The Chicago Bears have officially hit rock bottom. On Sunday, the Bears blew a 28-7 lead in the second half, en route to a 31-28 loss to the winless Denver Broncos, who gave up 70 points the previous week.
Chicago is in the 2016 Cleveland Browns and 2008 Detroit Lions territory with how poorly this team has been playing. Chicago has not won a game since Oct. 24, 2022, and they’re riding a 14-game losing streak, which continues to build on a franchise record.
Buy Bears TicketsWith how poorly everything has been going in Chicago, they’ve officially hit the bottom of the power rankings across the league. There’s no doubt, after Sunday’s loss, who the worst team in football is.
Bears Wire
Current Ranking: 32nd
Last Week’s Ranking: 31st
Author: Brendan Sugrue
Author’s take:
The Bears offense finally broke out, but a blown 21-point lead ruined any chances of them climbing out of the basement. The Bears are held back by their coaching and lack any cohesion at this point in the season.
Our take:
Just when we thought things could be changing, everything went back to normal in the fourth quarter and the Bears completely gave away a game they once led 28-7. Now, I am unsure if Chicago can beat anybody this season.
USA Today
Current Ranking: 32nd
Last Week’s Ranking: 32nd
Author: Nate Davis
Author’s take:
They extended their franchise-worst 14-game losing streak with a 21-point collapse that matched the worst in the club’s 104 seasons. Thursday at Washington is the first of Chicago’s four scheduled prime-time games. Guessing they’re not gonna keep all those fancy dates.
Our take:
In their 100-year history, the Bears have had some awful football teams, but none of them have lost 14 straight games. Just a month ago, fans and experts alike were expecting a lot from this team. Now, everybody is waiting for the end of the season to tear it down – and it’s only Week 5.
ESPN
Current Ranking: 32nd
Last Week’s Ranking: 32nd
Author: Courtney Cronin
Author’s take:
The Bears have two sacks in four games and have pressured opposing quarterbacks on 22% of dropbacks, which ranks 32nd. Chicago’s defense is slightly more aggressive and opportunistic in generating pressure after coach Matt Eberflus assumed defensive playcalling duties in Week 2, but it hasn’t resulted in increased production. Eberflus said the Bears would have to start sending five or six rushers if they struggle to get pressure with their four defensive linemen, and while Chicago did see an uptick in blitzes against Denver (27.6%), that strategy was one the Broncos were able to adjust to in the second half. The Bears’ D-line has six new players from a year ago, yet the upgrade in talent has not improved the team’s ability to get to the quarterback.
Our take:
It amazes me each week to see how poorly coached the defense is. Matt Eberflus was supposed to at least make this defense better. If anything, Ryan Poles and Eberflus have made the defense worse, not better. A lack of a pass rush has left their decently talented secondary out to try to be teed off on by opposing quarterbacks, week-by-week.
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 32nd
Last Week’s Ranking: 32nd
Author: Pete Prisco
Author’s take:
They blew a big lead to lose to the Broncos. But at least Justin Fields played well for most of the game. That’s a good sign.
Our take:
Sure, Fields looked good for most of the game – but this game was a must-win football game. Nothing good came out of the loss. There aren’t any building blocks. I think that loss was the final straw, at least of the Eberflus era, maybe of the Fields era too, despite how well he did play.
NFL.com
Current Ranking:
Last Week’s Ranking:
Author: Eric Edholm
Author’s take:
While I was sharpening my sardonic swords for whomever (the Bears or Broncos) ended up in this space, delivering any Bears barbs now would feel like piling on during what’s become a nightmare season. Blowing a 21-point lead to Denver hurts, but the suffering is becoming numbing. Unless you’re Matt Eberflus, who is feeling heat while presiding over a franchise-record losing streak. If there was a silver lining, it was that Justin Fields really had the kind of game (335 yards and four TDs passing) everyone in Chicago was hoping for this season, save for the two late turnovers. DJ Moore logging his best effort of the season helped, but it came on a day the Bears told fellow WR Chase Claypool to stay home. And they lost to a Broncos defense that has been steamrolled by others. But at least Fields showed something.
Our take:
For the first time this season, Fields showed something, but the defense couldn’t hold on, and when asked upon late in the game, Fields fumbled away and then threw a game-sealing interception. Now, we can sit and call those two plays out, but let’s also call out the field goal attempt that Eberflus passed up that could’ve put the Bears ahead 31-28 late in the fourth quarter. There’s a serious coaching problem in Chicago, which is why they’ve lost 14 straight games. And just because Fields looked good on Sunday doesn’t take away from his recent struggles.
