(670 The Score) The Bears' bottoming out continues.
The Bears lost 41-25 to the Packers on Sunday night at Lambeau Field, dropping their fifth straight game and falling to 5-6. Here are the observations from Chicago suffering another primetime loss.
'Giving up'
Late in the third quarter, Packers running back Jamaal Williams rushed 13 yards through the teeth of the Bears' defense and into the end zone.
Four Bears defenders got a hand on Williams, but nobody put much effort into making a tackle. Safety Eddie Jackson lowered a left shoulder, and Williams bounced right off him. That was the same Jackson who addressed teammates about effort after their previous loss on Nov. 16.
NBC analyst Tony Dungy called out the poor look of Chicago's defense.
"This is just poor tackling, and this is the Bears defense basically giving up," Dungy said.
That could be symbolic of the next phase of the Bears' free fall. It was the defense that carried Chicago through the first 10 games -- including a 5-1 start -- bailing out the offense and keeping games close. That wasn't the case Sunday.
The Bears' defense didn't seem interested in playing. The Packers marched 14 plays and 75 yards to the end zone on their opening drive, and the Bears couldn't do anything to stop it. By the second half, they had checked out.
"I'll never question (if) our guys quit," Nagy said when asked about Dungy's comment. "That's one thing that I'll never agree with anybody, is our guys quitting. I would disagree with that."
Did Nagy not see it or not want to acknowledge it? If he didn't recognize the quit in his team, he's missing the red flags. The Bears are growing more frustrated each game, and it's showing in their buy-in.
If Nagy doesn't get control of the Bears in the final five games, he won't be back as the head coach next season.
Trubisky's return
Of course quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was going to play with nothing to lose Sunday night.
On Friday, Trubisky admitted he felt blindsided by the Bears benching him in late September. He then sat idly by as Nick Foles started the next seven games and struggled to lead the offense. In the final season of his rookie contract, Trubisky got another chance when Foles suffered a hip injury on Nov. 16.
Trubisky wasn't going to rely on checkdowns or play it safe. He wanted to let it fly. Early in the second quarter, Trubisky uncorked a deep pass to the end zone, where two Packers defenders were running step for step with Bears receiver Darnell Mooney. The pass hit Packers safety Darnell Savage in stride for an interception.
Early in the third quarter, Trubisky threw a pass intended for receiver Anthony Miller, who had three Packers surrounding him. Savage picked it off once again.
Trubisky was 26-of-46 for 242 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He wasn't the Bears' greatest problem but also wasn't part of the solution.
The Bears have benched Trubisky for Foles and now gone back to Trubisky. They've switched play-callers from Nagy to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. The Trubisky-Lazor combination may be Chicago's best option, with Trubisky's mobility better complementing a struggling offensive line and Nagy benefitting from overseeing the entire team and not just the offense.
But if Trubisky's aggressiveness turns into recklessness, the Bears won't stand a chance.
All night long
On the Packers' opening drive, future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers did what he has done so many times. He stood in the pocket and waited calmly for an opening in coverage.
Rodgers had 5.61 seconds to throw on a third-and-10 play from the Bears' 12-yard line, with Chicago not even threatening with a rush. He found star receiver Davante Adams in the end zone for a touchdown.
The Bears already knew the importance of star defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, and they suffered because of his absence Sunday due to a hamstring injury. Chicago failed to sack Rodgers and didn't even register a quarterback hit.
Where was Robert Quinn to take advantage of opportunities off the edge opposite of star Khalil Mack? The Bears' big-money addition this past offseason, Quinn still has just one sack this season, coming in his first play in blue and orange. Quinn has been a complete disappointment in his first of five seasons under contract in Chicago.
The Bears have taken pride in their defensive line depth over the years, but they couldn't fill the void of Hicks. Rodgers kept taking advantage.
Shuffling the deck
Looking for offensive stability, the Bears reshuffled their line.
Cody Whitehair moved from center to left guard, with Sam Mustipher sliding in at center and Alex Bars moving to right guard. Germain Ifedi took over at right tackle, with Charles Leno Jr. being the lone lineman staying put at his familiar left tackle position.
The group played better with the exception of Leno, whose continued struggles could lead the Bears to find a replacement at left tackle in the offseason.
Extra points
-- Perhaps the Bears' lone positive was running back David Montgomery, who rushed 11 times for 103 yards. It marked the first time that Montgomery surpassed the century mark in rushing yards this season. His work included a 57-yard carry on the Bears' opening drive.
Montgomery found room to run through the middle thanks to the Bears' revamped interior offensive line. He's now averaging 4.0 yards per carry this season.
-- With his four touchdown passes Sunday, Rodgers reached 33 in 11 games this season. He passed the 30-touchdown mark for the seventh time in his career. The Bears have never had a quarterback throw 30 touchdowns in a season in their history.
-- Late in the first quarter, the Packers got star receiver Adams matched up on Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan. How did that happen? They schemed a crossing route on cornerback Kyle Fuller, who was giving a cushion in coverage. It was an example of the Packers out-coaching and outplaying the Bears.
-- One play after Adams beat Trevathan, Packers veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis ran right through Quinn on his way to the end zone. Quinn continues to provide the Bears with very little production.
-- After three quarters in Lambeau Field, the Bears' official Twitter account tweeted, "We just send the tweets." Nobody wants to take accountability for how bad this has gotten.
-- Marc Trestman was 1-3 against the Packers in his tenure as Bears coach. John Fox was was 1-5. Nagy is now 1-4.
-- Bears matriarch Virginia McCaskey, 97, made the trip north to sit atop Lambeau Field. You better believe she was pissed off again.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.