No matter how optimistic someone can be, there have to be warning signals buzzing in the hearts and minds of Chicago Bears fans.
For a team that supposedly “won the offseason,” this Bears squad doesn’t look any better than it did last season.
There’s plenty of blame to go around, but things might not get better anytime soon, according to NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha.
Are the Chicago Bears in Panic Mode?
In Chadiha’s mind, the Bears are leaning towards panic mode, not just because of the two losses, but how they lost those games.
“Two defeats to start the season were reasonable to expect,” Chadiha wrote, mentioning how it wasn’t going to be easy for a young team to start against two divisional opponents.
“The problem in Chicago is how those two losses have come. The Bears had the Vikings in a chokehold last Monday night before blowing a 17-6 lead and allowing Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns. What happened in Detroit on Sunday was even more unsettling. That 52-21 beatdown revealed even more holes in the Chicago defense, as the Lions generated several explosive plays and quarterback Jared Goff finished with five touchdown passes. There’s been so much discussion about how new head coach Ben Johnson can help second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and that offense evolve that we’re witnessing firsthand how suspect that defense might be all season.”
It’s true.
The Bears are fifth in the NFL in defensive spending at $125.5 million according to Over the Cap, yet they’ve allowed 79 points through just two games. Nothing seems to be working in Chicago right now, and an unsettling trend might make things worse.
An Unsettling Trend for the Bears
To make matters worse, the Bears play the next four of the following six games on the road against teams that can light up the scoreboard. Chadiha mentions the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and Baltimore Ravens as some of those teams.
And honestly, it feels like the Bears are currently underdogs for all three of those matchups. For a team that takes a “one game at a time” philosophy, it’s hard not to look at the daunting schedule ahead.
But there’s still hope for the Bears.
Starters Jaylon Johnson and T.J. Edwards both exited the game vs. Detroit after reaggravating injuries that sat them out in Week 1, and starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon has yet to play this season with a hamstring injury. With those three potentially coming back in Week 3, the hope is the Bears‘ defense can bounce back.
Also, for head coach Ben Johnson, these losses haven’t fazed him.
“It’s not demoralizing at all,” Johnson said of Sunday’s defeat. “We got to play better. Simple as that.”
It feels premature to say the Bears‘ season is over, but these next few games will be a big indicator of whether they have what it takes to bounce back.
Can the team rally after two major losses? Only time will tell.
Chicago Bears Entering ‘Panic Mode’ With “Unsettling Trend”