Losing Wears on Beat-Up Bears Defense

Another long fourth-quarter opposing drive when the Bears needed to have the ball only shows how worn out the defense is.

USA Today

Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara played one of his better games in Sunday's 22-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and rarely is he at a loss for wisdom or wit regardless of verdicts.

Amukamara referred reporters to a moment earlier in his career while with the Giants as he tried to explain how the Bears would handle four consecutive defeats.

"It is not what we envision for ourselves but we are to blame, we put ourselves in this mess," Amukamara said. "I remember one of the best coaches I used to play for, (former Giants coach) Tom Coughlin, would say 'When you are going through hell, keeping going through, do not camp there, don’t stand there.'

"And that is what we have to do. I know that you (reporters) know this, but a win would cure a lot of things for us and then you guys won't have a whole bunch of questions for us."

.@FiftyDeuce: “I love this game and I’m gonna give it everything I got every time I’m on the field.” pic.twitter.com/iXPRzCpMOa

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 4, 2019

After four straight losses and a 3-5 record, there's sure to be a whole bunch of questions for them anyway.

On Sunday, one for the defense was how they could pull it together so well in the second half, and then give up four third-down conversions on the game-sealing drive in the fourth quarter by the Eagles.

The classic ball-control drive covered 8:14 and 69 yards in 16 plays. Combined with Adam Shaheen's bumbling, stumbling and fumbling on the ensuing pooch kick, and the Bears were done.

"It was very uncharacteristic of us," Amukamara said. "Just with how everything went in that game and how we were still in the game and to not get off the field, we have to go to back to the board and correct that.

"I feel like that is how it has been the entire year, with us not getting off the field, we have to correct that."

The Bears defense has acquired a taste for coughing up yardage at the worst possible time. It goes all the way back to the Eagles playoff game.

"On their part there was good play calling and execution, on our part, we pretty much didn’t execute as well," cornerback Kyle Fuller said.

The Bears also did this against Denver in the fourth quarter in a win, the Raiders in the fourth quarter in a loss, the Chargers last week in the fourth quarter and now the Eagles again in a loss.

Sunday they held wide receiver Alshon Jeffery in check, but Eagles tight ends made the ball control possible with 13 catches for 142 yards.

Common sense says being on the field for more than 40 minutes in a 60-minute game wears a defense down by the fourth quarter. They wore down Sunday trying to bring down Jordan Howard (82 yards rushing) or chase and Zach Ertz (9 receptions).

The Bears defensively are playing a doubleheader every Sunday because Sunday is a day of rest for their offense.

"We just didn’t execute," outside linebacker Khalil Mack said. "There's nothing more to really be said about it. We just have to do a better job of executing to give our offense the ball back."

The defense remains defiant as it can be without its best run stopper, Akiem Hicks, and with his running mate Eddie Goldman now injured. Goldman went out in the first half with a thigh injury in Sunday's game.

"All it takes is that one win," Mack said. "Once we get that we'll be able to keep on winning. But we just have to keep on working hard. It's going to all come together."

They've been to hell, and now they'd like to say they've been to hell and back.

Twitter@BearsOnMaven