The Chicago Bears were blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs, 41-10, in a game that was lost within the first five minutes. Simply put: It was a complete disaster.
The Bears have now lost 13 consecutive games dating back to last season (where Matt Eberflus is 3-17 in his tenure), and they’re staring down a 0-3 start with the Denver Broncos on deck. Things feel like they’re spiraling out of control through the first three weeks, and it’s clear that there needs to be accountability within the organization.
Buy Bears TicketsThere was plenty to break down following Chicago’s embarrassing loss to Kansas City, including an ineffective offense, brutal defense and a coaching staff that needs to be held accountable. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 3 game.
The Bears’ Week 3 loss vs. Chiefs
Alyssa Barbieri
I went into this game fully expecting it to be a double-digit loss for the Bears where the Chiefs easily covered the spread. I didn’t expect it to be the absolute mess that it was. Things spiraled out of control quickly for Chicago, who trailed 31-0 at halftime, during a week that was one for the ages.
This team that saw upgrades across most position groups is somehow worse than last year’s squad, which at least fought during its 10-game losing streak. The offense looked inept — and went away from the few things that actually worked early on. The defense couldn’t stop anyone — even when Kansas City’s backups were in. Players looked shell-shocked on the sideline. The Bears were embarrassed — again — in front of most of the country.
The thing is, I’m not even convinced this is rock bottom. Because we all know what’s going to happen next: Absolutely nothing. No one is going to be held accountable on the coaching staff or front office. Matt Eberflus is going to continue pretending everything’s fine as his team rides a 13-game losing streak. The offense will continue to be dysfunctional. A defense missing perhaps its entire starting secondary will continue to struggle. The Bears will continue to lose games. Things will get uglier. The only question is: Will Kevin Warren eventually step in and make a change?
Also: How the hell did we get here, after Week 3, no less?
Brendan Sugrue
To quote the great Dewey Wilkerson from Malcolm in the Middle, “I expect nothing, and I’m still let down.” The Bears were never going to win this game. It was basically chalked up as an automatic loss when the schedule was released in May. But even though they all show up as losses in the record book, they’re not all equal. This game was 31-0 at halftime thanks to a soft defensive scheme and costly turnovers from a lackluster offense. The fact that the Chiefs took their foot off the gas midway through the third quarter was merciful. They could have easily hung 60 points on the Bears.
Seeing the overall effort after the week this team had was especially disappointing. With the noise surrounding the resignation of former defensive coordinator Alan Williams and the honesty of quarterback Justin Fields, this was the perfect opportunity to bring this team together and at least compete with the reigning Super Bowl champions. They couldn’t even do that. Kansas City toyed with them until they were bored. FOX couldn’t even keep the game on national television or rely on Taylor Swift’s appearance to maintain viewership. All of it lands at the feet of Matt Eberflus.
It’s safe to say the burners under the proverbial hot seat have been turned up a notch. Eberflus is now 3-17 during his tenure, and everything that made him such a quality coaching candidate (strong defense, player effort, turnovers) has yet to show up this year. The only reason Chicago finally forced any turnovers was because Blaine Gabbert relieved Patrick Mahomes. If a team has their starters on the field, it’s likely going to be a disaster.
Offensively, I continue to say Justin Fields and Luke Getsy don’t work well together, and that grows truer every week, no matter how many times we see them hug at practice. Even with more designed rollouts and runs, Fields still doesn’t look comfortable in the pocket. It’s downright scary how afraid he is to throw the ball at times, even when protection is solid. When he has thrown the ball, he’s been inaccurate, especially downfield. It’s sad to say, but Fields isn’t going to thrive in this offense, and he’s better off restarting his career elsewhere at this point.
Many fans are already looking towards the 2024 NFL Draft, and I understand why. It would be nice, however, if the Bears gave everyone a reason to focus on the season at hand. It’s only September, but it already feels like the season is lost.
Lucas Hunt
This game was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Every phase of the game continued to be dysfunctional and broken, and the Chiefs showed the Bears what it means to be a well run organization. Very tough decisions will need to be made over the next few weeks, and somehow we still have 14 weeks left of football.
Buckle up, Bears fans. We’re in it for the long haul.
Ryan Fedrau
Not surprising, but disappointing. The Bears continue to regress and get worse, week-by-week, under Matt Eberflus. When Eberflus was hired, he said all the right things and had that look of a rough and rowdy defensive head coach. Now, we’re living in the midst of a 13-game losing streak, the worst in franchise history. It’s time to clean house, again.
