Struggling Chicago Bears face difficult task getting into NFC North contention after 4-4 start

 

[November 05, 2024]  By GENE CHAMBERLAIN

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — A 4-4 record itself is no reason for the Chicago Bears to be alarmed midway through the season.

The trend is the problem for coach Matt Eberflus and his staff, and unless it changes soon, the season and future of the team could become a more prominent question.

The Bears are coming off two devastating losses, one on a last-second Hail Mary pass at Washington and then Sunday’s 29-9 blowout at Arizona. And Eberflus thinks he knows what the biggest problem is for his struggling team.

“We’re working on exactly what we need to improve on and that, to me, starts with the run game on offense and then defense, and to me, everything falls off of that,” Eberflus said Monday. “We have to do a really good job of establishing that and that’s where you get your play-action passes and that’s where you get your play-action screens and putting yourselves in a good position to execute on third down if you get to that.”

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has struggled in road games with a 67.2 passer rating, compared to 105.1 at home, and the passing game ranks 28th overall in passing yards. The lack of a consistent rushing attack to help set up Williams' passing game has led to poor starts. The Bears have 10 first-quarter points.

“We need to get ready to play and ready to score points from drive one, from play one, and I think we have gotten ourselves into some negative plays, scenarios in those instances,” rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze said. “And we had flashes of great success on the first drive, too.

"So, we need to sustain that all the way into the end zone, so you know we can start fast. Set the tempo for the game.”

While the offense has been hampered by inconsistency, Chicago's defense had been solid — until Sunday. The Cardinals rushed for 213 yards in the victory. It was the most rushing yards allowed by the Bears since Jan. 1, 2023, against Detroit.

Chicago played without defensive lineman Montez Sweat because of a shin injury. It also lost defensive lineman Andrew Billings in the second half because of a pectoral injury. Eberflus didn’t have an update on Billings on Monday.

The team will take no drastic coaching actions, like giving offensive play-calling duties to someone besides offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, Eberflus said.

“The changes we’re going to make is we’re going to look inward and make sure we do a good job of utilizing our talents and our skill and really just general, basic execution of our plan,” Eberflus said.

Chicago Bears center Coleman Shelton (65) and running back D'Andre Swift (4) leave the field after of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Ultimately, the Bears say they’re 4-4 and it doesn’t seem like the worst record. Playing in an NFC North where every other team is ahead of them with at least six wins will make the rest of the season difficult. They still have all six NFC North games to play.

What’s working

Pass defense. Even without starting safety Jaquan Brisker for three games due to a concussion, slot cornerback Kyler Gordon for two games with a hamstring injury and the Hail Mary TD pass, the Bears are eighth against the pass and No. 3 in defensive passer rating and red zone defense.

What needs help

The passing game. Williams has a 65.4 passer rating and 49.2% completion rate (32 of 65) in the last two games after he had been red hot. He had a 106.4 passer rating with nine TDs and three interceptions the previous four games against struggling defenses, but the Cardinals defense had struggled until Sunday.

Stock up

Odunze had his second 100-yard game with 104 yards on five catches Sunday, but Williams had problems finding his other receivers.

Stock down

Tight end Cole Kmet was on a path toward his best season after six games and after Sunday it’s as if he doesn’t exist in the passing attack. He wasn’t targeted once in Sunday’s loss, one week after he wasn’t targeted once against Washington.

Injuries

Chicago came out of the eighth game with huge concerns. Right tackle Darnell Wright has a knee injury and Billings is dealing with the pectoral injury. Starting left tackle Braxton Jones missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury, so keeping Williams protected could become a problem. They’re still waiting for Brisker, Gordon and Sweat to return.

Key numbers

3 — The number of road wins by Eberflus’ Bears teams in 21 tries.

Next steps

The Bears host New England on Sunday at Soldier Field, where they have won eight straight.

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