Notes on a rough Bears 21-14 loss in Atlanta …

Gotta execute.

The entire game, I just had that feeling that the Bears were going to keep it close, but something was going to go awry, and the Falcons were going to walk away winners. It was a disjointed effort, punctuated by three botched trips to the red zone: a Jay Cutler pick early, both those Matt Forte fumbles (more on that later) and, of course, that last trip to the red zone, with a tie game in sight, where the Bears turned the ball over on downs.

If all they get is a field goal those first two trips, they have a chance to win the game on a field goal that last possession of the game, instead of having to go for a touchdown to tie.

Silly begets silly.

Did the Bears give the game away last night? That’s what David Haugh argues today, and though Atlanta is certainly one of the best teams in the NFC and keeping it close against them might be a moral victory, you have to agree with the overall sentiment.

The height of the Bears’ boneheadedness came on their last play from scrimmage, when at fourth-and-1 from the five with 34 seconds left, Orlando Pace was flagged for a false start, pinning the Bears five yards back. There was also that 12 men on the field penalty on Atlanta’s punt with around 10 minutes left, but that was luckily negated when Nathan Vasher came down with an interception on the next play.

Add in all the botched execution in the red zone, and this was a frustrating game to watch. Had the Bears simply performed with a little more smarts and punched it into the end zone once or twice more when it was there for the taking, we’re talking about a Bears victory right now. As such, we are not.

Paging Mr. Forte …

Forte is trying to be more patient in letting the offensive line open up holes for him, but that hasn’t proven to be effective at all. If Jay Cutler isn’t around, I wonder how bad this team would be offensively. Forte had 15 carries last night for only 23 yards. He also had those two straight fumbles from the one-yard line — dude never fumbles — the second of which was scooped up by the Falcons. Forte, a guy that rarely shows emotion, was visibly frustrated with himself after the fumbles.

And for a player Bears fans loved last season, a few replies to Forte on Twitter last night tell a different tale this season:

gem1138 @chitownforte22 You do know that you’re a Chicago Bear? ATL thanks you for the victory!

PJHarrison @chitownforte22 Don’t ever do that s–t again. You are a Chicago Bear…swift, silent, deadly. No such thing as fumbles. Stay focused.

Six6Sicks @chitownforte22 Thanks for another butter-fingery day.

akirasoft after his crap performance tonight (and mediocre performance throughout the year) I am unfollowing @chitownforte22.

kidsare1st @chitownforte22 you are no Walter Payton

the_chef1977 @chitownforte22 no TDs no dollars

Yikes. Forte and the running game still have over half a season to get things going, but it’s not looking good.

G-reg has a g-ood g-ame.

There were some positive last night, namely Greg Olsen. We heard all camp how Olsen was Cutler’s favorite target, but it’s yet to come to any fruition on the field. Last night, Olsen came up huge in key spots, including that 41-yard catch over the middle that led to a TD reception for him a few plays later. For the night, he had five receptions for 57 yards. Nothing out of this world, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Give credit to the defense.

As predicted, the terrific Atlanta offensive line held the Bears in check, as the sack-happy bunch didn’t take down Matt Ryan all night. But you know what? They only gave up 253 yards in total to an explosive offense, and kept the game well within reach. They held the dangerous Michael Turner to only 30 yards on the night. Take one look at the box score, and you’ll see the Bears dominated a lot of categories — time of possession, first downs, total yards, third-down efficiency — it’s just they didn’t score when they had the chance.

The Cutler effect.

With the Bears down seven with around three minutes to go, I had faith Cutler would at least move the ball into Atlanta territory and give the Bears a chance at tying the game. He did just that, though the final outcome wasn’t favorable. Do I have that kind of feeling with Kyle Orton behind center? No, I do not.

And though Cutler did throw two picks last night — both proved costly –  he did manage to rebound for a pretty good throwing game, as he made the best of a situation in which he was rushed and hurried all night.

But, when it matter most, he, just like the Bears, came up a bit short.