KANSAS CITY, Mo. (670 The Score) — Late in the third quarter of a game long decided, fans left their seats at Arrowhead Stadium and walked to the exits. Lines of cars began to build in the parking lots, and a venue that owns a Guinness World Record for crowd noise became quiet as no drama or suspense remained.
The Bears were embarrassed by the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in a 41-10 loss Sunday on the road. Chicago trailed 41-0 in the third quarter before reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes was pulled from the game to rest.
The Bears' 13th consecutive loss was by far the worst of their streak, showcasing a team that seems to be regressing instead of improving.
“I mean, we just got our ass kicked,” Bears tight end Cole Kmet said.
It was just two weeks ago that Soldier Field was filled with renewed hope for the Bears. Following a 3-14 campaign in 2022, general manager Ryan Poles worked to upgrade the roster in the offseason. Coach Matt Eberflus stood confident in a path forward. There was reason to believe Chicago could contend for the postseason.
That season-opening Sunday now feels like it was ages ago. On this Sunday, the Bears were reminded by the reigning champions how far away they are from just being competitive.
Eberflus doesn’t seem to have any solutions for the Bears, and he’s also lacking explanations for how this has happened.
"I'm not making excuses, because we should be farther ahead,” Eberflus said after his 17th loss in 20 games as Chicago's head coach. “But we are playing together for the first time, practicing together for the first time. We're going to see it come together.
“It will crack. It will crack.”
While their defense has been completely revamped, the Bears aren't quite as new of a group as Eberflus suggested, considering that nine of their starters on offense Sunday were on their team last season. Of those nine, eight played key roles. That said, there are few proven building blocks on the roster as the Bears look toward the future with great uncertainty.
Quarterback Justin Fields seems to have regressed in his third NFL season. On Sunday, he was 11-of-22 for 99 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Fields’ lone touchdown pass came with 4:20 remaining in a game as many key Chiefs players rested on the sideline.
The Bears managed just 203 total yards of offense, where they continue to lack an identity.
“We've just got to keep working and just win this next one coming up,” Fields said. “Yeah. That's all we can do is keep working and keep going.”
Mahomes was removed from the game during the third quarter after going 24-of-33 for 272 yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs racked up 453 total yards of offense and scored on all but one of their Mahomes-led drives.
Since he was hired by the Bears in January 2022, Eberflus has been intent on creating a winning culture. Instead, Chicago is 3-17 under Eberflus’ leadership and hasn’t won a regular-season game since last October.
And those losses are taking a toll on this Bears team.
“I’m tired of losing,” veteran pass rusher DeMarcus Walker said. “I don’t like losing.”
This Bears loss came after they endured a tumultuous past week. One of Eberflus' most trusted lieutenants, defensive coordinator Alan Williams abruptly resigned, citing health and family reasons. There was more to the story, as Williams’ resignation was the result of inappropriate activity that wasn't criminal in nature but did lead to the team's human resources department to get involved, ESPN reported Sunday.
Fields cited "coaching" as part of the reason for why he was overthinking on the field, and he called upon second-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy to do more to help him play “free.” The Bears have also lost safety and team captain Eddie Jackson to a foot injury and have been forced to constantly shuffle their offensive line and secondary.
The Bears are a team in turmoil, and it’s all their own doing. They're getting worse with each game and aren't showing any clear signs of improvement.
"All we need is one to get this thing going,” Fields said. “The Lions started 1-6 last year and they almost made the playoffs. Just keep that faith. In the big picture, it's the third game of the season. We got 14 left, at least."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.