INGLEWOOD, Calif. (670 The Score) -- Rams receiver Cooper Kupp was 10 yards away from three Bears defensive backs who could only watch as he hauled in a game-changing 56-yard touchdown from quarterback Matthew Stafford.
None of those Bears defenders seemed to know what had happened. Afterward, coach Matt Nagy wasn’t sure either. He and his beleaguered defense will rewatch the film of a 34-14 loss to the Rams and dissect not just that third-quarter coverage breakdown -- one of several game-changing miscues defensively -- but the collective struggles of a defense that believes it’s still great but didn't showcase it Sunday.
The Bears have carried that collective confidence since the unit's dominant 2018 season, but the opening loss at SoFi Stadium revealed a defense that could be their downfall.
“Definitely doesn’t sit well,” Bears linebacker Roquan Smith said. “We know that’s not our style.
“We all have to look ourselves in the mirror and get better from it.”
When the final whistle sounded, the Rams had posted 386 total yards of offense and 7.7 yards per play. A former division nemesis in Detroit, Stafford went 20-of-26 for 321 yards, three touchdowns and a career-best 156.1 passer rating in his Rams debut.
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The Bears didn't have an answer for Stafford and were baffled on several occasions by the pre-snap motions set in Rams coach Sean McVay’s offense, with the Chicago secondary failing to communicate. There are fundamental details the Bears can fix in practice this week, but at the foundation of the poor performance was a lack of production from Chicago’s top defensive players.
On the Rams’ 67-yard touchdown in the first quarter, veteran safety Eddie Jackson – who has the team's third-largest salary on the books – strode by Rams receiver Van Jefferson as the latter had fallen to the ground while catching a long pass. Jefferson emerged from the the turf with a Bear touching him and continued another 15 yards into the end zone. After speaking of improved tackling this past week, Jackson missed the easiest tackle of his career. So too did fellow safety Tashaun Gipson Jr., a 10-year NFL veteran who made a rookie mistake. Meanwhile, Bears star pass rusher Khalil Mack had just one assisted tackle and nothing more in the box score.
It was Jackson and Gipson – along with nickel cornerback Marqui Christian – who were left watching again later as Kupp hauled in the deep ball from Stafford in the third quarter to put the Rams up 20-7. Christian was assigned the initial coverage of Kupp but stopped his stride with the receiver. The Bears didn't make clear whether it was the fault of Christian or the failure of a safety to pick up the coverage.
“They had too many,” Nagy said of the Rams’ explosive plays. “You can’t give those big plays up for touchdowns.
“We got to get that fixed. But I have a lot of belief in our guys, I really do.”
For his part, Nagy shared an upbeat tone about the Bears’ offense in its performance against the NFL’s reigning top-ranked defense. The Bears established the ground game in the season opener, with running back David Montgomery carrying 16 times for 108 yards and a touchdown.
The Bears also debuted rookie quarterback Justin Fields for five plays in special packages that sidelined starter Andy Dalton. The No. 11 pick in the NFL Draft in April, Fields scored his first NFL touchdown on a three-yard run in the third quarter.
Nagy and the Bears seem content with Fields serving in this part-time role while Dalton leads the offense forward as the starter.
"J. Fields is special,” Montgomery said. “He already has a natural aura to himself that changes the flow of how things go.”
Added Fields: “"However my role plays out, I'm going to be here for the team. Whatever this team and coach Nagy need me to do to help us win, I'm going to do."
After making their bold move to trade up for Fields, the Bears remained committed to Dalton as their starter – a plan from which they never altered course. The belief for Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace was that the 33-year-old Dalton offered Chicago its best chance at victory while the 22-year-old Fields was better served developing as the team’s backup.
Regardless of whether it’s Dalton or Fields starting at quarterback, the Bears can't play complementary football with their defense proving to be porous. Any strides made by Nagy’s offense must be matched by better play on defense.
Sunday marked just the beginning of a daunting schedule of quarterbacks the Bears will have to face this season. Their opposing signal-callers have combined for 46 Pro Bowl honors and include three of the last four MVPs (Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and Tom Brady).
The Bears can't afford to stand idly by and just believe their defense will be great again.
"We know that we can improve,” Nagy said. “That's what we'll do. Our guys need to make sure they evaluate themselves, are tough on themselves and then we (need to) as coaches too."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.