12 takeaways from the Bears’ 20-12 loss to the Saints

Some thoughts and observations after watching the film and going through the stats of the Bears’ 20-12 loss against the Saints on Sunday (as also shared on Twitter):

1. Bears rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky should benefit from games like these. He missed some throws. He needs better weapons. But his composure continues to stand out.

2. The Bears’ offense finally featured more bunch formations. These should be a staple with their receivers right now. They help with separation and can lead to defensive confusion.

3. Trubisky beat the Saints’ blitzes in the fourth quarter with his legs. His ability to recognize them after two sacks in first half is noteworthy and impressive.

4. Anyone have a clue what a catch is anymore? Zach Miller caught the ball. And that was a great throw from Trubisky.

5. The officials had an awful day. Three plays stand out to me: Miller’s overturned touchdown, a phantom facemask call on the Saints in the fourth quarter and a missed helmet-to-helmet hit on Trubisky on the Bears’ two-point attempt.

6. I get what John Fox said about not challenging Saints running back Mark Ingram’s fumble when he was flipped by cornerback Kyle Fuller. Ingram did briefly regain possession in the air. But at the moment, it’s still worth the shot of the challenge.

7. The Bears have too many negative runs for a team that wants to establish the run at all costs. I counted seven runs for negative yardage.

8. The Saints are a darn good screen team. The Bears should take notes and think of rookie running back Tarik Cohen.

9. Cohen, by the way, has 30 carries for 71 yards in the past five games. He’s an exciting player, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

10. Overall, the Bears’ defense was solid. They did their part against quarterback Drew Brees, but the Saints started to get favorable matchups in the fourth quarter. It included outside linebacker Sam Acho covering receiver Michael Thomas and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd against back Alvin Kamara.

11. On Miller: He’s a true professional. He’s a football player but also a husband and father. Fans shouldn’t forget players are people, too. Scary injury.

12. On linebacker Jerrell Freeman’s suspension: Memory loss at 31 years old is frightening. The Bears might be “disappointed” in him, as coach John Fox said, but if that’s what Freeman is experiencing after a head injury the team should help him find help.