Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Mark Potash

Disappointed Darnell Mooney taking the high road

2023-12-14T18:18:13.627-06:00

Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (11, celebrating with DJ Moore after Moore’s 16-yard touchdown run against the Lions on Sunday) has 27 receptions for 395 yards and one touchdown in 13 games this season.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney’s two receptions for 44 yards against the Lions last week was modest production by almost anyone’s standards, but not insignificant. It was Mooney’s highest receiving total in four games. His 28-yard catch in the first quarter was his longest reception from Justin Fields since Oct. 15 against the Vikings.

But in the context of Mooney’s disappointing season, not much to celebrate.

“Just doing my thing,” the 26-year-old Mooney said. “When my number is called, just take advantage of it.”

That Mooney’s number is not called as much as it used to remains one of the mysteries of Luke Getsy’s offense. The 2020 fifth-round pick from Tulane has just 27 receptions for 395 yards and one touchdown on 49 targets in 13 games. That’s even less than his disappointing first season in Getsy’s offense — 40 receptions for 493 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. And it’s a huge drop from his breakout season in 2021, when Mooney had 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns in Matt Nagy’s offense.

So in the two seasons in Getsy’s offense, Mooney’s yards per game has dropped from 62.1 in 2021 to 41.1 in 2022 to 30.4 this season.

He doesn’t know why it hasn’t worked out.

“It’s been like that for me for the past two years,” Mooney said. “It’s all about the best situation. You always want to be in the best situation to produce as a player. I’m doing whatever I can on the field just to get open. I’m doing pretty well at that, so [I] just got to keep doing that. When the ball comes, just got to make the catch and do whatever I can after the catch.”

Though he is a consummate team player who is careful not to pop off, Mooney’s disappointment is palpable. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and was hoping for a lucrative extension from the Bears. But he knows that’s not happening at this point.

“The way the plays go [in Getsy’s offense], I’m definitely a guy who can get open and get the ball,” Mooney said. “Sometimes the defense takes me out of the way or maybe the guys get back there or whatever, something happens. It never falls my way. I’ve just got to keep on growing and stay steady.”

Bears receivers coach Tyke Tolbert sounded just as mystified when asked about Mooney’s diminished production.

“If I had answer, we’d be better at it,” Tolbert said. “I can’t tell you the answer. He does a good job in some of the things he’s doing and he’s getting open. A lot of times it’s just unfortunate or bad luck, because he’s open sometimes … but Justin has to run out of there or somebody else is open and he throws to them first instead of Mooney. You see it on tape every week. It’s just unfortunate.”

It’s possible Mooney is just not a good fit for this offense — it happens in the NFL. But Mooney wasn’t about to go there, at least not directly.

“Honestly, guys, I will not be a distraction to myself or my team,” Mooney said to a crowd of reporters. “Whether that’s an answer for yes or no, I’m not going to be a distraction for any of my guys on the team or myself. So those questions may be answered whenever the season ends. For now, I’m trying to win these next couple of games and it will be a nice, cold night game vs. Green Bay [in the regular-season finale in January] and just go out there and get my first dub [win] against those guys.”

It’s got to be difficult and confounding for Mooney, who was nurtured as an NFL player with the Bears, but might have better luck somewhere else.

“I want to be here. I love Chicago. I love being here,” Mooney said. “So that answer is whatever it is after the season.”

Browns defense could be a defining moment for Luke Getsy, Bears offense

2023-12-14T15:51:59.342-06:00

Tight end Evan Egram (17) catches a two-yard touchdown pass — one of for touchdowns the Jaguars scored against the Browns’ defense in a 31-27 loss last Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Jason Miller/Getty Images

When Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy saw the numbers on the Browns’ defense, he was taken aback.

“They give us a report each week and I think they were No. 1 in like every defensive statistic in the league,” Getsy said. “So I was like, ‘This is gonna be fun, right?’”

Maybe. Maybe not. The Browns defense, led by defensive ends Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith, indeed is ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed,, sacks per pass attempt, third-down conversions, DVOA and pass defense DVOA. But the Browns also are tied for 14th in points allowed, 11th in rushing yards allowed and 28th in red-zone touchdown percentage.

