CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears were optimistic that their historic decision to make an in-season change in leadership could turn around a struggling team. However, the issues affecting the Bears extend far beyond just a coaching switch.
In their latest outing, the Bears faced a disheartening 38-13 defeat against San Francisco, marking their seventh consecutive loss. This was the first game under interim head coach Thomas Brown, who stepped in after the dismissal of Matt Eberflus.
“I’m confident in our team,” Brown remarked on Monday. “What matters most are the players we have in the locker room and the coaching staff. I understand our mindset and how we will proceed. We don’t have anyone who backs down, and we will face every challenge head-on.”
Despite Brown’s words, the Bears (4-9) displayed little resilience during the game, suffering one of their most embarrassing defeats. This performance guaranteed they would end the season with a losing record for the twelfth time in fourteen years.
In the first half, the Bears were outperformed, gaining just four yards compared to San Francisco’s 319. They trailed 24-0 at halftime and managed only one first down, punting on their first five drives.
Chicago set a new record for points allowed this season and tied for their second-worst defensive performance, allowing 452 total yards. This loss was their most one-sided since being defeated 41-10 by Kansas City during Week 3 of the previous season.
This outcome was far from what the Bears envisioned when they parted ways with Eberflus on November 29. The final straw seemed to occur in a Thanksgiving game against Detroit when the Bears scrambled to position for a tying field goal yet failed to utilize their timeout effectively, signaling a troubling series of mismanagements.
Additionally, there are evident challenges within the team roster. Despite team president Kevin Warren’s assurance that general manager Ryan Poles would continue searching for a new coach, ongoing poor performances could lead to reconsideration of this strategy.
The Bears are set to face a challenging schedule ahead, with their next two opponents being the top two teams in the NFC North. They will play on Monday night against Minnesota (11-2) and then have a home game against division leaders Detroit (12-1). Following these games, they will host Seattle (8-5), and finish their season at Green Bay (9-4).
As for what worked during the game, it is difficult to pinpoint any positives given the overwhelming defeat.
However, the offensive line is in dire need of improvement. The Bears once again struggled in the trenches, leading to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams being sacked seven times, raising his league-leading total to 56. This is the highest sack count for a Chicago quarterback since the merger of the AFL and NFL in 1970. While Williams does hold onto the ball for extended periods at times, it is evident that the offensive line also fails to provide sufficient protection. The running game is not performing well either, particularly evident against San Francisco, which was playing without injured star Nick Bosa.
In brighter news, linebacker T.J. Edwards made a notable impact by recording Chicago’s only sack of the game and finished with two tackles for loss along with a team-high of ten tackles.
Conversely, Williams experienced a rough outing. The former No. 1 overall draft pick completed 17 of 34 passes for 134 yards and scored two late touchdowns to Rome Odunze. Although he has played the last seven games without throwing an interception, he did lose a fumble. In his first three games under Brown’s play-calling, Williams had strong numbers with 75 completions out of 117 attempts for 827 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 99.2 quarterback rating.
Injury reports showed no update regarding returner DeAndre Carter (hamstring) and running back Travis Homer (head) after they exited the game.
A significant statistic from the game was that the Bears’ defense allowed nine plays of 20 yards or more, marking the highest such total in the past nine seasons.
Looking ahead, the Bears face a daunting challenge against Minnesota, which has won six straight games, including a recent overtime victory at Chicago in Week 12 when the Bears managed a frantic comeback with 11 points in the last 22 seconds of regulation.
