Instant Reaction: Bears Are Bad, Coaching Is Worse
The Bears’ first drive gave fans a little hope for a New York minute anyway. Fans were subjected to another dismal day, watching the Bears fall to 0-2 on the season. The final score of 27-17 did not indicate how bad this game was. Tampa’s defense dominated the game.
After hearing all summer how improved Justin Fields was, he was terrible. 16/29 for 211 yards. He did throw 2 passes for touchdowns, but for the second consecutive week, one of those TDs was a defensive score.
Fields day started well. He found D J Moore for two completions, good for 65 yards on their first drive. Fields ran the ball in from the one-yard line, giving the Bears a 7-3 lead. After that first drive, the offense failed to produce for the rest of the first half.
Defensively, the trend of allowing their opponent to score on their first and last possessions of the first half continued. Led by QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa moved the ball with relative ease all day. The first half ended as it started, with a Tampa field goal, and the Bears trailed 13-10 after 30 minutes.
Chicago began the second half on offense, and after six plays gained only 12 yards, they were forced to punt. Tampa drove through the Bears’ defense and scored a TD after a long 84-yard drive. The drive ended with a 32-yard pass from Mayfield to Mike Evans.
Somehow, the Bears’ defense kept Tampa from scoring the rest of the game. But the offense continued their dreadful performance. They only managed 33 yards in their first three second-half possessions. Despite their woeful performance, the offense finally mounted their best drive of the young season in the fourth quarter. The 90-yard drive ended with a 20-yard TD pass from Fields to Chase Claypool. The score cut the deficit to just three points, and there was suddenly some life for Chicago.
Fields had one last chance, but the drive started at the Chicago 7-yard line. After a penalty by Claypool, Fields threw an interception on a botched screenplay and Tampa LB Shaquil Barrett scored from 4 yards out to make the final score 27-17.
There is no rhythm to the Bears offense and the defense, despite the off-season overhaul has not improved.
Chicago has now lost 12 consecutive games dating back to last year. Their last win was on October 24, 2022. Considering all the money and draft capital spent to improve their defense, this is the first time in NFL History a team has lost 12 straight games and allowed 25 or more points in every game.
News and notes
Eddie Jackson was carted off to the lockerroom. Early reports suggested he suffered an injury to his foot.
Struggling with a 0-2 start, the Bears must now travel to face Kansas City. The game currently has a 3:25 start time.