The Cardinals’ 26th-ranked offense was shut out by the Browns. But the following week, the Ravens’ fourth-ranked offense scored 26 points against them. The Steelers’ 27th-ranked offense scored 10. But the following week, the Broncos’ 12th-ranked offense scored 27; then the Rams 10th-ranked offense scored 34. Last week the Jaguars’ ninth-ranked offense scored 27 against the Browns.

It’s almost as if the Browns’ defense is a litmus test for NFL offenses. If you’re a good offense, you can score. If you’re not, you struggle. Or let’s put it this way: Teams that rank in the top half of the NFL in scoring are averaging 28.1 points per game against the Browns. Teams that rank in the bottom half are averaging 11.0 against them.

That sets up an interesting matchup Sunday for the Bears’ developing offense, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears, ranked 20th in the NFL in scoring, have shown signs of progress in Getsy’s second year. But most of their best work has come against teams that rank in the bottom half in scoring defense: 40 points against the Commanders (32nd), 28 against the Broncos (tied for 23rd) and 28 and 26 against the Lions (25th).

Against defenses that rank in the top 10, they haven’t fared as well: 10 points against the Chiefs (third), 13 and 12 against the Vikings (fifth), 23 agains the Raiders (ninth) and 17 against the Saints (10th).

So this could be a defining moment for Getsy, Fields and the offense. The Browns’ defense is formidable, but also vulnerable. And Getsy acknowledged that the challenge comes with opportunities other offenses have taken advantage of.

“I think it comes down to making plays when those [opportunities] happen — they don’t happen very often against this type of team,” Getsy said. “When you have those big-play opportunities, you have execute them.

“Jacksonville had maybe five or six opportunities. They took advantage of three of them and left the other two out there. You can’t do that or you won’t win. That’s a big part of it. They don’t make them easy — it’s not like you’ve got someone screaming wide open. It’s guys making a play with a one-on-one opportunity.”

The Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence scored 27 points against the Browns because they executed in the red zone. They scored four touchdowns in four red-zone trips — two of which came after defensive takeaways.

The Browns have allowed 23 touchdowns in 34 red-zone possessions this season (67.6%) — 28th in the NFL. The Bears have scored 20 touchdowns in 36 red-zone trips this season (55.6%) — tied for 16th in the NFL.

So against the Browns’ defense at this point of the season, Getsy and Fields have a chance to make its biggest statement yet, and provide the most accurate assessment of just how much progress this offense is making.

“I feel great [about that opportunity],” Getsy said. “I love our team. I love our guys. I think our guys give us a chance to go do that. I’m excited to see if we’re able to go out and execute like [the successful offenses do].”

Bears predictions: Week 15 at Browns

2023-12-14T11:09:53.621-06:00

Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones celebrates during a preseason game against the Browns last year.

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ game Sunday in Cleveland:

Rick Morrissey

Bears, 20-17: If the Bears can make Jared Goff look like an interception-throwing statue, surely they can do the same with 38-year-old Joe Flacco, who leaves the pocket only for bingo and bathroom breaks. A huge question is whether Justin Fields can survive the Browns’ defense. Season: 9-4.

Rick Telander

Bears, 28-24: Wherever you go, whatever you do, no matter how bad it gets, the Browns are worse. Tim Couch, Kellen Winslow Jr, “Johnny Football” Manziel, Deshaun Watson ($230 million guaranteed), etc. Season: 9-4.

Scoop Jackson

Bears, 19-16: Stefanski vs. Eberflus. This will not be a matchup against teams as much as it will be about Matt’s future. Going against an 8-5 team that has the most wins in the NFL against teams with winning records — with their own polarized coach — this will be the “gauge game” the Bears use to confirm who Eberflus is and what he’s capable (or incapable) of becoming. Season: 9-4.

Patrick Finley

Browns, 23-20 (OT): Winning on the road is hard. Since going 5-3 away from Soldier Field in 2020, the Bears have won just six times in 24 road games. Only one team the Bears have played on the road this year, the Lions, have a better record than the Browns right now. Season: 10-3.

Jason Lieser

Browns, 19-17: While the spike in scoring with 28 points against the Lions was nice, the Bears are two games removed from managing just four field goals against the Vikings. And Cleveland has one of the NFL’s best defenses. Season: 6-7.

Mark Potash

Browns, 20-19: The Bears are heading in the right direction under Eberflus, with three victories in their last four games, and are in position for a third consecutive upset. This should go down the last play. Season: 7-6.

