The numbers look too good to be true.
Since taking over as the Bears starting quarterback, Brian Hoyer has looked like a Pro Bowler on paper.
His passing yard totals the past four games: 317, 302, 397 and 302.
Hoyer also has six touchdown passes in that stretch, though he had none Sunday in the loss to Jacksonville. More important, he has not turned the ball over once this season.
Jay Cutler, the player for whom Hoyer took over in Week 2 because of an injury, has never had four consecutive 300-yard games. Even with Cutler’s litany of mistakes in crunch time, I found that hard to believe in a pass-happy NFL era.
So this team should be in the thick of the playoff race, right? Unfortunately, no. For the Bears to even climb out of the NFC North cellar by season’s end would be a colossal feat barring an unexpected turnaround. The team is 1-5 after a loss to the lowly Jaguars in which they led 13-0 at one point and 16-10 late in the fourth quarter.
It would be easy to claim Hoyer and the offense merely were victims of cornerback Tracy Porter falling on a completion to Jacksonville’s Arrelious Benn, who galloped in for the winning score. Yet that would mean overlooking the three field goals the Bears failed to convert into touchdowns Sunday.
“It’s frustrating,” Hoyer said. “We had our opportunities early. The numbers are the numbers, but we have to find ways to get into the end zone [instead of kicking field goals], and hopefully you’re not putting yourself in that position at the end.”
You also could blame the conservative play calling once the Bears grabbed the lead. Or a lack of game-breaking weapons beyond receiver Alshon Jeffery, who again had a huge first half only to be virtually nonexistent in the second.
Hoyer did lead the Bears to their only victory this season. He also seems to have the right attitude for a team struggling to gain traction, even if he leans on cliches more than reporters would like.
“The thing that we have to do is stick together,” he said. “As long as the people in that [locker] room believe, we’ll be fine. That’s why they call it ‘any given Sunday.’ You’ve just got to keep pressing on. I’m not going to lose faith in myself.”
But is it foolish to believe the Bears can win with Hoyer? Not right now. They have too many question marks this season and can’t afford to discard one of the few players who is performing beyond expectations.
Heap some blame on Hoyer, sure. The mark of a good quarterback has to include topping off fourth-quarter comebacks, and not just looking like it could happen someday. Just don’t cast his contributions aside completely.
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