HANDLING IT HURT
Trestman unraveled with injured Bears, but Fox is making do
It’s hard to believe, but two years ago, the Marc Trestman era was off to an encouraging start. The Bears were 3-0 in Trestman’s first season in 2013 after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 40-23 at Heinz Field— the first time an opponent had hung 40 on the Steelers at home since the 1999 season.
The Bears’ defense still seemed to have its bite. Their 11 takeaways in the first three games under coordinator Mel Tucker— capped by Julius Peppers’ 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown— were more than they had at the same time under coach Lovie Smith the previous year. The Bears’ locker room was indeed in a good place at that time. Trestman’s messages were resonating, and the team was focused; the Bears did not commit a false-start penalty until the following week and only had one through nine games.
It was mostly downhill from there, of course, as Trestman’s flaws were evident. But it all started with injuries that exposed an already thin and aging roster. Henry Melton suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the Steelers game. Cornerback Charles Tillman sat out the fourth quarter with a groin issue. Nate Collins, Melton’s replacement, suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5. And the wave never seemed to relent: Linebacker D.J. Williams went down in Week 6, Lance Briggs in Week 7, Jay Cutler in Week 7 and then again in Week 9 and Tillman in Week 10.
Trestman, Tucker and general manager Phil Emery couldn’t keep up with the losses. In a six-week span, the Bears dropped from ninth in rushing defense to 31st, eventually finishing last in the NFL. In the final 10 games, they allowed 182 rushing yards per game, 5.7 yards per carry. And the worst was yet to come.
Two years later, Fox is dealing with significant injury problems in his first season, but he already is managing the situation better. He has been without nine opening-day starters: wide receivers Alshon Jeffery (three games) and Eddie Royal (one game); left tackle Jermon Bushrod (two games), center Will Montgomery (one game, but out for the season), Cutler (one game), defensive linemen Jeremiah Ratliff (four games) and Ego Ferguson (one game, but out for the season after being put on injured reserve Saturday), cornerback Alan Ball (one game) and safety Antrel Rolle (one game).
The Bears played without five starters last week and found a way to beat the Kansas City Chiefs on the road. It helped to be playing the right team at the right time— and Jamaal Charles’ injury in the second half didn’t hurt. But the Bears’ ability to survive injuries can’t be dismissed. Left tackle Charles Leno and rookie safety Harold Jones-Quartey have yet to be exposed as weak links. Wide receiver Marquess Wilson was a difference-maker. Receivers Cameron Meredith and Joshua Bella my made the plays they needed to make.
Rookie center Hroniss Grasu was exposed early against the Chiefs, but by the end of the game he looked like a potential building block. Ball was replaced by veteran Tracy Porter, a Super Bowl hero who seems to have won a starting job.
The Bears have a long way to go. But their ability to fight through injuries is another indicator that they’re better off than they were— starting from the top.
‘‘I think our overall mindset is better. That starts from the coaches on down,” Bushrod said.
Fox was dealt a better hand than Trestman, but he’s also a better head coach— as concerned with handling success as he is with adversity. The good news is, he can do both.