Bears relying on depth to fill Yannick Ngakoue void

2023-12-13T15:16:37.608-06:00

Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) celebrates a sack in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 40-20 victory the Commanders on Oct. 5 at FedEx Field.

Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Yannick Ngakoue’s impact with the Bears has been underwhelming — by the numbers and the eye test — since the former Pro Bowl free-agent defensive end signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract early in training camp. He had four sacks in 13 games, after having eight or more, with an average of nearly 10, in his first seven NFL seasons.

But with the Bears on a defensive roll with a suddenly threatening pass rush invigorated by the addition of defensive end Montez Sweat, they’re about to find out just how valuable Ngakoue is or isn’t. Ngakoue was put on injured reserve Wednesday and is out for the season after breaking his ankle late in the Bears’ 28-13 victory against the Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field.

With the entire defense playing well and building momentum in Sweat’s five games, the impact of Ngakoue’s absence remains to be seen. His four sacks were a disappointment, but his presence likely has made Sweat that much more effective.

The Bears will be counting on their entire defensive-line depth to fill the void. DeMarcus Walker, who started the Bears’ first eight games before playing a prominent backup role in the rotation after Sweat was acquired Oct. 31, is first in line, followed by Rasheem Green and second-year defensive end Dominique Robinson, who has been inactive the last six games.

But reserve defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens also could get more snaps with the Bears becoming more creative since acquiring Sweat.

“Everybody just step up,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “When you have an injury, you have an opportunity for people — for Dom, for [Walker], Gervon, everybody that’s going to have an uptick in reps because of the loss of Yannick. It’s important for those guys to lean into the opportunity and have vision for the opportunity and vision for the plays you’re gonna make.”

The Bears signed Ngakoue on Aug. 4 — 10 days into training camp — to boost a pass rush that was the worst in the NFL in 2022. But while he was an upgrade, Ngakoue did not provide quite the spark the Bears needed. His impact was more noticeable after Sweat was acquired. He had two of his four sacks in the last four games.

“What did he have, four [sacks]? I think it was good, but it could have been better because he missed some,” Eberflus said. “There were a lot of times he had [the quarterback] in the chute and could have gotten him down. We just have to do a good job of finishing and wrapping up the quarterback, strip-sacking as you come through. He could have had at least three or four more.”

Ngakoue is a significant loss, but even without him, the Bears are in better shape than most NFL teams heading into the last four games. Every projected starter for Week 1 was healthy for the home game against the Lions, and with Sweat starting for Walker, the Bears actually had a stronger lineup in Week 14 than anticipated before the season began.

Winning the war of attrition is a key factor in the NFL and made a difference in NFC North victories over the Vikings (who were missing quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson) and the Lions (who were missing center Frank Ragnow and defensive tackle Alim McNeill). But it’s a constant battle. Wide receiver DJ Moore (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. Safety Jaquan Brisker (groin) was limited.

“It’s rare that you only have one guy that’s injured [this late in the season],” Eberflus said. “It’s a tribute to the players for taking care of their bodies with the performance staff, the training staff and the strength staff. I think we’ve done a good job with the mini-byes [after playing on Thursday night against the Commanders and Panthers] to refresh and recharge mind, body and spirit. I think that’s a really big part of it. [And] continuing to do that through these next games.”

Bears’ Jaquan Brisker ‘peaking at the right time’

Bears’ Jaquan Brisker ‘peaking at the right time’

2023-12-13T13:28:43.556-06:00

Bears second-year safety Jaquan Brisker (9) reacts after making a play agfainst the Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field. The Bears won, 28-13.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Everybody loves Jaquan Brisker. The second-year safety has emerged as a leader not only of the Bears’ secondary and the defense, but also of the team.

Coach Matt Eberflus, secondary coach Jon Hoke, safeties coach Andre Curtis and veteran teammate Eddie Jackson are among those who have effusively praised the second-round pick from Penn State. But when the best Brisker compliment comes from a starting center, you know you’ve got a special player who makes an impact on everyone in the building.

“Cody Whitehair had an amazing block on a field goal. He ends up blocking three guys,” center Lucas Patrick said when asked about Brisker’s leadership following his 17-tackle game against the Lions. “Cairo [Santos] nails the kick. Brisker turns around in the team meeting room and compliments Cody.

