkins and Genard Avery
Philly had two players to the right and five players to the left. So which way to you think Center James Daniels would turn after snapping the ball?

Yep, to the right...

Who in the Blue Hell is Daniels even turning towards? THERE’S NO ONE THERE!

I’m not sure if Daniels is initially setting the protection, or if left guard Cody Whitehair (who points right before the snap) is setting the pass pro, or if it’s Trubisky who is setting it, but regardless, the final say on setting the protection should fall on the QB. The sack is on the knucklehead that had Daniels turn right, and my best guess is that was Trubisky.

Welp...

They didn’t bluff.

2019 Individual Sackwatch after 8 games:

Mitchell Trubisky - 8
Sacks Happen - 4
Bobby Massie - 2
Kyle Long - 2
Chase Daniel - 1.5
Charles Leno Jr. - 1.5
Cody Whitehair - 1
Ted Larsen - 1
James Daniels - 1