7 thoughts following the Chicago Bears loss to the Lions

Chicago Bears Thought No. 1: Easily the worst game of the season

Watching this team yesterday, I saw no fight. I was getting really angry as the game went on.

The offensive line continued to lose bodies left and right. Right guard, Teven Jenkins left the game early as he reaggravated the neck injury that saw him carted off in the Eagles game. His backup Michael Schofield came in, then got injured and was carried off on a cart. Third-stringer Dieter Eiselen, a backup center, was plugged in and struggled.

Justin Fields was constantly harassed and was sacked six times by the end of the third quarter (seven the entire game). Some of the sacks were on Fields for holding on to the ball too long, and he even lost his 16th fumble of the season on one of those sacks. Ball security and getting rid of the ball quickly are problems that he must fix. But this offensive line cannot pass-protect at all. It was so bad, both Riley Reiff and Braxton Jones were called for holding on the same play in the fourth quarter.

Jones had a rough game as he gave up two sacks in three plays in the second quarter and could not handle the Lions’ bull rush. He was pushed into Fields on one of the sacks he gave up, which could have injured Fields. He exposed himself at the worst possible time. It is hard to pencil him in as the starting LT in 2023.

The defense gave up 504 total yards. The Lions rushed for a season-high 268 yards. The run defense recently has been as bad as the pass rush. None of the Bears’ defenders showed intensity or hustle and looked like they did not want to tackle.

The Chicago Bears have now lost their ninth straight game and are tied for the worst record in franchise history at 3-13. Next week’s game could make it a 10th straight loss and a 3-14 record. Fair or not, that will be on the resume of Matt Eberflus and his entire coaching staff forever.