Mistakes Push Bears to Rock Bottom in Loss to Titans

Tennessee built a 24-3 lead and held on for a 24-17 victory over the Bears, who played a makeshift offensive line due t COVID-19.

Now officially in free fall, the Chicago Bears on Sunday hit rock bottom.

They had already broken into pieces before crashing.

Their 24-17 defeat by the Tennesee Titans was entirely predictable because of the loss of much of their offensive line due to injuries and COVID-19.

It was also easy to see coming considering how poorly they've played on offense throughout the season.

"Obviously a high level of frustration," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "Any time you lose three games in a row, you feel that way. We didn't do enough offensively to get the job done.

"I thought our defense played really, really well. They're doing everything that we're asking them to do and trying to get that field position going."

The defense held Derrick Henry to 68 yards rushing and limited Tannehill to 10 of 21 for 158 yards in one of their better all-around games of the year, yet penalties at critical times, the first two lost fumbles and an offensive line in tatters due to illness and injuries failed to accomplish anything until after Tennesee built a 24-3 lead.

"Today obviously we fell short," quarterback Nick Foles said. "Another tough game, but the guys kept playing until the clock hit zero—not and easy one but there's something that you can build on there.' 

They seemed determined to overcome starting an offensive line with seventh-round rookie Arlington Hambright at guard, backup guard Alex Bars at center and left guard backup Rashaad Coward at riight tackle. But the first drive bogged down with a failed fourth-down run by David Montgomery and they struggled thereafter to a third straight loss and 5-4 record after they once led the NFC North.

"When you're sitting 5-1, to be 5-4 it hurts," Nagy said. "But now we've gotta make sure, whatever those issues are, we just at some point in time get this thing back on track."

The issues were largely penalties and mistakes at inopportune times over the last three games. This time the first was Allen Robinson's for not stretching out and getting a first down on the first drive after a catch along the sidelines, before David Montgomery was stuffed on a fourth-down play.

Then the third quarter produced its usual share of Bears misasdventures, as they reached Tennessee's 31 on their first possesions, then had consecutive false starts from Hambright and Jimmy Grhaham.

"We knocked ourselves out of field goal range with penalties and things like that," Robinson said. "It felt like whenever we had some momentum going or whenever we had the ball rolling, we just couldn't get over the hump."

Soft pass coverage late let Foles finish with 355 yards passing, touchdowns of 6 yards to Ryan Nall and 8 to Graham, but the offense did little when it mattered and they even let the Titans score on defense.

Desmond King had been with the Titans for less than a week but picked up the first Bears lost fumble of the year after Montgomery coughed up a screen pass. King returned it 63 yards for a touchdown and 17-0 Tennessee lead.

A Ryan Tannehill 2-yard TD pass to Jonnu Smith put the game out of the Bears' reach at 24-3. The margin was reduced to 24-17 but the Bears' last bid with an onside ick was denied with a minute remaining.

The three-game losing streak is starting to sound familiar to last year.

"Every year is different," linebacker Danny Trevathan said. "I try not to piggyback off of last year and the previous years and all this and that. What I will say is that we are a growing team. We had a lot of stuff that popped up, lot of injuries, lot of situations with COVID and all this and that.

"That's not an excuse—that's facts. We have to rise all above that, put that (excrement)—put that stuff aside, excuse me—put that stuff aside and let's go out there and execute football. Put together four quarters."

At this point, a couple positive plays in succession might be nice.

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