The Green Bay Packers already have a season-opening road win and a better record to boast over their rivals in Chicago, but they also differ from the Bears in one major category: dropped passes.
According to Fox Sports’ unofficial tally, the Packers (8-2) are currently the NFL’s best at hanging onto the ball with eight drops in 347 catchable pass attempts for a league-low 2.31 percent, while the Bears (4-5) are more than three times worse at 22 drops on 299 attempts. That equates to a dropped pass on more than seven percent of the Bears’ passes.
Here are the 2019 drop rates for all 32 NFL teams, again using unofficial counts collected by Fox. Bears have the highest drop rate, Packers the lowest.
Tarik Cohen, often fanned out on screens, is the guiltiest party for the Bears with six total drops on the year after going 98 targets without a drop last season, per ESPN. Leading receiver Allen Robinson (4) isn’t far behind him on the list, while both are dropping more than any Packer.
Geronimo Allison’s three dropped passes are the worst for the Packers, though both running back Aaron Jones and tight end Jimmy Graham have each let would-be touchdown passes get away from them. Rookie Darrius Shepherd also missed a perfect throw at the goal line in Week 6 against the Lions that deflected off his facemask and into the hands of Justin Coleman for an interception.
The difference between the two teams isn’t entirely surprising considering how differently each’s offense has operated, with the Packers thriving behind Aaron Rodgers and his MVP-caliber arm and the Bears struggling to do much of anything with Mitchell Trubisky. But just how unlike are the two rivals in 2019?
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Closer Look at Bears-Packers Differences
One year ago, the Bears were in the midst of a tear that saw them win nine of their final 10 games in the 2018 regular season to claim the NFC North title and end a playoff drought. Now? The outlook is far bleaker with the defense getting run ragged and the offense struggling to lend them much support.
What was expected to be a step-forward year for Trubisky has seen the Bears devolve into offensive ineptitude that currently has them averaging just 262.2 yards per game, which rates better than only the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. Not terrific company to keep.
In contrast, the Packers passing game alone is nearly outdoing the Bears’ total mark. The offense didn’t get off to the best of starts, but Rodgers has things moving much smoother for the Packers now that Davante Adams is back in the fold. The Packers have also made terrific use of their two rushers — Jones and Jamaal Williams — both on the ground and through the air.
It’s not nearly as swag-filled as “Oh you’ve been watching film” but Rodgers baits Kuechly with a pre-snap signal to Allison. The chess game
While it would be no contest comparing Rodgers with Trubisky, the Bears third-year quarterback isn’t entirely to blame for the problems in the passing game. Weak pass protection and the high drop count have also been culprits in sinking drives for Chicago before they even begin, forcing the defense to spend considerably more time on the field each game.
The Bears showed a glimpse of what could be with three consecutive touchdown drives during Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Detroit Lions, as Trubisky found a rhythm in one of his best performances of the season and even tagged drop-prone Cohen for a touchdown pass.
“I think that’s what this offense can be when all 11 guys are on the same page, guys are getting open, O-line protecting really well and just making some big plays to stay on the field,” Trubisky said Sunday.
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Dropped Pass Rate Much Different Between Bears, Packers