Vibe Check: Series of brutal losses ‘takes a toll’ on Bears players
CHICAGO – First the Hail Mary. Then the blocked field goal versus Green Bay. Now the Vikings come away with an overtime win.
All that has happened in a five-week span where the Bears season has fallen apart. The team is finding new and innovative ways to lose games.
While some might call the Bears snakebit, there are failures of execution that have led to a new low, following a 30-27 loss here at Solider Field that marked Chicago’s fifth straight defeat.
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While there was plenty of talk about resilience and continuing to fight in the postgame locker room, there were also candid admissions that how these games have been lost is taxing.
“Some of the ways that we’re losing this game is just super unfortunate,” receiver Rome Odunze said. “It takes a toll, but we still have ball games to play and we still have things to improve on, so we have to get up for those things and be positive about the future.”
Some of these results have been pretty wild, on plays where the Bears should execute. They’re but a few plays away from winning three of the past five, with a much different tone to the season.
“It’s like the most (unreal) ways to lose a game,” DJ Moore said. “You lose on a Hail Mary tip and stuff like that. We just weren’t doing the right things to win at that moment.”
There was also a sentiment that the Bears can’t catch a break after being on the wrong end of so many loopy results. That break happened on Sunday, when the Bears recovered an onside kick with 22 seconds left that allowed Caleb Williams to push the ball downfield and set up Cairo Santos’ game-tying field goal.
The Bears couldn’t complete the comeback, though, failing to score on the overtime’s opening drive. Then the Vikings converted a few key third downs on the next series and ended up winning on John Parker Romo’s field goal.
“I’m never gonna get used to this feeling,” Odunze said. “I’m never gonna come into this locker room and feel regular after a loss. I’m not really wrapping my head around it. I’m honestly just trying to figure out how to improve.”
Despite so much not falling their way, these Bears have not quit. They could’ve after falling two scores back in the fourth quarter. Williams and the Bears offense kept pushing and nearly cracked the game open and ended this losing skid that has gotten Shane Waldron fired a placed head coach Matt Eberflus firmly on the hot seat.
“It’s tough,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “You just gotta take it one week at a time. It’s kind of how you have to approach it. When things just aren’t going your way, you gotta put your head down and just keep going to work. It’s not easy to do but that’s kind of where we’re at.”