Don’t remember November
Montgomery’s run a rare bright spot in month; Lions in turmoil
And so they meet again. The Bears and Lions will play Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field in a rematch of their Week 1 clash. The Bears rallied from 17 points down in the fourth quarter to snatch that 27-23 victory Sept. 13 at Ford Field. But both teams have been on similar journeys since. Both the Bears and Lions are 4-6 since the season opener. Both were hammered by identical scores— 41-25— lastweek, by the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans, respectively. Both seem intent on starting December off on a better note. As Sunday’s game closes in, here’s the inside slant on three notable storylines.
‘Just right’: When the Bears offensive coaching staff zoomed out on the longest play of their season, there was plenty to be pleased with. DavidMontgomery’s 57-yard run in the first quarter of Sunday’s losswas the longest of the young running back’s career and just his third run this season of longer than 20 yards. It also was a rare instance in which everything fit to produce an explosive play — from the call to the diagnosis of the defense to the blocking up front to Montgomery’s burst through a huge hole.
Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor called for a three tightendsetonthe second-and-7 play fromthe Bears 35 yard line. ColeKmet was in-line to the right of tackle Germain Ifedi. Jimmy Graham and J.P. Holtz were split wide to the left with AllenRobinson in the slot to the same side.
The Bears had a run-pass option called and, based on the look of the Packers’ front, correctlywent with the run.
The Packers, who frequently utilize five and six defensive backs, left the Bears with a favorable look up the middle. Yet for Lazor, the ability of his reconfigured offensive line to identify what they were facing before the snap was the first key in unlocking the big gain.
“Youweren’t 100% sure howtheywould align or what people (would) have in the game,” Lazor said. “I just thought we recognized the front based on how they aligned. And we had a bunch of different ways and options on how to block that thing. Andwe did it just right up front.”
Left tackle CharlesLenoin particular did a nice job of walling off Za’Darius Smith to the outside. Guard Cody Whitehair took care of hisone-on-oneagainstKenny Clark. Montgomery’s ability to hit the hole in the “B” gapbefore linebacker Christian Kirksey could close in was huge. And, as Lazor pointed out, Packers safetyDarnell Savage’s misread and decision to attack a potential wide receiver screen to Robinson left Montgomery with a clear runway between the hashes.
“I thought the whole thing fit together,” Lazor said.
Montgomery was 28 yards downfield before the Packers laid a finger on him. His stiff-arm on defensive back Jaire Alexander near the Packers 30 bought him at least 20 more yards. Ultimately Montgomery was hauled down at the Packers 8 yard line.
“I don’t knowthat there’s much he could have done differently (to score),” running backs coach Charles London said.
HadMontgomery reached the end zone, itwould have broken a long and depressing drought for the Bears. They haven’t scored an offensive touchdown on a play that beganontheir sideof midfield sinceWeek8 of 2018, a span of 37 games, 419 possessions and 2,397 plays.
And counting.
The Bears settled for a field goal after that big Montgomery run, another disappointing result after an adrenalizing play. Still, the Bears were thrilled to hit on a big gain.
Said coach Matt Nagy: “That felt good. We want to continue to keep growing with that.
“Again, we had them in a defense where we liked the personnel they gave us. And at the same time, they also gave a look we liked. When that happens, you want to make sure you strike. That’s whatwe did.”
In the interim: For Darrell Bevell, Wednesday carried an intense combination of energy and exhaustion. Four days after the Lions fired coach Matt Patricia, offensive coordinator Bevell slid over to the top job on the coaching staff for his first true full day in that role. He came with schedule tweaks, adjustments to the practice routine and methods to raise the competitiveness of a floundering team. Most of all, Bevell brought an eagerness to attack a long and full day. And when he finally reached the end a little after midnight, decompression was needed.
“I liken it to the end of aweek of a game,” Bevell said. “There’s just so much of the buildupand all the emotions and the (push) to get everything right. And then when it’s over, there’s that moment where you pause and there’s that little bit of a letdown and you basically crash. I had a little bit of that moment(Wednesday).
“Itwas a great day. Itwas an exciting day forme, for the team. Everythingwent about aswell as I could have hoped for.”
Then Thursday arrived. And Bevell was right back at it. With nothing but enthusiasm.
“I look at it like, ‘I get to do it again!’ ” Bevell said. “I’m telling you, I’m so fired up. I’m excited to be doing this.”
Where much of the NFL world sees the Lions in total disarray, a team that stumbled through November with only one win and four losses by a combined 70 points, Bevell sees an opportunity. Five weeks left. Five games to test himself in the head coaching position. Five chances to showthe Lions or any of the other teams around the league who will be looking for a coach in 2021 that he can handle the duties and spark success.
“I said on Day One that I view this as an audition,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for me to put out there who I am, what my teams are going to look like and let all that speak for itself.”
Bevell’s first game as the Lions interim coach comes Sunday against the Bears at Soldier Field.
Don’t be too quick to write off the idea of a Lions upset either. The list of interim coaches who have won their debut in that role since 2010 is longer than you would think. Raheem Morris did it with the 0-5 Falcons this season when he took over for Dan Quinn. Morris’ team put a 40-23 whooping on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6.
The previous week, Romeo Crennel snapped the Texans out of their winless funk, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in convincing fashion 30-14 in the game after Bill O’Brien had been fired.
Since 2010, 22 teams have fired their coaches during the season. Thirteen won the next week under their interim coach. Sevenwere by double digits.