Bear Digest

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly for Bears Against Patriots

Analysis: The Bears actually did some things good during Sunday's 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots but the bad and the ugly from the game will make everyone forget those.

Gene Chamberlain

Caleb Williams pump-fakes on the run and throws in Sunday's 19-3 loss to New England.
Caleb Williams pump-fakes on the run and throws in Sunday's 19-3 loss to New England. / David Banks-Imagn Images
In this story:

Matt Eberflus is relying on memories to save the season.

After the game, in his talk to the players, he pointed out they can turn around the season still based on their past.

"We've got to take a good, hard look at everything that we're doing and play good, complementary football," Eberflus said.

The two big early plays by defense and special teams set up their offense.

"We have to do a good job of capitalizing on those to create momentum early," Eberflus said. "The great thing I told the players is that I said that we have evidence on tape of doing that.

"It would be different if you didn't have any evidence. We have evidence of that. It's the same guys in the room, same guys in the circle. So, it's important that we find a way to get that done."

They did, but those three weeks against struggling team seem so long ago now. A team that can't beat New England when they started off the game in Chicago making bad mistake is probably headed for a disappointing losing season.

The future is what's important, as well as what was good, bad and ugly about Sunday's Bears loss.

The Good

DeAndre Carter

His 38-yard punt return should have set up at least a field goal. They squandered it.

Also give credit to his blockers on the play as they set up a perfect wall down the sideline for him to run behind.

It was a play so well executed it didn't seem possible a team could do it and also look as bad as they did overall in the game.

T.J. Edwards Interception

Edwards made a key interception in the second quarter and also had a clutch third-down stop on Drake Maye with an ankle tackle just when the Patriots QB was starting to approach the line of scrimmage on a scramble, forcing a punt. Edwards' production was so good it was startling compared to what others did.

IDEAL POINT FOR A BEARS COACHING SHAKEUP LOOMS IF NOTHING CHANGES

NINE SACKS TAKEN TEACHES CALEB WILLIAMS PLENTY IN LOSS

FANS CHANT 'FIRE FLUS' IN MISERABLE 19-3 BEARS LOSS TO PATRIOTS

The Final Gun

It didn't come fast enough, but it finally did happen.

The Bad

Caleb Williams

He's not getting labeled under the "ugly" category for efforts in a game when he was hounded by the Patriots defense for nine sacks. Much of it wasn't his fault. There probably were only two or three sacks specifically resulting from him holding onto the ball too long.

Williams gets "the bad" label specifically for getting sacked outside of field goal range in the first quarter after this had happened a few other times to him. Each time he said he can't let that happen. And then each time he did it again.

In this case, he had plenty of time to throw away the football and still didn't do it, tempting fate.

The Bears need touchdowns, it's true. At this point points any old way would be a significant upgrade and he shouldn't be turning his nose up by trying recklessly to get the first down. Humbly take Cairo Santos' work next time.

Bears Offensive Line

Giving them an "ugly" wouldn't be fair due to the injuries they had. They finished with 40% of the offensive line starters on the field and used a combination that no one could have envisioned with backup center Doug Kramer playing guard. 

At least it kept Kramer occupied and away from playing fullback.

Teven Jenkins' ankle injury, combined with the knee injury he was suffering from earlier in the week, is going to make it tough for the Bears to justify a huge contract offer to him. The best ability is availability, but you really have to admire him for gutting it out this year through injuries to his ribs, ankle, knee and now ankle again.

When you're already playing with a line with two subs playing, it takes all the prep time possible. Whatever prep they did was then taxed beyond the barrier  after they had to switch up the lineup again with Kramer at guard.

There's a reason guys are subs and not starting.

Cole Kmet's Description

In the locker room afterward, tight end Cole Kmet used the word "funk" to describe the inability of the Bears offense to move the ball against the Patriots.

Fans in attendance had four-letter words for it, too. Some were even yelling something that began with the same letters as Kmet's word and variations of that word. Some were saying nothing because they were simply stunned into total silence by what they were watching.

The Bears offense looked like some electric cars in the Chicago area the last time a polar vortex went through the area in the dead of winter.

They didn't start. Just a dead hunk of metal.

The Ugly

Shane Waldron's WR Screens

They don't work and they're going to land DJ Moore in the hospital pretty soon. The blocking is horrific on them. They used to have Equanimeous St. Brown blocking on such plays under Luke Getsy but neither is around anymore. Maybe try passing it down the field instead. Just a thought.

Shane Waldron's Play Calling

Before, he made a play or two that had everyone scratching their heads or shouting insults.

Now, he looks like he broke it and can't figure out how to make it work again. Amazon doesn't deliver during the season for you. That's your offense and you broke it.

Shane Waldron's Offense

This was against a Patriots defense ranked 24th in the league, not the defenses of Bill Belichick.

The last time the Patriots held someone to 142 yards of offense was, well, it wasn't really that long ago.

In 2022 the Patriots did it in consecutive week, holding the Colts and Jets to 10. The coaches of those two teams aren't with the organizations anymore.

Matt Eberflus' HITS Principle

Coaches put the Bears to tough grading based on hustle, intensity, takeaways or turnovers and smart play. It's called Eberflus' HITS principle.

Maybe they should change it to the W principle and just worry about winning instead.

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.