MINNEAPOLIS – The Bears got beat again. We’ve reached eight straight defeats after a 30-12 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, an amount that has taken its toll on the players in the locker room.

There’s no room to breathe during a brutal end to the schedule, where the Bears will face the Lions and Seahawks on back-to-back short weeks. The team has forgotten how to win, with a formula to these losses.

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The Bears fall behind early, with a two-score halftime deficit. Then they make some plays late but not enough to complete a comeback. These games were more competitive before Matt Eberflus got fired. It has been a free fall ever since, which has led to anything critical being a prospect hard to call an overreaction. We’ll find our way to do so, though, while sorting through this week’s overreactions:

Ryan Poles’ roster has more holes than realized

Overreaction?: No way

The Chicago Bears had so much hype around them this offseason, with many believing this Ryan Poles’ roster could surprise some folks and make the playoffs with a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams. There was also a thought that the No. 1 overall pick was entering an excellent situation.

That hasn’t been the case. The Bears made some bad coaching decisions with the Shane Waldron hire and the decision to keep Matt Eberflus after last season, but the roster has some major issues.

Poles lauded the team’s offensive line depth, and that hasn’t shown up. The offense was built from the outside in, with talent at the skill spots and not enough protection to let them work.

Depth was an issue at several spots, with the team desperately missing tackle Andrew Billings and safety Jaquan Brisker. Some of the star power hasn’t been as dominant as expected, with Williams at times struggling to get the ball in playmaker’s hands.

While it’s possible the right head coach could turn things around quickly, the Bears need major upgrades on both lines and must foster depth at several spots. They clearly don’t have enough injury protection, with some positions less solidified than originally thought.

Bears won’t win again

Overreaction?: Heck nah

I think winning will be tough, especially with the Lions, Seahawks and Packers remaining on the schedule. Those are all good teams with NFC playoff aspirations and plenty to play for this winter.

The Bears haven’t been competitive of late – the offense isn’t consistent, and the defense is worse without Eberflus – which will make life harder in upcoming games. There’s no way the Bears will be favored in any of the three remaining games. They won’t catch a good team napping, either, with each one motivated by playoff implications down the stretch.

The Bears lost so many winnable games over the season’s second half due to crazy circumstances but have lost by large margins over two straight weeks. It’s possible that’s a new normal, though never say never with a mistake-prone group that cares and will continue to fight.

It’s time to sit Caleb Williams

Overreaction?: Absolutely

Williams has taken lots of hits recently. He leads the league in sacks taken and has been hit a bunch more than that. That doesn’t mean the Bears should sit him for that reason. Williams’ development is the most important thing about a season that won’t end in the postseason, and he needs as many reps as possible.

Williams has his head screwed on right and puts things in proper perspective. He’s committed to learning from every experience, including from losses and coaching changes and even recovering well after taking hits.

With that in mind, the Bears need to give Williams every experience he can get, bad or good, to improve for his second season and those beyond it.