CHICAGO (670 The Score) — One by one, the Bears walked slowly through the northwest tunnel of Soldier Field and around the corner to their home locker room, a look of dejection worn by each player. There was hardly a word shared between teammates as they stepped through double doors being held open on each side.
The Bears didn’t just suffer a defeat Sunday in a 38-20 loss to the Packers at Soldier Field. They were humbled in a disheartening game that was supposed to set the right tone for this new season but which instead suggested the path ahead is arduous.
“It sucks, it sucks,” third-year starting quarterback Justin Fields said. “Rivalry, Week 1, going against the Packers, it sucks. Nobody is in good spirits. This one hurts, I’m not going to lie to you. It definitely sucks.”
Nearly four hours before Fields shared an apology to his teammates and fans after the loss, Soldier Field erupted as he emerged from that same northwest tunnel. Since he was selected with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields has carried the weight of expectation to become the franchise quarterback in Chicago.
The 24-year-old Fields represents hope for the Bears' future, but they'll only go as far as he can take them. On Sunday, Fields went 24-of-37 for 216 yards, one touchdown and one interception while operating an extremely conservative game plan from the coaching staff.
Fields threw just four passes past 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Two of those passes went for touchdowns – one to receiver Darnell Mooney and the other to Packers linebacker Quay Walker on a pick-six.
New Bears receiver DJ Moore, the team's big addition in the offseason, had just two receptions for 25 yards on a pair of targets from Fields.
"This game was hyped up,” Moore said. “We didn’t bring the juice and hype to the party today. We lost. We got to go back to the drawing board."
Jordan Love, the latest in Green Bay’s line of succession at quarterback, led the Packers with 245 passing yards and three touchdowns in his first start since Aaron Rodgers was traded this offseason. Going head-to-head with Fields for the first time, Love was the better quarterback Sunday.
After the Bears made key investments in their defense this offseason – including linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker T.J. Edwards and pass rusher DeMarcus Walker – Love and the Packers made the group like the same disjointed bunch it was in 2022, when Chicago ranked last in the NFL in scoring defense.
Love was sacked just once by the Bears, whose pass rush struggled to create pressure.
“I mean, when you put your love and heart into it, you got to be disappointed,” said Walker, who signed a three-year, $21-million deal with the Bears in March.
“But at the same time, we’re not down on ourselves. That’s not us. So, we got to continue to get better.
After going an NFL-worst 3-14 and landing the No. 1 overall pick in 2022, second-year general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears believed they were set for great improvement in 2023 because of their offseason additions.
The Bears entered the season viewed as a potential overachiever by some, and Fields landed in the dark horse MVP candidate conversation. Desperate for a contender once again, fans filled the streets of Chicago early Sunday morning as they headed for the lakefront. The buzz around the museum campus had a different feel.
Ultimately, the result was just the same. The Bears suffered their ninth straight loss to the rival Packers, Fields underwhelmed like many Chicago quarterbacks before him and fans flooded out for the rest of their late summer Sunday fearful of what this season holds.
“It’s Week 1 – we have 16 games to go in the regular season,” Fields said. “We have a lot of room to improve, a lot of room to grow. I think that’s what we’re going to do. As long as we keep that positive attitude, keep our mentality, keep pushing for greatness every day, we’ll be fine. But it definitely hurts, not only because it’s the first game of the season and it’s a loss, but it’s a loss to them.
“I’m sorry to my teammates, all the fans that were rooting for us. But we’ll bounce back. We’ll be good.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.