“Brisker loves ball. He is ball — like, everything about him. And he gets the impact plays that ballplayers get. When somebody does that and they step up and have a game like he did and brings it every play — brings it in practice, you can’t not respect him. I know he’s a second-year player . . . but he does not act like a second-year player.

“He’s earned the respect of us and he’s tougher than nails. What he does week-in, week-out to get his body right to be the impact player he is super impressive. So he’s got all my respect in the world. I love having him on the field. He’s a game-changer.”

Brisker has been a leader from Day 1 this season. But with the defense struggling early in the season, Brisker acknowledged he had not taken the giant leap he appeared to be ready to take.

But in the last several games — coinciding with the addition of defensive end Montez Sweat and the overall uptick of the defense — Brisker’s impact has been more and more noticeable. His 17 tackles were the most by a defensive back in the NFL this season. And 12 of them came on plays of five yards or fewer, so it wasn’t like he was only cleaning up for mistakes made by the front seven.

“What Brisker brings is the reason we drafted him,” Eberflus said. “Ryan [Poles] and I always talk about guys we acquire and bring in here. They have to love football. It brings a passion and a juice to everybody else. If we get enough guys like that, which we have a bunch of guys like that, then you can tangibly see that on the field. You can feel that energy, and that’s what he is.”

The “Tez Effect” is one part of it, said Brisker, who was limited in practice Wednesday with a sore groin. “But also me just owning [up] to the team and owning [up] to myself. I know what type of player I can be. A couple of weeks before the Vikings game, I told him I want to be able to take over a game and show that I can. [Sunday] wasn’t my perfect game. I had a dropped interception. I probably could have had another interception later in the game to end it all. When I beat the running back, I could’ve been quicker to get the strip-sack.

“I feel like I’m just there, but I’m not where I want to be. Because I know I can take over a game. That’s not a complete game for me. That’s not it.”

The rise in Brisker’s game mirrors the rise in the Bears’ defense this season, with Eberflus replacing Alan Williams as defensive coordinator and play-caller in Week 2.

“[I was] frustrated because we didn’t have an identity as a defense,” Brisker said. “We were still trying to find ourselves. Obviously we [had] two different DCs. But it was kind of frustrating how I was playing and how my body was reacting. But I’m getting back in the swing of things. I’m feeling more like myself. I’m definitely peaking at the right time.”

Bears DE Yannick Ngakoue out for the season after breaking ankle

1st-and-10: Amid call for change, Bears’ arrow still pointing up

2023-12-12T14:20:58.473-06:00

General manager Ryan Poles celebrates with defensive tackle Andrew Billilngs (97) after the Bears’ 28-13 victory over the Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Just six weeks ago, the Bears were wallowing in dysfunction that was evoking comparisons to the dreaded final weeks of the Phil Emery/Marc Trestman era. Change seemed imminent.

The Bears were 2-6 after a 30-13 loss to the Chargers. They had won as many games with Tyson Bagent at quarterback as with Justin Fields. Running backs coach David Walker was fired for a personal-conduct issue — the second assistant coach to leave under awkward circumstances after defensive coordinator Alan Williams’ bizarre resignation in Week 2.

Matt Eberflus not only looked to be in over his head as a head coach, but still was struggling to just get his side of the ball right. The Bears’ defense was showing signs of improvement but still ranked 23rd in yards, 28th in points, 22nd in takeaways and 32nd and last in the NFL in sacks.

At that point, even general manager Ryan Poles was in the crosshairs. The Bears were 5-20 in his two seasons. The guy who promised to “take the North and never give it back” was 0-8 against division opponents. Poles had hired Eberflus, who had hired Williams and Walker.

While cutting backup quarterback P.J. Walker and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood were minor admissions of a miss, the trade of wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Dolphins on Oct. 6 was a major one. Trading a second-round pick for defensive end Montez Sweat was progress, but Sweat had yet to play a game for the Bears.

Six weeks later, Poles and the Bears have emerged from that darkness but still are last in the NFC North, with changes more likely than not. Eberflus has steadied his listing ship, but even if he stays, the status of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and Fields for 2024 is in question with four games to go.

