INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (670 The Score) — For a team eyeing a playoff berth this season, the Bears really could've used a strong start in a favorable early season schedule. That's why the result of Sunday could be a considerable regret later.
The Bears dropped a game that was there for the taking, falling 21-16 to the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. For the Bears (1-2), it was an afternoon marked by sloppy play and self-inflicted wounds. Here are the observations from Indianapolis.
Goal-to-go d’oh
It may not seem fair to pinpoint a single sequence when assigning blame in a close game, but the Bears ran a play so poor Sunday that it's worth such scrutiny.
Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus deserved criticism after the Bears came up empty-handed after having first-and-goal from the Colts' 4-yard line while trailing 7-0 late in the second quarter.
So, let’s review this ugly sequence.
The Bears were 13 plays, 67 yards and 6:19 into one of their best drives of the season as the clock landed on the two-minute warning. They had just converted a fourth-and-1 for a first down on running back Roschon Johnson's one-yard rush. That set Chicago up with a first-and-goal from the Indianapolis 4-yard line.
First-and-goal from the 4-yard line
The Bears lined up with running back Khalil Herbert in shotgun and Williams standing to his right. It allowed the Colts to bunch their defense with all 11 players in the box, including six down linemen. Herbert ran into a wall of blue jerseys and was fortunate to gain two yards.
Second-and-goal from the 2-yard line
Williams lined up in a shotgun with Herbert to his right. Rome Odunze, DJ Moore and DeAndre Carter were the three wide receivers on the field, and tight end Cole Kmet was lined up to the right as a blocker. This was an obvious run right up the middle that once again hit a wall. Herbert managed just one yard.
Third-and-goal from the 1-yard line
It was strange that the Bears utilized Herbert in goal-to-go rather than Johnson, the team’s most physical rusher. It also didn’t help to run out of shotgun. Yet once again, the Bears set up in shotgun with Herbert as the running back. Waldron could’ve gone with a play-action call, banking on the Colts getting aggressive to stop the run. Instead, it was another shotgun run with Herbert. This one was blown up in the backfield, with his second effort allowing him to get back to the line of scrimmage.
Fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line
On this key play, the Bears relied on what they had seen on film. Waldron expected the Colts would have six down defensive linemen ready to crash into the middle, which theoretically would open a lane to the left on the outside on an option play. But that Colts look wasn’t there, and Williams realized it at the line.
While Williams does have the freedom and ability to check out of a play, the play clock had ticked under 10 seconds. Eberflus and Waldron weren’t quick to recognize the Colts' defensive setup and didn’t call a timeout. To make matters worse, four of the Bears' five offensive linemen – Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton and Darnell Wright – were thrown to the turf before Williams could pitch to running back D’Andre Swift, who took a 12-yard loss after looking to cut back but having nowhere to go.
"That was a tough one,” Williams said. “Being right there on the 1-yard line and to not get that. It's a play we practiced all week.
“(Colts defensive line) didn't crash how they normally do, how we see on film. They made a good play."
Put this one on Eberflus
How exactly are the Bears measuring Eberflus in his third season in Chicago? It's a key question for the organization and its future.
Eberflus was retained after posting a 10-24 record across two rebuilding seasons. He was given the benefit of the doubt after leading a lean roster with little chance at success, and Bears management praised him for his leadership amid adversity.
So, what's the standard Eberflus needs to meet in leading a team with greater expectations? Presumably, guiding the Bears to the playoffs is a goal. It’s hard to justify bringing a head coach back for a fourth season without reaching the playoffs, particularly in an era in which 14 of 32 teams reach the postseason.
The Bears rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat the Titans in their opener before being outplayed by the Texans in a loss in Week 2, when Chicago somehow still had a chance to win in the final minutes. The 1-1 start was what many expected would occur, but the Bears' struggles against the Colts represented a missed opportunity.
The Bears made strides offensively and frustrated 22-year-old Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, but they couldn’t overcome their own miscues.
