CHICAGO (670 The Score) — The regular season finished the same way it started for the Bears – with back-to-back losses and alarm bells sounding.
The Bears lost 19-16 to the Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field in their regular-season finale. They still secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC thanks to the Commanders' 24-17 win over Eagles, who rested most of their starters despite still having the chance to move up one seed line.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson hoped his team would handle the Lions, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention. He wanted to see the Bears clinch the No. 2 seed on their own terms and avenge their ugly 52-21 loss to the Lions in Detroit on Sept. 14.
Instead, Johnson was clearly frustrated following a poor performance by his Bears.
“We’re quickly turning the page here,” Johnson said. “Everyone is disappointed. I appreciated their effort. Some teams, they rest their starters. We don’t. We play football.
“We felt like it was really important that we were playing our best ball here today, and we didn’t get that job done.”
The Bears trailed 16-0 before quarterback Caleb Williams’ 25-yard touchdown to rookie receiver Jahdae Walker in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Chicago also converted the two-point try to make it a one-score game. Williams then led a game-tying scoring drive, finding rookie tight end Colston Loveland on a one-yard touchdown pass with 5:25 remaining and then tight end Cole Kmet on the two-point conversion.
It seemed the Bears were on the cusp of another thrilling comeback victory when linebacker T.J. Edwards tipped a ball into the hands of safety Kevin Byard for an interception that gave Chicago the ball at its own 26-yard line with 2:11 remaining. That was more than enough time for Williams to drive his team downfield for a go-ahead field goal.
What followed instead was a three-and-out by Williams and the Bears offense in an ugly sequence that included an intentional grounding penalty. With the Bears facing fourth-and-5 from their own 31-yard line with 1:55 remaining, Johnson briefly considered going for it before electing to punt. The Lions never relinquished the football.
The Bears’ scuffling defense allowed the Lions to march 39 yards in six plays, which set up kicker Jake Bates for a game-winning 42-yard field goal as time expired. The Bears received a break minutes later when the Commanders finished off their victory over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni elected to rest many key players – namely quarterback Jalen Hurts and star running back Saquon Barkley – prioritizing rest rather than the No. 2 seed.
For his part, Johnson said he wasn’t watching the scoreboard of the Eagles’ game against the Commanders. He was focused on the Bears handling their part.
Johnson’s frustration was matched by his players, who were dejected inside the home locker room.
“Use our competitive edge, use our anger from this week, push it to next week,” Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “And use it as positive fuel for us.”
Williams was 20-of-33 for 212 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the regular-season finale of his second NFL season. His 25-yard scoring strike to Walker gave him the Bears’ single-season passing record. He threw for 3,942 yards in 17 games to break Erik Kramer's previous record of 3,838 passing yards in 1995, and he came up 58 yards shy of becoming the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passer.
Williams' franchise record and pursuit of the 4,000-yard mark was a subplot he wasn't interested in discussing after the loss.
“No, we need to win the game,” Williams said. “Didn’t want to leave it up to another team to be in the seed we wanted to be in.
“That (record) is the number, and so be it.”
The Lions picked apart the Bears’ porous defense by compiling 433 yards and averaging 6.0 yards per play. That continued an alarming trend for the Bears defense, which struggled early in the season mainly due to injuries but which just hasn't gotten better even as it has gotten healthier.
A week prior, the 49ers posted 42 points and 496 yards in a shootout victory over the Bears. That same San Francisco offense managed just 173 yards in a 13-3 loss to Seattle on Saturday.
The main difference for the Bears defense Sunday was that it forced the Lions to settle for field goals four times.
Johnson hoped the Bears would be playing their best football heading into the postseason, but that isn't the case. The Bears' loss to the Lions showcased familiar concerns for them. Their offense rarely starts games well, and their beleaguered defense can't consistently get off the field unless it's forcing turnovers at a high rate.
The Bears have seldom played a complete game this season. They've gotten away with inconsistent play against lesser competition like the Raiders, Commanders, Bengals, Giants and Vikings. Of course, their most triumphant comeback of the season came when they rallied to beat the Packers in overtime on Dec. 20 at Soldier Field.
The Bears will host the Packers next Saturday night in a much-anticipated matchup in the wild-card round. The Bears split their first two games against the Packers this season but played from behind in both games.
Johnson hopes the Bears can put their loss Sunday behind them and start anew in the playoffs as a better team.
“I let them know it’s a new season,” Johnson said. “We’re starting fresh right now. If we want to make the most out of this new season, we got to go on a four-game winning streak, which we’ve done twice already this year.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.