Bear Digest

Bears Trying to Use This Devastating Defeat as Rallying Point

Unlike the hangover effect earlier from their mind-blowing loss on a Hail Mary, the Bears say their defeat via blocked kick by Green Bay can be a source for inspiration.

Gene Chamberlain

Bears tackle Braxton Jones sees a few ways th team can use the defeat by Green Bay via blocked kick as a source of inspiration.
Bears tackle Braxton Jones sees a few ways th team can use the defeat by Green Bay via blocked kick as a source of inspiration. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The natural question for the Bears after their latest tire blowout on the way to NFL destiny is whether it leads to the same place as their first disaster.

In fact, some would say they are still trying to get over the Hail Mary pass because they haven't won since before it happened.

However, there has been a difference in their attitude and approach. They came out totally flat in two blowout losses to Arizona and New England following the Hail Mary, but followed Sunday with the near upset of the Packers. They obviously had better energy in this game and simply need to maintain it.

There was obvious carryover following the Hail Mary pass loss. Now the blocked field goal defeat at the hands of their most bitter rival could very well be devastating in a similar manner. They'll have to prove it isn' t against Minnesota at home Sunday.

"Yeah, it's hard to kind of take in," tackle Braxton Jones said. "It's hard for me. I've obviously been playing these guys for three years and haven't had a chance to beat them. It's just frustrating, but it just takes more discipline.

"It starts before that, before even the field goal. We could have done more to not even be in that position. So I just think we've got to continue fighting and keep on going. Don’t let this get in the way, just continue the fight forward."

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Edge rusher Montez Sweat seemed particularly down after the loss Sunday.

"It's been a crazy year," he said. "A couple of these things just been happening this year, like has never been happening in my career. It happening multiple times in a year is kind of crazy."

However, he also had a defiant streak in what he said and even sounded a bit ticked off.

"It's one of those losses you carry with you and use for motivation the next week," he added.

Told Monday about Sweat sounding a bit despondent after the game, Byard thought it was in the past already. This would be a positive sign.

"I think that when you're asking guys questions right after another loss, division opponent, you're going to feel defeated," Byard said. "We were defeated. Know what I mean? We lost. So yeah, there are definitely emotions tied into it. We're all trying to find answers and trying to find a way to get a win. And when you battle the way we battled on Sunday and you don't come out with a victory, it's tough.

"But I was just talking to Tez in the locker room. He's not defeated. I think he's more motivated to try to figure out ways to make impact plays. Same here. Know what I'm saying? I think we're all trying to do more and say less honestly."

Losing to the Packers is nothing new for the Bears. Even if it came by such an extreme method, it's more of a trigger for anger than the Washington loss.

The Bears dominated many aspects of the game with the Packers, owning the edge in turnovers, yardage, third-down percentage and time of possession. So they should be angry about losing it. The Hail Mary was a crushing, totally defeating play after they looked like they had gotten lucky to get out of Washington with a win after being outplayed.

It can help having a rallying point. For the defense, it's their league-leading red zone defense.

"I mean our red zone defense has been really good this year," Byard said. "We let them down there a few too many times this past weekend. I think we let them down there five times; they scored three. So we have to be better there for sure."

For the year, they're allowing just over 40% TDs.

"But yeah, I mean, we all know, man, this group, this team is resilient," Byard said. "We're going to fight. We're going to defend every single blade of grass.

"As long as we continue to make them snap the ball, we're going to keep defending. So. We made some big plays down in the red zone that really kept us in the game a little bit."

The offense naturally has a rallying point in Caleb Williams, particularly after Sunday's impressive effort. His escape and completion on the run to Rome Odunze, his big fourth-down pass for 21 to Odunze and the pass to Keenan Allen to set up the field goal try showed he can deliver at crunch time against stronger defenses. Earlier in the year he had been throwing well against weaker pass defenses.

"When you get into these adverse moments as a quarterback, he has shown who he is," Byard said. "He's a gamer. He's a baller. That was very good to see him in those big moments.

"Obviously, going down to third-and-19, where most people probably thought the game was over at that point, he threw some strikes to get us in range to kick that field goal. It was big-time for him. It was great to see that and I told him that I was proud of him for showing up big in that moment."

The other natural rallying point for the offense is coordinator Thomas Brown, after his efforts helped produce two touchdowns following 25 straight possessions without one.

"Early in the week, he came in, told us we've got to be on our details," Jones said. "It starts with us. It starts with the energy. It starts with Wednesday practice, Thursday practice, into Friday and continuing that through Saturday and letting it loose on Sunday.

"That's kind of what he started with, and for me myself, that's what I did. Coming back off an injury trying to be able to give the juice where I could, being on my details, being as good as I could. And I think every player, all 11, took that serious. And with that being how he started, Thomas gave that to us and was just like, let's just have a great attitude and great effort. We can control what we can control and go out and execute what he calls, and I think that’s just what we did with better juice and energy and it led to a better outcome."

So there's every reason to believe it can continue.

They need to rally around something on special teams now, after the misfortune of a blocked field goal.

"Obviously, you look at some of the things that happened on the play, and that's unfortunate as well," Jones said. "But we're not going to point fingers, not going to do any of that. We're that close to us being in here cheering still probably.

"And it's just unfortunate. The biggest thing is looking at the film, seeing where each player can be better in protection and going from there."

The talk is cheaper on Monday, and they'll have to prove this one is a rallying point against another high-flying division opponent at home on Sunday.

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.