The Chicago Bears should have been a playoff team last season. For as much as the Bears' listing as "in the hunt" during NFC Playoff graphics last December was mocked, fourth quarters not withstanding, the Bears played like a playoff team last year.
Of course, there were the collapses against the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, and Cleveland Browns, where the Bears blew a two-possession lead in each of those three games during the final quarter of the game. Beyond the collapse, for the entire season, a trend developed for Bears' games.
The Bears' team that was on the field for the first three-quarters of the game was far superior to the team that was on the field during the final quarter of the game.
but in the 4th quarter of games, the Bears:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 19, 2024
...recorded -50.7 total EPA (#1 worst)
...had 14 turnovers (#1 most)
...threw 10 interceptions (#1 most)
...were outgained by 446 yards (#2 worst)
and finished in 4th place in the NFC North
More or less, this is the reason why the Bears emphasized offensive improvement this offseason.
There is a Luke Getsy element to this stat. To Getsy's credit, his opening script for most games often led to success, where the Bears took advantage of film they'd seen of the opposing team's defense the week prior. What went wrong for Getsy is that once the script ended, the former Bears' offensive coordinator had no answer for how to score. Bears' offenses went dormant during the second half of games, and that is something that will need to be improved in 2024.
But beyond Getsy, this stat is another definitive reason why the Bears made a change at the quarterback position last season. Of the 10 fourth-quarter interceptions thrown by Bears' quarterbacks last season, Justin Fields accounted for 6 of them. Caleb Williams does need to limit the number of turnover-worthy plays he has during his rookie season in the NFL. In Williams' last two seasons in College Football, he only threw one fourth-quarter interception.
But beyond the replacement of Getsy and Fields, the Bears must find ways to close games in 2024. For Matt Eberflus, his future with the team may depend on it.