The Bears are in some trouble. They followed a heartbreaking loss to Washington with an all-phases thrashing from the Arizona Cardinals, falling back to .500 after rising well above it during a three-game winning streak leading into their bye.

That has led to a minor meltdown within the fan base, with plenty of “here we go, again” consternation regarding a franchise that has faltered in this fashion too often in recent seasons.

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Head coach Matt Eberflus talked a ton postgame about staying together, finding solutions and working out of this current funk. He put more onus on coaching that in recent weeks, taking responsibility for not putting the players in positions to succeed.

Those are signs the Bears are reacting better to this loss than the last one, but there’s plenty for Bears fans to freak out about as they try to get back on the winning track.

Here are a few overreactions you’ll surely hear when discussing a tough 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and what comes next.

Ryan Poles must make a big trade before the deadline to save the season

Overreaction: Yes

The Bears general manager has the draft assets required to go out and acquire a veteran who could help right away. The Bears currently have two 2025 second-round picks – theirs and a final piece of the Bryce Young deal – and could help the pass rush off the edge or on the interior.

Depending on the prognosis for Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, offensive tackle could be in the cards as well.

It’s tough to assume that any single player can fix the Bears problems. You also have to think that bringing a veteran in could prove costly from a cap standpoint, when the team has several big contracts on the books already. Drafting two second-round picks – Carolina’s might sit atop the round – could provide premium talent on rookie contracts. That might be better for the Bears in the long term. There’s also no guarantee that any one player could help the Bears compete against the NFC North gauntlet ahead of them starting in Week 10. It’s unlikely a pass rusher like Za’Darius Smith or Chase Young push the Bears over the top.

Poles might be a seller of smaller pieces for minor assets. It’s possible a big move is in the offing before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, but it shouldn’t be considered likely or the savior move that gets the Bears back in it.

Matt Eberflus shouldn’t be the Bears coach in 2025

Overreaction: Yes

It’s way too early to say anything about Matt Eberflus’ job security with certainty. He is being tested after two big losses, and how he fares in attempts getting the Bears back on track will be critical.

If he can do so and the Bears push back into contention, that’s a huge development suggesting he keeps leading the team in the long term. He got great buy-in from his players throughout the offseason program and training camp and has allowed a strong player leadership core to contribute to this team’s direction. This is a results-based business, and recent struggles could be strikes against him.

If this Bears team fractures and falls into a tailspin, that’s a mark on the wrong side of the ledger. This is an important period in Eberflus’ tenure here. Proving he can rally his players and produce better results would go a long way in maintaining his position with the organization.

The Bears run defense has become a real problem

Overreaction: A little bit

The Bears gave up 213 rushing yards on 34 carries Sunday afternoon. That’s 6.3 yards per clip. The sum also includes a 53-yard run by Emari Demercado at the end of the first half on a third-down draw that was essentially a give-up play. He instead went 53 yards for a touchdown on a play that was the game’s pivot point.

Matt Eberflus took blame for the call, which was designed to defend a pass. Players didn’t fill gaps or take proper angles down the field, allowing catastrophe to strike with a major defensive mistake.

“It was a shell pressure, so there’s two safeties back there,” Eberflus said. “It’s important that the shell of the defense gets the runner down. You have two corners and two safeties that can keep the the big cup on there. We just have to do a good job there. But again, I could’ve called a better call for sure.”

The Bears didn’t defend the run well on Sunday and have given quite a few explosive runs this season.

That has led to some higher totals, with at least 119 rushing yards in six of their eight games this season. They’ll keep being attacked on the ground unless they can steady that part of their defense and not let things leak. It’s still hard to call out a fatal flaw of a defense that ranks so high in most statistical categories and allowed more than 21 points for 18 straight games before Sunday. The Bears have the components of a good run defense — though Andrew Billings’ injury status will be key moving forward — but must be more consistent to improve in that area.

Caleb Williams is taking steps backward

Overreaction? Yes

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ stats haven’t been great these past two weeks. His completion percentage has dipped some, with a 41.7 completion rate versus Washington and 53.7 clipagainst Arizona. He seems to be missing some open receivers and misfiring occasionally, but Williams is under duress quite a bit these days from blitzes and four-man pressures alike. He has been sacked nine times in that span, which has an impact. It wasn’t long ago that Williams was dealing. He has to find that groove, while the coaches and the offensive front works on defeating more exotic blitzes.

Eberflus focused inward first, on putting Williams in better positions to succeed moving forward.

“You have to find answers,” Eberflus said. “Three weeks ago, we were doing this right and it was looking good. Now we have to find answers. That’s why I always say this league is week-to-week, so we have to find answers to put our players in position to be successful, including Caleb.”