CHICAGO (670 The Score) — The Bears suffered a pair of losses Sunday, falling 19-13 to the Vikings and losing quarterback Justin Fields to a right thumb injury. Here are the observations from Soldier Field.
Misery reigns supreme
Just 10 days prior, the Bears had produced a complete performance in a 40-20 rout of the Commanders in primetime. It was a highlight in head coach Matt Eberflus' tenure in Chicago that has included few of them.
What did Eberflus and the Bears coaching staff do in those 10 days in between games? Clearly, it wasn’t enough to lead the team to consecutive wins. The Bears' latest disappointing performance was a considerable setback given the golden opportunity to put their season on a path toward being competitive. They didn’t play well enough and weren’t coached well enough.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s game plan wasn’t the same one that helped quarterback Justin Fields produce a combined 617 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns over the previous two games. The Bears didn't get top receiver DJ Moore involved early in this game.
Fields was 6-of-10 for 58 yards and an interception prior to exiting with his injury early in the third quarter. The injury occurred on a hit that he should’ve never even taken. Facing a third-and-7 with 10:43 remaining in the third quarter, Fields processed his reads slowly and held onto the football too long. Backpedaling to the left, he was taken down by Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter.
Fields had options available on the play — the underneath throw to tight end Cole Kmet, a checkdown on the sideline to running back Darrynton Evans and a brief passing lane for Moore over the middle. Instead, the play represented one of Fields' bad habits, and it could lead to him missing significant time. On Monday, Eberflus called Fields "doubtful" to play against the Raiders this upcoming Sunday and added the team doesn't have a timetable for his return.
Now, the Bears must press forward as a 1-5 football team playing without its quarterback and without an identity. Eberflus and his staff have failed to instill winning characteristics in the group. There are only a few blue-chip players who have emerged on the roster across the past two years, a far cry from the top teams in the NFL.
This looks to be another lost season for the Bears, who can soon turn more of their attention to the 2024 NFL Draft. The question is whether there will be significant change to come at Halas Hall.
The Eberflus-Poles regime is 4-19 and has yet to produce consecutive victories. The Bears aren't making progress toward building sustained success, as those four wins have been outliers, fleeting moments that are gone too soon.
Whitehair benched
On the second series that backup quarterback Tyson Bagent led Sunday, he suddenly had a new center in place. Lucas Patrick had stepped in while Cody Whitehair, one of the longest-tenured players and most respected figures on the roster, was benched.
Whitehair had struggled with his snapping throughout this game, as he often has during the course of his career. Despite that, Eberflus denied the notion that Whitehair was benched because of his snapping issues.
“It was more about settling down and putting the guy with more experience at center,” Eberflus said.
It's actually Whitehair, not Patrick, who has more game experience playing center in the NFL. Whitehair has 3,927 career snaps at center, compared to Patrick’s 1,258 snaps at the position.
Eberflus was right to pull Whitehair in favor of Patrick, who has been more consistent with his snapping. But once again, it seemed like Eberflus wasn't telling the full truth about a personnel change.
Eberflus has long refused to publicly condemn his players or team in situations like that in which criticism is warranted.
Shortly after the final whistle of this game, Whitehair had already cleared out his locker and left Soldier Field. He didn't speak with reporters.
Bagent’s time
It's time to see what the rookie Bagent can do.
Bagent, 23, is a fascinating figure as a former Division-II star at Shepherd University who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent. He threw for a Division-II record 17,034 passing yards and 159 touchdowns, the most ever at any level of NCAA football. Bagent had opportunities to finish his college career at a major program, but he elected to stay close to his family at Shepherd.
The NFL has seen unlikely stories like Bagent’s unfold before. The final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is the latest underdog to emerge, as he has become a legitimate MVP candidate. The Hall of Fame careers of Tom Brady and Kurt Warner remind us that success isn’t predicated solely on draft position.
Bagent has comfort in the Bears’ offense and confidence in his throwing abilities. There’s a foundation to work from, and the Bears are curious to see how Bagent can perform.
Extra points
-- Bears right guard Nate Davis is likely to have a lengthy absence after suffering a right ankle injury Sunday as Fields was pushed into him. Davis left Soldier Field on a cart and was unable to bear weight on his injured ankle. He had been playing really well the past two games.
-- The Bears opened the game with a six-play, three-yard drive that set the tone for a dreadful day at Soldier Field.
-- On third-and-7 at the Vikings' 38-yard line in second quarter, the Bears handed the ball off to Evans, who gained three yards, bringing Chicago to the 35-yard line. Getsy, Eberflus and the Bears chose to play for the field goal by getting kicker Cairo Santos into a more comfortable range rather than be aggressive in pushing for a potential first down and touchdown.
-- The Bears’ defense came to play in this one, holding the Vikings to just 220 yards of offense and 4.0 yards per play. It didn’t matter in the end.
-- Eberflus is 0-8 against NFC North foes in his time leading the Bears. Chicago hasn't won a game at Soldier Field since Sept. 25, 2022.
-- The Bears don’t do anything particularly well. This team simply doesn't have an identity.
-- There are still 11 more games to go in this season.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.