An epic Chicago Bears collapse extends losing streak to three

An epic collapse by the Chicago Bears tears down what should have been a victory at Soldier Field. The Bears‘ offense has been rolling for about a month now. The unit has been moving the ball and scoring points. We’ve seen quarterback Justin Fields grow before our eyes.

The only thing we haven’t seen since the offense started rolling was victories. The Bears entered their Week 10 game against the Detroit Lions with a 3-6 record overall. They lost two in a row and six of seven.

While it has been great to see the offense succeed, it sure would be nice to see some victories. This game against the Lions seemed like a pretty good bet for that to happen. The Lions entered the game with the worst defense in the NFL. They struggled against the run as well as the pass. With the Bears owning the best running game in the league, it seemed like Detroit would have a difficult day.

The Lions actually had the lead in the game 10-3 just before the end of the first half. However, Fields showed some of his magic to lead the Bears to a 17-play, 85-yard drive that took up 7:06 off the clock. The game was tied at the half.

The Chicago Bears could not focus and finish in an epic Week 10 loss

One thing that was a concern in the first half was the penalties. The Bears committed four penalties for 41 yards. Two of those penalties resulted in two Bears’ drives breaking down. Another one gave the Lions a first down after failing to convert on third down. The drive extended and Detroit ended up with a touchdown.

The mistakes continued into the second half. However, it seemed like the offense was playing through them. After the defense forced the Lions’ first punt, Fields led the offense on a 15-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. The Bears took a 17-10 lead.

After the defense forced another Detroit punt, the Bears’ offense went 71 yards on just 4 plays. The highlight of the drive was Fields connecting with tight end Cole Kmet for 50 yards and a touchdown. It was the second time Fields and Kmet connected for a touchdown. They connected for a 6-yard touchdown earlier in the third quarter.

It’s been great watching Kmet thrive in this offense. After finding the end zone just twice in his first 40 career games, he now has five in his last three games. The Bears then found themselves with a 24-10 lead. The offense was rolling and the defense was making stops.

Then, just as suddenly as they took a big lead, it disappeared. With 11:51 left in the game, the penalties cost the Bears. Lions quarterback Jared Goff dropped back and threw an interception to Jack Sanborn.

Sanborn had himself a great game. He recorded 12 tackles (2 for a loss) and 2 sacks. He did not have an interception, though. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was called for hands to the face, giving the ball back to Detroit.

The Lions scored a touchdown on the very next play. It cut the Bears’ lead to 24-17. The mistakes just got out of control after that. Khalil Herbert had a 19-yard run that gave the Bears a first down. However, they were called for a holding penalty. On the next play, Fields threw a pick-six. The game was now tied at 24.

Fields certainly made up for his interception. On third-and-one, he ran for a 67-yard touchdown. He just put on the after-burners and outran everyone. Chicago continued to make costly mistakes, however. The normally dependable Cairo Santos missed the extra point, giving the Lions hope for a win. Now, a touchdown could win the game instead of tying it.

After the two teams traded punts, the Lions got the ball on their own nine-yard-line. They then proceeded to march (or was it fly) down the field 91 yards on nine plays. Goff went 4/5 for 84 yards on the drive. The Lions made their extra point and took the lead 31-30. The Bears got the ball back with 2:21 left in the game. They still had a shot at winning the game.

However, the Bears’ misplays sealed the loss. The Bears’ offensive line completely broke down and gave up two sacks. The Bears actually moved backward and finished with the loss. As mentioned before, it is nice to see the offense roll. Fields finished the game 12/20 for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with that costly interception. On the ground, he shined again. He had 13 carries for 147 yards. That is on top of rushing for a record-breaking 178 yards last week. He now leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards.

Kmet led all Chicago Bears’ receivers in targets (7), catches (4), and yards (74). His involvement in the offense is critical for the offense to continue to improve. The Bears finished with a season-high 408 yards of offense. They continue to show their rushing dominance by running for 258 yards.

This was an embarrassing loss. Despite not prioritizing wins and losses as much as developing players, this was a game they should have won. They did everything they could to win but also did everything they could to lose the game. There aren’t a lot of wins left on their schedule. They cannot afford to throw those wins away.