Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears: 5 Stats That Explain the 2016 Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 9, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears have plenty of problems going on with their team. Not all of them can be measured by facts and stats, but some can.

Sitting at 1-4 on the season, there are a number of statistical categories from all three phases that help explain exactly why this team is in its sorry state. Some of them are obvious. Others a little more complicated. Yet all have the same thing in common. They aren’t good.

OFFENSE

Points Per Game

The most straightforward and easy to understand stat there is when it comes to offensive football. How many points is the team scoring from week to week. So far this season the Atlanta Falcons lead all teams at a whopping 35 points per game. Currently six of the teams ranked in the top 10 of this category boast winning records. The Bears? They’re averaging a total of 17 points per game. That is good for 30th in the NFL. The 23 points they scored against the Colts was their highest of the season, and it came against a defense that had been allowing 29.6 per game.

Time of Possession

Some people think time of possession is overrated. It’s worth noting that two of the past four teams to reach the Super Bowl have ranked in the top 5 of this category during their respective seasons. Being able to keep the ball and systematically wear down an opposing defense and control the tempo of a game is a legitimate commodity. Last year they ranked 8th overall, holding the ball for 52.4% of their games. They went 6-10. This season they’re sitting at 28th overall, holding it for just 45% of games. Current odds favor them finishing with a worse record.

Oct 9, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) catches a pass for the winning touchdown against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeated Chicago 29-23. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSE

Opponent Scoring Efficiency

This is a somewhat complex category. In order to explain, it basically means the number of times an opponent has been able to put points on the board versus how many chances they got. So far the best team of 2016 at opponent scoring efficiency is the Philadelphia Eagles. In 43 offensive drives faced, they have allowed points on just nine of them. They, along with seven of the other teams in the top 10 have winning records. The Bears have faced 55 offensive drives and allowed points on 25 of them. That’s good for a 45.5% success rate and ranks them 28th in the league.

Rushing Yards Against

This is a problem that has bedeviled the Bears for years. John Fox said the essence of defensive football is being able to stop the run. He’s not wrong. Seven of the 10 best run defenses in the league belong to winning teams. The last time Chicago had a top 10 run defense? It was 2012. They finished 10-6 that season. So far in 2016 they are allowing 118.4 yards per game. That ranks them 24th in the league, though it is a small improvement from last season (120 yards). Injuries have played a part in the problem with key guys like Pernell McPhee, Eddie Goldman and Danny Trevathan missing multiple weeks.

Aug 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould kicks for three points against the New England Patriots in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

SPECIAL TEAMS

Field Goals Missed:

It doesn’t get much more straightforward than this. Missed field goals means missed opportunities for points. So far this season kicker Connor Barth has whiffed on three field goal attempts. Their 5-of-8 accuracy rating is 30th in the league. Not only does that take points off the board but it’s also a gigantic momentum killer. It’s so difficult to win football games when a team doesn’t trust its kicker can’t do something as simple as boot a 35 to 45-yard field goal.

People will renew the calls for Robbie Gould but the fact is he wasn’t hitting them either, and that was in preseason. Until Chicago finds themselves a legitimate kicker who can at least be consistent with the easier opportunities, it will be a lot harder for them to win. Nothing leads to losses more than wasted chances for points. Remember last week. If Barth had hit that field goal earlier in the game, Chicago wouldn’t have had to go for it 4th down near the end.