Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.
Do you think the Bears will throw the ball more during the second half of the season than they did in Mitchell Trubisky's first four starts?
Alan M.
Roanoke, Virginia
I think it's pretty logical to assume that the Bears will throw the ball more over their final eight games as rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky gains more experience. During press conferences this week Trubisky hinted that the Bears will open up their offense and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains acknowledged that the balance between run and pass "is a little bit out of whack to the run side." With that being said, I expect that Loggains and the Bears will call plays based on what looks they're seeing from opposing defenses. If opponents are stacking the box with eight defenders, the Bears will pass more. If defenses are playing a lot of cover-two, I'm sure the Bears will run the ball. The key is to be able to identify the defenses and make quick in-game adjustments. By the way, here's exactly what Trubisky had to say this week about the possibility of passing more: "I feel very confident and am very excited to really just start to open things up, play within myself and the offense and do my job so the offense can succeed and we could win more games."
I see that Danny Trevathan injured his calf in the Saints game a couple weeks ago. If he can't play against the Packers, how big of a concern is that?
Raymond G.
Glenview, Illinois
Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan has had a very good season to this point; he leads the Bears with 52 tackles and has brought veteran leadership to the unit. He will be missed if he can't play against the Packers, but the good news is that the Bears have some quality depth behind him. Christian Jones is playing the best football of his four-year career and Nick Kwiatkoski and John Timu both appear to have recovered from injuries that sidelined them. So there are a few options the Bears can lean on if Trevathan is unable to suit up.
*With Zach Miller injured and Dion Sims suffering from an illness, why didn't the Bears claim Martellus Bennett when he was released by the Packers? *
Don J.
Matteson, Illinois
For the same reason they traded him to the Patriots in March 2016—general manager Ryan Pace wants to stock the Bears roster with unselfish team-first players who live, eat and breathe football and there are some who feel that Martellus Bennett doesn't necessarily possess those characteristics. I heard a Packers beat writer on a Chicago radio station this week say that some Packers players feel that Bennett quit on their team, orchestrating his release from Green Bay after Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone a few weeks ago against the Vikings. If that's true, that's not the type of player the Bears want back in their locker room.
