(670 The Score) After an alarming Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis, a 21-16 loss to the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, suddenly questions outnumber answers again for the Bears.
The beginning of fall indeed.
How seriously can anyone really take the Bears as a playoff-caliber team when they can't even beat a winless Colts team led by an erratic quarterback? Can we still be so certain they'll win more games than they'll lose?
Why didn't coach Matt Eberflus anticipate going for two after the Bears pulled within 14-9 in the fourth quarter instead of burning a timeout they could've used later? Is it fair to hold coaching and a lack of discipline responsible for the neutral-zone infraction on fourth-and-2 with 3:40 left in the third quarter that allowed the Colts to gain a first down and score a touchdown six plays later?
How much has faith in Eberflus started to waver after a second straight game in which his sideline decision-making processes warranted immediate and obvious scrutiny?
What was offensive coordinator Shane Waldron thinking calling 60 pass plays against a Colts defense that came in ranked dead last in the league against the run? Do you blame the offensive line or Waldron for the Bears managing only 63 yards rushing on 28 carries? Whose idea was it to let tight end Cole Kmet block the Colts' quickest pass rusher, rookie Laiatu Latu, one-on-one with 6:46 left in the game, a mistake that Latu exploited with a sack-strip-fumble of Caleb Williams?
Which defense came in supposedly soft against the run, the one that allowed Jonathan Taylor to ramble for 110 yards and two touchdowns or the one that allowed 2.3 yards per carry playing without its best defensive lineman, a fact that Waldron must've forgotten?
Speaking of Waldron, what in the name of Barry Switzer was he thinking calling an option play on fourth-and-goal instead of something that, at the very least, gave Williams a chance to make a play?
And what exactly is Waldron's fascination with the shotgun formation on short-yardage plays and in the red zone?
On third-and-10 deep in Colts territory with 2:30 left and the Bears trailing 21-9, with a banged-up D.J. Moore on the sideline and an injured Keenan Allen not suited up, why did the best remaining receiver, Rome Odunze, go in motion and never pass the line of scrimmage instead of running a pattern downfield?
If Bears general manager Ryan Poles, an offensive lineman at Boston College, truly understands the position, why has he done such a lousy job of assembling one in three seasons in Chicago?
Did Williams show progress in going 33-of-52 for 363 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions or reveal inaccuracy that didn't surface in preseason or at USC? Do you feel better or worse about Williams being a quarterback the Bears can win because of?
What now for the Bears?
At 1-2, now the questions only get tougher and the answers more elusive. Heading into a three-game stretch against beatable opponents before the bye week, the faceless Bears must first establish an identity before anyone can cite the schedule. If you think the Bears are happy about playing the Rams, Panthers and Jaguars in succession the next three games, you should see the smiles on the faces of the Rams, Panthers and Jaguars as they circle those dates on their calendars.
Oh, the Bears are back, all righty – back to being a team that can't get out of its own way.
This was the kind of bad loss that will make you wonder about everything you felt good about coming into the season.
"If you look at it, there are some real good things that we did do,” Eberflus told reporters postgame.
You would need a high-powered microscope to find enough positives to outweigh the negatives in this one.
Start with Williams, who again will be the topic of most Bears conversations this week around Chicago – as he should be. The No. 1 overall draft pick arrived at Halas Hall in April and did everything right – until the regular season began. Since the games started counting, Williams has looked harder to count on.
Even those of us who have referred to the former Heisman Trophy winner as a generational talent – and still believe in his star potential – must acknowledge that Williams has been more inaccurate than expected and impressive merely in glimpses. Too often through three games, Williams has looked like the rookie he is but wasn't supposed to resemble.
Such as when he never appeared to see Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones step in front of DeAndre Carter on a floater picked off in the second quarter. Or when he simply forced a throw into double coverage in the third quarter, intended for Odunze, that Jones intercepted off the deflection.
On several of the four sacks the Colts recorded, Williams held onto the ball too long, waiting for an opening to make a special play rather than throwing it away and accepting an incompletion.
On the bright side, Williams distributed his 33 completions evenly enough for it to look like an NFL offense. Odunze caught six passes for 112 and his first career touchdown, Moore had eight catches for 78 yards and Kmet came through with a game-high 10 catches for 97 yards and a score. On Williams’ last 20 passes or so, he looked like the quarterback whose reputation preceded him to town and mostly put the ball where he wanted.
If the Bears’ passing game took a step, overall confidence in the operation took a hit.
The Colts hardly look like a team headed anywhere but in circles, an imperfect offense perfect for the Circle City.
Sure, Taylor is one of the NFL's most gifted backs and cracked the 100-yard rushing mark, but offensive-minded Colts head coach Shane Steichen often calls plays as if he doesn't always realize Taylor's in the huddle, and quarterback Anthony Richardson has a long way to go. Richardson started his 20th game since high school Sunday, and that inexperience showed.
He's a world-class athlete with the skills of an apprentice. Against one of the NFL's fiercest defenses, Richardson completed 10 of 20 passes for 167 yards and threw two interceptions, almost singlehandedly keeping the Bears in the game by missing the football equivalent of a layup.
A quarterback clinic, this wasn't.
But for the Bears, it might be harder to accept that quarterback development is a concern but not their biggest problem.
That list goes even longer than Sunday felt.
David Haugh is the co-host of the Mully & Haugh Show from 5-10 a.m. weekdays on 670 The Score. Click here to listen. Follow him on Twitter @DavidHaugh.
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