Bear Digest

Bears Report Card Against 49ers: It's One They Should Just Flush

Nothing much worked on Sunday in Thomas Brown's debut and this doesn't say much for a strong finish or their interim coach's bid to become head coach.

Gene Chamberlain

Jauan Jennings gets past cornerback Kyler Gordon with a catch in Sunday's Bears loss to the 49ers.
Jauan Jennings gets past cornerback Kyler Gordon with a catch in Sunday's Bears loss to the 49ers. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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In one sentence, Caleb Williams probably summed up one aspect of the coming Bears coaching search without really meaning to do it.

After Sunday’s loss, he’d been asked about their habit of slow offensive starts in games, which more and more seems a combination of his own failures and the lack of the offensive play caller to commit early to running the football.

“If we had the answer we would have solved it by now,” Williams said.

And so they are going to consider for head coach someone who has been in charge of the offense for four games and was with the offense before that and can't figure out how to solve their issues?

Of course not. Cross one candidate off the list.

The defense was keeping them in games but on Sunday it appeared Matt Eberflus took his secret HITS principle ingredients with him when he left Halas Hall for good.

Jaylon Johnson, Tremaine Edmunds, Montez Sweat, Kevin Byard all looked lost on occasion. If that’s an exaggeration, least it’s indisputable that they lost George Kittle at times in coverage. If you aren’t keeping track of Kittle when you’re playing the 49ers, then defensive coordinator Eric Washington hasn’t done his job just like the players haven’t.

The problem now is, if the defense has decided it’s time to mail it in then they might not even be able to find the head coach they do want. They had been keeping the team in games.

It’s been constantly repeated how this could be the best coaching job available because of all the talent available with the roster, but you might have a problem convincing some candidates of this if your team loses 11 straight to finish the season and looks bad doing it over the final month.

Then it looks like a major reconstruction job because you need to ship out a bunch of listless players A good candidate might decide to go elsewhere.


After the game, Johnson probably had the right approach and flushed the whole thing. He was asked what Thomas Brown said to the team after the game and said he hadn't heard it because he'd been in the bathroom.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY OF BEARS LOSS TO 49ERS

BEARS FACING GROUNDHOG DAY SCENARIO ON OFFENSE

DEVASTATING DEBUT FOR THOMAS BROWN IN 38-13 DEFEAT

Time to look ahead after the flushing. The problem is, the future looks even darker than the grades for Sunday.

Passing Game: D-

The only redeeming factors were Rome Odunze’s TD catches and that Williams didn’t throw an interception. But he wouldn’t throw it, period. He just held it and looked around, the same way he did in many other road games. In fact, he didn’t even want to throw it when he was trying to throw it and it resulted in a “tuck rule” fumble.  Finally, Williams started throwing it with better success in the second half. The 49ers didn’t have Nick Bosa but Braxton Jones succeeded in making former Bear Leonard Floyd and others he blocked look like Bosa. Cole Kmet got targeted only once, and on an extra point at that. From the way he dropped the ball on the target, it’s probably just as well as the passing attack has dropped to 30th. After signing Keenan Allen, drafting Odunze and Williams and altering the offensive line, the Bears are 30th in passing and last in offense in the National Football League. And they’re last even with numerous opportunities because they are plus-10 in turnover ratio.

Running Game: F

They’ve run for 78 yards or less in five of the last six games and wonder why they can’t get the offense going early in games. That’s like the guy who keeps banging his head against the wall and can’t figure out why he has a headache. Williams and the offensive line would look better if they’re running better. Instead they got 41 yards rushing from their running backs Sunday, and D’Andre Swift averaged 2.7 yards a carry. It’s tough to run when you don’t get the blocking and he didn’t have it. And it’s also tough to run when you have a quad injury and he toughed one out. They used to have Khalil Herbert, who they could bring in if Swift had an injury and if Roschon Johnson had a concussion, like he does. Ryan Poles traded Herbert because he really needed to get that seventh-round pick who will be cut like most seventh-rounders next training camp.

Pass Defense: F

The good news is it’s a problem that can be fixed with a trip to the optometrist. They need glasses if they can’t find George Kittle. They were made to look like statues by Jauan Jennings and Kittle as those two came off the line running straight to the gaps in the zone coverage and made wide-open catches. Nine passes went for at least 20 yards. They made Brock Purdy look like Joe Montana and Montez Sweat made him look like former 49ers running back Frank Gore, because he bounced off Purdy like an insect hitting a semi’s grill. Then there was Darrell Taylor’s roughing-the-passer penalty when he obviously went for Purdy’s head. At least he showed some misguided fire but should because Poles’ answer to the need for an edge rusher hasn’t had a sack since the season opener.

Run Defense: F

A team down to its fourth running back should be hoping to just get out of the game with everyone healthy and not gashing the opponent, but the 49ers were able to do it. The 49ers had 131 yards and only 11 on scrambles. Ivan Guerendo is a speed back and the Bears defensive front made him look like a power back with speed. He had started one game at running back since fourth grade. Maybe the Bears need a back who hasn’t started at the position since fourth grade, too.

Special Teams: B-                                                        

Again, punter Tory Taylor stood out as maybe the best player on their roster. It’s becoming repetitive. They lost the chance to get DeAndre Carter a lot of work as a kick returner when he suffered a hamstring injury early – and there were plenty of opportunities to return kicks.

Coaching: F

It seems unfair to Thomas Brown in a way because he had only a week to fit into his new role, but such is the plight of the interim coach. History shows most interim coaches don’t have this type of thing happen and, in fact, the opposite thing happens. Brown should have low-keyed his approach to the week instead of talking about being tough and violent. Then you’ve got a better chance to sneak up on someone. Eric Washington’s defense looked like they didn’t have a clue how to handle the 49ers’ use of motion on offense.  

Overall: F

Although the deficit was the worst of the season, it probably wasn’t as bad of a loss as the one to pathetic New England at home. At this point, Bears fans can tell the difference. They’ve become quite the connoisseurs of defeat.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.