Bear With Us! Has Chicago's Slow Start Ended their Season Already?

Art Direction by Adam Belmares | AI Generated by Google Gemini

After the team's poor 52-21 loss against the Detroit Lions, Bears fans are tired of seeing their team lose. Despite having an offseason full of hype and potential, hope has started to shift away from the Chicago Bears at a rapid speed. The biggest concern for the Bears is the harsh reality that there is not just one area where they are struggling—it’s on both sides of the ball.

Although second-year quarterback Caleb Williams has had a tough start this season, I believe he is not the main reason the Bears are struggling. Last season, Williams' performance was tolerable for fans due to the “rookie year" excuse, and he had the luxury of not being critiqued too harshly since he needed time to transition from college football to the NFL. This season, however, there is no mercy from fans toward Williams' play.

Since arriving in Chicago, Williams has had two head coaches and two offensive coordinators, with one of the coordinators changing mid-season during his rookie year. Considering this, Williams has continued to struggle with making timely audible changes and going off script. Furthermore, Williams still holds the ball too long, struggles to read defensive coverages, and panics when it comes to escaping the pocket in a timely manner.

With the help of Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze, Williams demonstrated slight improvement against the Lions in accuracy and showed the will to take control of the offense from a leadership standpoint. Williams finished the game throwing 19-of-30 for 207 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception with a passer rating of 91.9. In the NFL, only scoring 21 points against an offensive machine like the Lions will not win you football games.

When it comes to the Bears' defensive struggles, it is hard to ignore the bad luck the organization has been experiencing due to injuries. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who made his return on Sunday, reinjured himself in the second quarter. He will most likely be ruled out for the season due to the severity of his injury. As of now, cornerback Jaylon Jones is battling a hamstring injury, and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is dealing with a knee injury. Cornerback Kyler Gordon has not played in the first few games of the season due to a hamstring injury.

In general, allowing 52 points against any team is unacceptable in the NFL. It’s interesting how in Week 1, the Bears' defense looked solid and made their pass rush known early in the game. Since then, the pass rush has essentially been nonexistent and has given quarterbacks plenty of time to work in the pocket. The Bears' defensive front struggled badly against the Lions, failing to record a sack and managing only four QB hits.

For the Bears organization, this is unheard of considering its physical and dominating defensive reputation from past eras. The Bears allowed 511 yards of total offense, the most since 2013. They also gave up 52 points, the most since 2014. In football, defense wins championships. So, if the Bears' offense is struggling to score and make plays, the only hope for the team to compete is to set up the players who are available to succeed and utilize their strengths.

With these struggles in mind, the Bears have a lot to discuss in the locker room ahead of their next matchup. In a one of the toughest divisions in football, the Bears have no room for much error, and every game will count, especially after their slow start. I believe improvement will only increase for the team as Williams finds his rhythm and when the injured players find their way back on to the field.

The Dallas Cowboys (1-1) are set to visit the Chicago Bears (0-2) at Soldier Field in Chicago at 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, September 21.