But as Bears losing seasons go, this one comes with a silver lining: They are getting better. Whether Eberflus or Jim Harbaugh or Bobby Slowik is the head coach, whether Fields or Caleb Williams or Drake Maye is the quarterback and whether Getsy or some hot quarterbacks coach is the offensive coordinator in 2024, the Bears’ arrow is almost certain to be pointing up heading into the offseason.

This is far from 2021, when the Bears finished 6-11 and fired Matt Nagy. That team lost nine of its last 12 games. Eberflus inherited a defense on the way down — from first to fourth to 14th to 22nd in points allowed in Nagy’s four seasons. Poles’ first draft pick in 2022 was 39th overall.

In 2024, whoever is coaching the Bears will have a defense on the rise with a solid core of proven contributors at all three levels, starting with Sweat, who has been as good as advertised as a “multiplier” in Eberflus’ defense.

And even the chronically work-in-progress Bears offense has a better foundation — not only with wide receiver DJ Moore and improving tight end Cole Kmet, but with an improving line already with two Pro Bowl-caliber players in left guard Teven Jenkins and rookie right tackle Darnell Wright.

So if the Panthers finish with the worst record in the NFL, the Bears’ quarterback quandary for next season is actually a good one, by Bears standards: either Fields with Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. as a potential difference-making weapon or a touted prospect such as Williams or Maye, who will have a more established foundation — a better defense, a better offensive line and better weapons — than Fields had when he was a rookie in 2021.

A lot of factors still have to go right, of course. These are still the Bears we’re talking about. But while the debate rages over who should stay and who should go, no matter what decisions are made, the Bears’ next step should be forward in 2024. That’s progress around these parts.

2. Speaking of solid foundations, the Bears are one of two NFL teams that rank in the top five in rushing offense (fourth) and rushing defense (second). The 49ers are the other; they rank third in rushing offense and first in rushing defense.

For what it’s worth, the four other teams that rank in the top 10 in both categories are a combined 38-14 — the 49ers (10-3), Eagles (10-3), Lions (9-4) and Dolphins (9-4). The Bears are 5-8.

3. Poles’ deal for the Panthers’ first-round pick has spared Bears fans the awkwardness of rooting for the team to play well and lose this season. The Panthers (1-12) have a two-game “lead” over the Patriots (3-10) and Cardinals (3-10) for the No. 1 pick and have the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker over both teams.

The last time a team was in the Bears’ position was in 1983, when the Buccaneers traded their first-round pick to the Bengals for quarterback Jack Thompson, then finished 2-14. The Bengals traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Patriots, who took Nebraska wide receiver Irving Fryar and went to the Super Bowl two years later.

Since then, two teams have had the worst record but not the No. 1 overall pick. In 1989, the Cowboys finished 1-15 but had given up their first-round pick to take quarterback Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft. In 2001, the Panthers finished 1-15, but the expansion Texans were given the No. 1 overall pick.

4. Knock on Wood Dept.: The Bears’ offensive line of left tackle Braxton Jones, left guard Jenkins, center Lucas Patrick, right guard Nate Davis and right tackle Wright — their best combination in two seasons under Getsy — is developing some long-sought-after continuity.

The Browns game will be their fourth consecutive start as a unit. That’s the first time Fields will play behind the same starting O-line combination for more than three consecutive games.

Justin Fields, Luke Getsy face big test vs. Browns’ defense

5. Fields, perhaps not coincidentally, has not thrown an interception in three consecutive games (93 passes) — the longest streak of his 36-start NFL career. His previous long streak of passes without an interception was 77 against the Patriots, Cowboys, Dolphins and Lions in Weeks 7-10 last season.

6. The Bears held the Lions to 267 yards, 134 below their average of 401. It’s the fifth consecutive game since Sweat arrived that the Bears have held their opponent below its season average with the differential increasing in each game — against the Saints (minus-37), Panthers (minus-57), Lions (minus-63), Vikings (minus-100) and Lions (minus-134).

7. Credit Where It’s Due Dept.: Trailing 13-10, the Bears outscored the Lions 9-0 and outgained them 137-21 in the third quarter. The Bears have outscored their last four opponents a combined 29-0 in the third quarter. That’s a big turnaround from the first eight games when they were outscored 62-25 in the quarter.

