Cole Kmet sounded as much like a skeptical Bears fan as a hopeful Bears player in the aftermath of the Bears’ 40-20 victory over the Commanders on Thursday night at FedEx Field.
“We shouldn’t be throwing parades here or anything. We still have a lot to prove,” the Bears’ fourth-year tight end said. “We’ve got a lot of ground to make up and I think we can make [it] up, because of the talent we have on this team — I really believe that.”
We’ll see about that. With Justin Fields throwing four touchdown passes in each game, the Bears’ offense gained 471 yards against the Broncos and 451 yards against the Commanders the past two weeks. It’s the first time the Bears have gained 400 or more yards in back-to-back games since 2018, when they had three straight 400-plus games against the Buccaneers, Dolphins and Patriots.
That 461-yard average against the Broncos and Commanders is a huge leap from the first three games of the season, when the Bears’ offense averaged 250 yards per game in losses to the Packers, Buccaneers and Chiefs.
It remains to be seen how much of a turning point this is for coordinator Luke Getsy’s offense. Both offensive performances came against bottom-rung defenses. The Broncos are 32nd and last in the NFL in both points allowed (36.2 per game) and yards allowed (450.6). The Commanders are 31st in points (32.0) and 25th in yards (372.2).
“I don’t want to go as far to say it’s a full turning point. … This is one game,” Kmet said in the locker room after the Commanders game. “I think offensively, we put together two good stretches of games. There’s a lot more on the details that we can be better it. I really believe that’s what it is.”
Players and coaches always believe they control their own fate, that everything is a matter of “execution.” That some offenses execute against inferior defenses and fail to execute against better defenses is often ignored or considered coincidental.
And as a formative offense in its second season under Getsy, the Bears are early enough into the process that they believe their performance is about them more than the competition. And it could be. But Bears fans will have to see it to believe it.
“The first three games, we were not executing at a high level,” Kmet said. “I feel like these past two [games] — and you all can say what you want about the Broncos’ defense — it really came down to us not doing things we needed to do in the first three games. I think it just comes down to that and guys playing with confidence. When that happens, things kind of go your way sometimes.”
With their next three games against teams in the bottom 10 in scoring defense — the Vikings (22nd), the Raiders (23rd) and Chargers (24th), the Bears’ offense might not have a legitimate litmus test until Nov. 5 against the Saints, who currently ranked fourth in the NFL in points allowed and yards allowed.
But there was one facet to the upset of the Commanders that was particularly real, that bodes well for the future. The Bears’ makeshift, work-in-progress offensive line won the battle against a Commanders’ defensive line that is considered one of the best in the NFL.
The line’s effectiveness was particularly significant because it was again not whole. Left guard Teven Jenkins was playing for the first time this season and rotating with Cody Whitehair and Ja’Tyre Carter. And center Lucas Patrick left the game after 22 snaps because of a concussion.
“They handled it really well,” Fields said. “All those guys in the [offensive line] room are really close. They get each other better every day of practice. Proud of the way Cody stepped in at center. It’s always good to have Teven back. Proud of those guys and the way they played [against the Commanders].”