The Bears fell 17-16 to the Chargers on Sunday at Soldier Field, dropping to 3-4 and into last place in the division. In the aftermath, coach Matt Nagy and his players again spoke of how they plan to respond, but it's difficult to envision solutions surfacing this season.
Here are the key takeaways from Bears-Chargers:
The build-up to Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro's game-winning field-goal attempt proved to be bizarre, with the Soldier Field crowd and observers unsure as to why Nagy elected to take a knee with 43 seconds remaining with the ball at the Chargers' 21-yard line.
It was only second down, and the Bears had the opportunity to gain more yards -- or at least set up Pineiro with a center location.
"I'm not even going to get into that," Nagy said. "I had zero thought of running the ball and not kicking it. The chances of fumbling the football -- they know you're running the football, so you lose three, four yards. That wasn't even in our process as coaches to think about that.
"Throwing the football right then and there, what happens if you take a sack or fumble? There was zero thought of that. I'll just be brutally clear: zero thought or throwing the football, zero thought of running the football. That's exactly what it was. It's as simple as that."
Nagy has defended quarterback Mitchell Trubisky all season long, expressed his faith in rookie running back David Montgomery and stated his belief in the offensive line. But the lack of action in this pivotal situation revealed how Nagy truly feels about his Bears offense, which still ranks as one of the NFL's worst units.
Meanwhile, Nagy's fears of an offensive mistake kept him from considering what was best for Pineiro, who dealt with his first daunting Soldier Field wind Sunday. Pineiro missed a 33-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter that was affected by the wind. He later hit a 25-yard field goal by striking a low line drive to avoid the elements.
As the Bears drove Pineiro into position, he spent timeout breaks on the field attempting to get a read of the wind. His discomfort was clear as he read the right-to-left wind in the north end zone. Set on the left hash mark, Pineiro had a challenging kick awaiting him.
"It's my job," Pineiro said of the challenges with the wind. "I got to learn how to figure it out. There are no excuses. Missed the kick, lost the game."
While Pineiro owned up to his miscues, Nagy refused to take the blame for his own.
The Bears took a step toward offensively as the rookie Montgomery finally saw a full workload.
Montgomery carried 27 times for a career-best 135 yards, showcasing his vision, elusiveness and toughness. He looked like the standout from his film at Iowa State. It proved to be the positive on another disappointing day for the Bears.
The Bears became the final team in the NFL to surpass the 300-yard mark on offense this season, posting 388 yards Sunday. As long as Nagy can stay committed to the running game, the Bears have a chance to move the football.
The concern is that Trubisky continued scuffling as the Bears established the ground game. He took advantage of some openings in the passing game thanks to the balanced offense, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt and hitting five passes of more than 20 yards. But Trubisky also had two turnovers in the fourth quarter -- an inexcusable interception and game-changing fumble -- that contributed to the loss.
With 9:39 remaining, Trubisky had receiver Taylor Gabriel wide open after he broke free out of the slot. Trubisky missed his mark on a play could've gone for the game-sealing touchdown. One play later, he fumbled the football away. The Chargers took over at the Bears' 26-yard line and scored the go-ahead touchdown three plays later.
On Sunday, the Bears had a more efficient offense but not one that made winning plays.
The Bears employ seven tight ends but have zero answers for a pivotal position in Nagy's offense.
Top tight end Trey Burton caught one pass for 16 yards. That was the entirety of the production from the tight end position for the Bears on Sunday. With the trade deadline looming at 3 p.m. CT Tuesday, it's worth wondering whether Bears general manager Ryan Pace will make a move to address that position.
The winless Bengals could move veteran tight end Tyler Eifert, and he likely wouldn't require a major return. While the Falcons reportedly don't plan to move tight end Austin Hooper, it can't hurt for the Bears to put together an offer.
Pace and the Bears are limited with potential trade packages after giving up draft capital in recent seasons in trades to acquire star pass rusher Khalil Mack and others. A potential solution could be to release running back Mike Davis, which would let the Bears retain the fourth-round compensatory pick for safety Adrian Amos leaving in free agency.
It will be interesting to see what Pace and the Bears do -- or don't do -- Tuesday afternoon.
After cornerback Kyle Fuller intercepted Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, the Bears defense once again gathered and danced. They did the Cha-Cha Slide in the end zone.
It was a reminder that the Bears' 2018 season -- with wins led by a dominant defense -- wasn't that long ago. Though this dance came in a loss, the Bears seemed to regain their swagger on defense.
The Bears held the Chargers to just 231 yards of offense on 42 plays, though they only recorded just the one takeaway and a single sack.
While the Bears weren't dominant on defense, they responded well from two ugly performances.
Now comes the hard part of the Bears' schedule.
In their final nine games, the Bears play just one team that currently has a losing record -- the Giants (2-6) on Nov. 24. After being the betting favorites in each of their first seven games, the Bears will be the underdog in most of their remaining contests.
-- The Bears used to get off the bus running. So the eruption at Soldier Field for an I-formation on the first play from scrimmage was something. Montgomery took that carry for 10 yards and a first down.
-- Linebacker Roquan Smith was engaged Sunday, showing his best form since missing a game on Sept. 29 due to personal reasons. Smith played in 40 of the 45 defensive snaps.
-- It shouldn't be so difficult for an offense to gain 300 yards.
-- Trubisky's fourth-quarter interception conjured memories of Jay Cutler, with a forced throw read by a veteran cornerback in Casey Hayward, who made an easy pick.
-- Remember when the Bears used to make the red-zone fun? There was the "Santa's Sleigh" play for then-tackle Bradley Sowell, the "Freezer Right" run for defensive lineman Akiem Hicks and other unique looks. Now, the goal line looks like a 10-foot wall.
-- Credit to Trubisky, who drove the Bears into position for the game-winning field-goal attempt. His 11-yard scramble showed the kind of playmaking ability the Bears hope to see more from him.
-- After the players-only meeting last week, will anything be said now?
-- The honeymoon period for Nagy has crashed down hard.