Bears Show Heart Without Earning the W

WATCH BEARS AND BUCCANEERS HIGHLIGHTS: Short-handed and struggling, the Bears found a way to stay close but Justin Fields was intercepted late in a 27-17 loss at Tampa.

It will go down as just another disappointing loss, the 12th straight, although no one can say the Bears failed to put their hearts into a 27-17 defeat Sunday by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Whether this got the 0-2 Bears another step closer to respectability remains to be seen.

"I see improvement, I really do," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. "I see guys fighting. I see us executing at a better clip. And it's a long season.

"And to me we've got to keep doing that and good things are going to happen."

They happened for a while Sunday.

The Bears stayed in a game in the Tampa heat when their defense was being bullied on the line of scrimmage, they had lost both starting safeties in the first half, not to mention their starting nickel back and guard Nate Davis before it even started. They even found a way to get into a position to tie or win on a final drive.

However, a second straight nightmare third quarter and then Justin Fields' inability to engineer a tying or winning drive at game's end, like so often last season, proved decisive.

"I think we came out for the game strong, scoring on the first drive and of course you want to come back and be able to maintain that, just have the firepower on offense to keep going," Fields said. 

They didn't, and went from that opening drive until the fourth quarter before getting to the end zone again.

"I think at the end of the day we've just got to execute, especially when we get the ball on the 50 we've at least got to get some points," Fields said. "And when our defense gives us good position we've got to turn it into points."

Needing a field goal to tie, Fields threw a 4-yard pick-6 to Shaq Barrett in a crowd on a screen pass with the Bears backed up at their own goal line and 2:03 remaining. Then he threw another interception, and the Bears had their 12th straight defeat.

"It's just about rhythm and timing of it," Eberflus said of the ill-fated screen. "It's a rhythm-and-timing play. We've just got to make sure we get that right. 

"And then (that) Shaq didn't make a nice play."

Fields finished 16 of 29 for 211 yards with a touchdown and two picks.

The Bears had absolutely no business being in the game at that point, having been mauled on the line of scrimmage all day on both sides. However, Baker Mayfield was efficient without being spectacular as the Bears defense gave up yards and not scores. Mayfield went 26 of 34 for 317 yards and was never sacked.

Down 10, Fields managed an eight-play, 90-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, ending on a 20-yard TD pass to Chase Claypool. 

Fields couldn't produce another drive like this when needed most, however.

The defense lost Eddie Jackson to a foot injury and eventually got back Jaquan Brisker after he left due to illiness. Their philosophy on the day seemed to be scorched earth. They gave up two drives of 77 yards, one of 62 yards, 58 yards, 84 yards and 37 yards, were outrushed 120 yards to 67, and outgained through the air 317-169, yet they wound up in position to win or tie the game with one more scoring drive.

This, after they roared downfield and used DJ Moore well on their first drive, Fields scoring on a bootleg run of 1 yard behind a Marcedes Lewis block for a 7-3 lead. Tampa Bay answered back with a Rachaad White 4-yard TD run to end a 77-yard drive and the Bears tied it on a 52-yard Cairo Santos field goal.

Moore wound up with six catches for 104 yards.

"Yeah, I mean, our main thought for this game was get him the ball," Fields said. "He's probably one of the best playmakers we have on offense, so just wanted to get him the ball." 

The Bears trailed 13-10 at halftime after giving up a 69-yard drive in the final two minutes and a 25-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal. Then Mike Evans beat Tyrique Stevenson for 32-yard TD catch with 4:06 left in the third quarter and a second straight barren third quarter on offense resulted in a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit.

The Bears had stayed in the game partly because of a Rasheem Green blocked 40-yard field goal and the defensive front managed to tighten up toward the end of each long Tampa Bay drive.

"I think we have a long way to go," Fields said. "But I just think if we keep working we'll get there. I think everybody has to keep that mindset. 

"I think in this position, 0-2, you can do one of two things and that's either lay down and, you know, just kind of throw in the towel and just say whatever. But I don't think anybody on this team is like that."

Eberflus isn't worried about the 12th straight loss dragging down his team. 

"No, not at all. This is 2023," he said. "There's a lot of guys in that locker room that weren't here last year, right? A bunch of them—free agents, draft guys, a bunch of guys we picked as a new football team.  

"So we're getting the chemistry together, we're getting the guys together that are playing together for the first time in a season and we will make that work and the guys are very optimistic about that."

Time trumps optimism, though, and with Kansas City coming up chances of the bottom line changing soon would appear slim. 

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