In Wednesday’s edition of Bears Bites, we take a look at some of the numbers behind Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman’s decision to have Robbie Gould kick a field goal on second down, as well as an update on the contract status of QB Jay Cutler.
-Scott Lindholm wrote an fascinating piece for CBS Chicago about the statistics surrounding Trestman’s choice to have Gould kick on second down in the Bears’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. One of the more notable numbers was the change in probability for the Bears to make the playoffs between a victory and a loss. If the Bears had won, they would have had a 54.7 percent chance of making the postseason. At 6-6, that probability dropped to 26.2 percent. [CBS Chicago]
-Darren Droxy didn’t go the statistical route when explaining Trestman’s decision in the overtime frame, but instead suggested that perhaps the rookie head coach had coached “scared” in the game. [Chicago Bears Huddle]
-GM Phil Emery engaged in a chat with Bears fans this week, and one of the issues he addressed was the future of QB Jay Cutler. He hinted that he doesn’t like the idea of using the franchise tag on Cutler “because the average [of the top five salaries at the position league-wide] comes out to be such a large portion of your [salary] cap and your total amount of money available to spend on other players to acquire to help your team.” Interesting stuff here. [CSN Chicago]
-The Bears have been much improved on offense this season, but there is one area that they have continued to fail in, and that’s in converting on third downs. [Daily Herald]
-With his 12-catch, 245 yard performance against the Vikings this week, obviously Alshon Jeffery’s stock has never been higher for the Bears, and it’s reflected in Michael C. Wright’s Stock Watch Column this week. [ESPN Chicago]
-One player whose stock hasn’t exactly been high this season has been defensive end Shea McClellin, but Emery isn’t losing patience with the first first-round draft pick that he has made during his tenure with the Bears. [Chicago Tribune]
