Bears back to 'square one' as glaring flaws cost them in 29-9 loss to Cardinals

The Bears hoped to be riding high by this point, ideally having built up a margin for error and credibility before taking on the strenuous second half of their schedule. Instead, they’re at their lowest point of the season after the Cardinals hammered them 29-9 on Sunday.

‘‘We’re back to square one,’’ left guard Teven Jenkins said. ‘‘There’s nine games left, and all of them are going to be dogfights.’’

Square one? In November? Yikes.

Here’s a look at the biggest issues coming out of the game Sunday:

Williams stalls

Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has yet to make the progress necessary to lead the Bears against top opponents, and there’s little to suggest coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron are the right people to help him get there. Williams completed 22 of 41 passes for 216 yards and a 68.8 passer rating and was sacked six times.

Midgame meltdown

The Bears were perfectly positioned to take control of the game late in the first half. They pulled to 14-9 with 26 seconds left and were set to get the ball coming out of halftime with a chance to take the lead. Then they gave up a 53-yard touchdown run to third-string running back Emari Demercado and went scoreless in the third quarter.

Eberflus’ issues

The loss dropped Eberflus to 14-28 overall and 3-18 on the road in his three seasons with the Bears. There have been few periods of smooth sailing under his watch, and it gets increasingly hard to see the team bringing him back next season.