Bears Corner Market in Excuses After Loss

Analysis: The Bears had more excuses than they did points in their mistake-filled 38-20 loss to Green Bay.

There were plenty of excuses to go around along with blame, more excuses even than there were penalty flags.

Definitely Justin Fields deserved some of the blame that went out.

The Bears lost 38-20 to their rivals from Green Bay once again Sunday, and the embarrassment permeated the entire roster starting with No. 1.

"When we get in the goal zone, we got to score touchdowns," Fields said. "Yeah, I think that was kind of the most frustrating part, was just getting backed up. Starting the drive then, boom, penalty. We get a nice run, then holding. Just penalties, self-inflicted."

The Bears sure lamented all those penalties. They had seven for 61 yards. It doesn't help, for sure. 

Oh by the way, the Packers had nine for 90 yards and seemed to have little problem getting past those.

The Packers offense kept getting into third-and-long situations and they didn't seem to have trouble getting out of the predicaments.

They converted a third-and-13, a pair of third-and-8s, a third-and-10. Toss in a third-and-5 and third-and-6 for good measure. Those are not ideal down and distance, either, yet Jordan Love in his second NFL start managed to cope and throw three TD passes without an interception.

Fields, meanwhile, threw a pick-6 to Quay Walker over the middle with Green Bay in what he thought was cover-2 zone.

"I mean, that's on me," Fields said. "I got to, if anything, give DJ (Moore) a shot

on the sideline on that. It is him or nobody. Or check the ball down to Roschon (Johnson) or Cole (Kmet)."

What wasn't on Fields was the play-calling. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy gets credit for the Bears throwing screen passes repeatedly to the outside to wide receivers, and most either didn't get completed or went for a loss or very short gain. It was as if the Bears came in determined to repeat their success of their first preseason game when they had two screens break for TDs. This time, all they got from it was embarrassed.

Chase Claypool made no catches, Moore had two for 25 yards and it was left to Darnell Mooney to catch four for 53 yards before exiting late with some sort of leg or foot injury—the Bears didn't say afterward.

"I mean, they did cloud him up a little bit," Fields said of Moore. "I think his time is going to come, so just kind of how the chips fall.

"He's not going to go for 100 every game. Of course, I wish he did. That's just not how it's going to happen. He's definitely going to get more touches in the future for sure."

They also promised to eliminate the penalties.

"It's tough," tight end Cole Kmet said. "It's tough to overcome. First-and-20 is pretty tough. Basically you just have to get two first downs in one.

"Starting out second-and-10 isn't great either. They're just drive killers. It kind of limits the stuff Luke (Getsy) can call. Strategically, then you're trying to get breathing room for the punt."

They did get into a third-and-7 because of two Braxton Jones false starts and settled for a 47-yard Cairo Santos field goal as a result. Jones got called for holding, resulting in a third-and-20 later. But it wasn't just penalties.

Fields took a sack for an 11-yard loss. Another time they lost 7 yards on a first-down running play. Too many negative plays besides the two turnovers led to big problems, and their own defense couldn't hold up at all in the second half.

The Bears weren't alone in giving up bad losses at home to rivals. The Giants, a playoff team a year ago, lost 40-0 to Dallas in New Jersey. The Seahawks lost 30-13 at home to the Rams without Cooper Kupp. The Steelers lost 30-7 at home to San Francisco. The Vikings couldn't win at home against Tampa Bay 20-17. And no one could have foreseen Cincinnati blown out by Cleveland, even if it was a road game for the Bengals.

Then Eberflus had to admit the possibility that some of the penalties and ineffective play might not have happened if his starters had been able to play more in preseason.

"Obviously you think about that as the head coach but we know with the injuries that we did have, sustained during training camp, it would have been hard to put all the guys in there together for sure," Eberflus said.

It was another explanation or excuse for what happened Sunday, but not one anyone wants to hear on an embarrassing day for the Bears.

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