SILVER LINING
Despite 0-3 record, Bears confident there soon will be better days ahead
John Fox successfully has implemented the first half of his ‘‘understate and overproduce’’ strategy as the Bears’ head coach.
With the Bears sitting at 0-3 and the holes in their roster fully exposed, nobody’s expecting anything from them this season. More fans are anticipating them to contend for the No. 1 overall draft pick than for a playoff berth.
Now about that ‘‘overproduce’’ part: Is it too early to ask for a little production?
This would be a good time. After losses to three of the best teams in the NFL— the Packers, Cardinals and Seahawks— the Bears are in a manageable position Sunday against the Oakland Raiders at Soldier Field.
The Packers, Cardinals and Seahawks not only exposed the Bears’ weaknesses, but they hid almost any morsel of discernible progress. If the Bears are making any, it should show against the Raiders (2-1), who are improving but are still the Raiders.
It might turn out, though, that the bar still hasn’t been set low enough. Even at 0-3, this isn’t a must-win game. In the midst of an obvious rebuild, the Bears are able to see the big picture.
‘‘It may be blurry or out of focus, but it’s out there,’’ right tackle Kyle Long said. ‘‘And if you set your sights on something, I mean, anything’s attainable.’’
Nobody is more bullish than tight end Martellus Bennett.
‘‘I think the organization is doing everything possible to make the team better,’’ Bennett said. ‘‘There are a lot of hiccups right now, but that’s what happens when there’s a lot of change happening.
‘‘It’s [like] construction on the road. Sometimes it takes you longer to get home, but once they finish the construction, [it’s] smooth sailing all the way. You hate that construction, but then [when it’s done] you’re like, ‘I’m glad they fixed that road.’
‘‘That’s kind of like what it is right now. There’s a lot of construction going on. I’m all-in. I really love what Fox and [general manager Ryan] Pace [are] doing, everything [offensive coordinator Adam Gase] is doing. And I’m excited about the future of the Chicago Bears.’’
But the project is a big one, and it’s not just about X’s and O’s.
‘‘I think winning’s going to come,’’ Bennett said. ‘‘But it’s just getting the right guys in the locker room and the right mentality. A lot of it is changing the culture of this team, which takes time. I think they’re doing a great job. And I’m all-in for it. Hopefully, I’m at the tip of the spear.’’
Suffice it to say the Bears’ locker room is in a good place now— a far cry from when Marc Trestman thought it was when it wasn’t. A year ago, the Bears were 2-1 after back-to-back victories on the road. But the feeling is much better today.
‘‘I think last year when we were 2-1, we thought we were a lot better than we really were,’’ running back Matt Forte said. ‘‘I know we’re better than 0-3, but the record doesn’t show it. So I’d rather start out 0-3 and win a bunch of games than start out 2-1 and end up 5-11. I feel good about where the team is headed.’’