Eberflus accepted blame for his poor game management in the fourth quarter, when he burned a timeout amid indecision on whether to kick an extra point or go for two. That miscue came with 8:21 remaining in the game following quarterback Caleb Williams’ first touchdown pass to Odunze that pulled the Bears within 14-9.
It was clearly a situation in which going for two was the correct call, but Eberflus and his staff didn’t immediately have that in mind following the score. Kicker Cairo Santos was instead briefly sent out to the field before the timeout was used to set up the two-point attempt. The Bears could've used that timeout late in the game as the Colts ran out the clock in victory formation.
"We have to be better, stay ahead of it better and be better,” Eberflus said.
“That's on the coaches. That's on the coaches. We got to be better there, from the top to the bottom, from (the booth) down to the (sidelines), we got to do a better job there.”
Like Eberflus, Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron let his team down, as his play-calling was disjointed throughout the game. Even Williams was surprised postgame to find out he had attempted 52 passes.
Eberflus' third season was supposed to feature a better-run operation to match the talent on the roster. The Bears should be a team that’s well-prepared and have that reflected in the result each week.
Every game has countless twists and turns that can't be controlled, no matter what a team does in practice, but indecision can't be excused for a third-year coach like Eberflus.
Gave it away
Despite a rough performance, the Bears had a chance to take the lead when they took over at their own 18-yard line with 6:52 remaining while trailing 14-9.
That hope was quickly dashed. Williams fumbled the ball on a strip-sack after yet another breakdown up front. The Bears lined up with 12 personnel, putting Kmet and tight end Marcedes Lewis to the left as blockers alongside the offensive line. The Colts stacked the box with nine defenders but had just their four down linemen rush.
Put another way: The Bears have seven blockers against four rushers. It didn’t matter. Wright won his one-on-one with defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. Shelton and right guard Matt Pryor held their double-team on defensive tackle Raekown Davis, as did Jenkins and Jones on defensive tackle Grover Stewart. But Lewis only chipped on rookie pass rusher Laiatu Latu, leaving Kmet in a difficult one-on-one matchup.
Williams felt the pressure coming from Latu, but a step up in the pocket didn’t help matters. The ball was stripped away and then recovered by Stewart in a big blow to the Bears in a tight game.
Extra points
--- Odunze was outstanding in his third NFL game. He had six receptions for 112 yards and his first career touchdown. Williams had planned to get Odunze more involved, and he did.
--- Williams played with great confidence Sunday, for better or worse. He made some excellent throws as a result but also took a few too many unnecessary chances.
--- The Bears finally got Kmet involved in their passing game, as he 10 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. He had just five catches for 31 yards in the first two games. It shouldn’t have taken that long to get him more incorporated in the offense.
--- Swift has carried 37 times for 68 yards through three games with the Bears. That’s an average of 1.8 yards per carry. He has been a non-factor in the first season of a three-year, $24-million deal.
--- Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, was 10-of-20 for 167yards and two interceptions. He posted a 39.0 passer rating and struggled against the Bears’ defense, but it didn’t matter in a winning effort.
--- Colts head coach Shane Steichen deserves credit as he stayed committed to the run and star back Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis had 150 rushing yards, with Taylor logging 23 carries for 110 yards and two scores.
--- The most disappointing aspect of the Bears’ offense is its inability to run the football. The Bears rushed 28 times for 63 yards Sunday. After leading the NFL in rushing in 2022 and ranking second in 2023, Chicago’s ground game is nonexistent in averaging 72.7 yards per game, which ranks 30th in the NFL. That was supposed to be the foundation of the offense.
--- Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson was badly beaten on a route by Colts receiver Alec Pierce as he hauled in a 44-yard pass from Richardson early in the second quarter, but the Bears’ defense came through with an end zone interception to end the threat.
--- That felt like a neutral site game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Bears fans traveled well and were noisy.
--- You don’t see a lot of runs result in 12-yard losses.
--- It was supposed to be so much better than this for the Bears.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.