Chicago Bears Lose To Lions, Now Have Longest Losing Streak In Franchise History

The Chicago Bears suffered an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 17. The loss gave the team the longest losing streak in franchise history.

The Chicago Bears and their fans cannot wait for the 2022 season to end. It has been another frustrating and disappointing season. The fans just want the losses to stop while the team wants to get into the offseason so they can rebuild the roster and make sure there aren’t any more of these seasons in the near future.

The Bears wanted to play the role of spoilers against the Detroit Lions. Detroit is fighting for a playoff spot and a loss to the Chicago Bears could be a serious blow to their chances.

Instead of that, the Bears laid down and allowed the Lions to steamroll over them. It was Chicago’s worst performance of the season as they got embarrassed 41-10.

The Bears looked like they quit midway through the game. They had 145 yards of offense and 10 points after two drives. They had only 85 yards and zero points. Things were especially bad in the second half. They did not get a first down until late in the fourth quarter.

Justin Fields moving around the pocket helped him gain 105 yards in the first two drives. However, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy maddeningly kept the young quarterback in the pocket afterward. He didn’t have Fields roll out or get the ball out quickly with screens and slants, taking advantage of an aggressive Lions defense.

The result of that was Fields getting sacked seven times and under pressure nearly every time he dropped back. The receivers could not get open consistently. When they did, the offensive line could not block long enough to allow Fields to hit them.

The offensive line already struggled throughout the season in pass protection. They came in ranked fourth in most sacks allowed with 50. Then Teven Jenkins went down with the same neck injury that sent him to the hospital a couple of weeks ago. His replacement, Michael Schofield, then went down himself a little later.

The line just struggled more from there. Getsy did not adjust, though. He kept calling constant straight dropbacks. The line was not up to the challenge and Fields took a beating once again.

It is important for the coaches to have a solid game plan and stick to it, but when things aren’t going well they need to adjust. Getsy just did not do that. He kept calling the same plays that did not work. It was embarrassing for the offensive line and painful for Fields.

Aside from the first two drives, the Chicago Bears could not move the ball against the worst defense in the NFL. the Lions could not stop anything. The defense gave up about 27 points per game and 409 yards of offense per game. In Week 16, they gave up 37 points and 570 yards to the Carolina Panthers.

The Bears managed 10 points and 230 yards. Pathetic is the only word that comes to mind when describing the Bears’ effort.

The defense’s performance was even worse. They could not stop the Lions’ offense whether it was the running game or the passing attack. Chicago’s defense gave up 504 yards to Detroit’s high-powered offense.

The Lions didn’t even vary their calls. They ran draws and saw the running backs get 38 yards on one play and 40 on the next.

The Chicago Bears defense has just completely fallen apart in the past two weeks. The unit gave up 76 points and 930 yards against the Lions and Buffalo Bills.

It seems that all the losing is now taking its toll on the players. There was no fight or intensity in this game. They started out quickly but once Detroit answered the Bears had nothing more to offer. They just allowed the Lions’ offense and defense to do whatever they wanted.

Intensity and fight are things that head coach Matt Eberflus could hang his hat on. No matter who they played, they played tough football. They were in every game, even if the final result was a blowout. They fought hard until they had nothing left.

Against the Lions, however, there was nothing. They rolled over early and only looked to end the game and get back home.

The loss was the Bears’ ninth straight, which sets a franchise record for consecutive losses.

There is only one game remaining in the season for the Bears. They host the NFC North champions, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are fighting for the top seed of the NFC and a first-round bye so they’ll play hard.

If the Bears don’t match the Vikings in intensity, it will result in another embarrassment. The losses aren’t the problem, though. The quitting is huge. It is only one game, but Eberflus needs to motivate his players to finish strong.