(670 The Score) It was all fun until it wasn't anymore, both the Bears' acceptably competitive effort against the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday and the sad mass delusion that Tyson Bagent was the latest answer to whatever the question was.
I have questions, actually. Are we done with that, finally? Please? Is the stupid over for now?
The Bears' 24-17 loss was the latest exposure of a razor-thin margin for error that can't survive bad downfield throws, eight penalties, a missed field-goal attempt and Velus Jones Jr. Just when you start to allow yourself to peek ahead at a soft remaining schedule and envision fantastical, glorious scenarios of the Bears becoming mediocre, football happens like that.
And even after the opposing coach makes enough dumb decisions to keep it within reach too. Dennis Allen seemed determined to keep giving Bagent his chance to emerge the hero, and Bagent kept responding with passes directly into the hands of Saints defenders.
With the benefit of hindsight, the bad pick he threw in the first half should've registered more as foreshadowing than a forgettable mistake amid a pretty solid overall effort to that point. The Saints' 2-man coverage was allowing for wide open scramble opportunities and run-after-catch yards, while the latest iteration of a Bears offensive line was holding a clean enough pocket and executing zone run schemes effectively.
But there can be no excuses whatsoever for what happened in that fourth quarter, with the Bears only down a touchdown on four separate possessions. Bagent accounted for three turnovers — two interceptions on weak, off-target downfield throws and a fumble that all but decided the outcome. Just so we're clear on this: It's the primary responsibility of the backup quarterback to protect the football above anything else.
Maybe Bagent will end up as a viable second-stringer, either here or somewhere else, and doing so would be a phenomenal achievement. For now, however, the best bet is to get Justin Fields ready, if possible, for the Bears' home game against the Panthers on Thursday. If Fields can help saddle the Panthers with another loss, the Bears' odds increase for another shot at the top draft pick, which would likely be used to select the next quarterback who represents something better.
Truth is, there may only be a couple teams in the league right now that are genuinely good. The rest are in a larger blob of meh than usual, even for a league that celebrates a level of parity independent of quality of play. The Bears are an aspiring blob team but may be getting closer to that level than the very bottom. Each week's opponent seems vulnerable, at least, even if their 2-7 record tells the story.
So it's pretty weird, still.
It's always weird with this team, in a season that has made a mockery of the usual weekly NFL routine. Having a quick turnaround now means more inscrutable walk-throughs instead of practices, theoretical injury designations and changes to the schedule of who talks when. And there's always a pretty good chance that yet another Bears assistant coach will be forced out due to aberrant workplace behavior, because that's a thing they do semi-regularly.
Finding meaning in it almost feels like a waste of time. At least we might be done with the latest silliness.
Dan Bernstein is the co-host of the Bernstein & Holmes Show on middays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on 670 The Score. You can follow him on Twitter @Dan_Bernstein.