8. The List — The top five quarterbacks by passer rating in Week 14: Jake Browning, Bengals (122.7); Brock Purdy, 49ers (122.1); Zach Wilson, Jets (117.9); Bailey Zappe, Patriots (115.2); Tommy DeVito, Giants (113.9). That’s two undrafted players (Browning, DeVito), the last pick of the draft (Purdy), a fourth-round pick (Zappe) and a No. 2 overall pick who has been beaten out or benched three times in the last two seasons (Wilson).

9. Ex-Bear of the Week: Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith had 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss, in a 37-31 victory over the Rams. Smith, Baltimore’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee, leads the 10-3 Ravens with 136 tackles in 13 games.

10. Bear-ometer: 7-10 — at Browns (L); vs. Cardinals (W); vs. Falcons (W); at Packers (L).

Justin Fields, Luke Getsy face big test vs. Browns’ defense

2023-12-11T15:47:46.801-06:00

Bears quarterback Justin Fields was sacked nine times in a 26-6 loss to the Browns in his first NFL start on Sept. 26, 2021.

Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

The Bears’ defense passed a major test Sunday in the rematch with Jared Goff and the Lions’ offense. Now it’s the offense’s turn to show where it is and where it’s headed.

With the Bears futures of quarterback Justin Fields and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in doubt with four weeks to go in the regular season, Sunday’s game against the Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium is a veritable litmus test. The Browns’ defense is ranked first in the NFL in yards allowed, first in passing yards allowed, third in opponent’s passer rating, second in sacks and first in third-down conversions.

But the Browns also are close to the middle of the pack in the most important defensive statistic of all — tied for 14th in points allowed. The Browns, in fact, have allowed an average of 24.4 points in their last five games — against the Jaguars (27), Rams (34), Broncos (27) and Ravens (24).

For a Bears offense that scored 12 points and no touchdowns against the Vikings’ blitzing pass rush, then scored 28 points Sunday against the Lions’ more standard defensive approach, facing the Browns’ defense, led by All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett, is both a great challenge and a great opportunity.

“It is every week,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “You’re facing another good defense. And this is no different. They play a similar style to what we play. They’re a four-down group, and they mix their coverages. And obviously they’ve got a great pass rusher [Garrett], and they’ve got a lot of guys that play with great energy. It’s gonna be a big challenge for our offense, for sure.”

It will be an appropriate opponent and venue for Fields and Getsy to make a statement. Fields made his first NFL start against the Browns at Browns Stadium as a rookie in 2021, and it was an absolute disaster.

Fields was under siege from start to finish in the 26-6 loss. He was sacked nine times, took 15 hits and completed six of 20 passes for 68 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions for a 41.2 passer rating. With 67 yards lost on the sacks, the Bears had a net of one passing yard.

It was an inauspicious debut for Fields, but it reflected more poorly on Matt Nagy and the Bears’ coaching staff for subjecting a rookie quarterback in his first NFL start to that abuse.

This will be a good opportunity to see just how far Fields and the coaching staff have come in two-plus seasons. Fields now has made 36 NFL starts. The Bears’ offensive line is at full strength, with left tackle Braxton Jones, left guard Teven Jenkins, center Lucas Patrick, right guard Nate Davis and right tackle Darnell Wright making their fourth consecutive start together.

Fields is in a good groove as a running/passing threat. He threw for 223 yards and one touchdown and added 58 yards rushing on 12 carries in a 28-13 victory over the Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field.

But it could go either way against a Browns defense led by Garrett, who has 13 sacks and four forced fumbles this season. The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson was a model of efficiency against the Browns in Week 4 at Browns Stadium. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns for a 142.5 passer rating — the highest against the Browns this season. He also rushed for 27 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-3 victory.

But in the rematch at home Nov. 12, Jackson was intercepted twice — including Greg Newsome’s 34-yard pick-six — and had a 67.8 passer rating in a 33-31 loss to the Browns and Deshaun Watson.

With a Bears defense on a roll — and not having to face Watson — the challenge facing Fields and Getsy is substantial, but not daunting. At this point, it will be a statement game one way or another.

Bears’ trade for DE Montez Sweat vaults defense from embarrassing to elite

‘We found our swagger’: Bears’ defense gets it right this time

2023-12-10T18:26:55.277-06:00

Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) celebrates his interception with teammates Kyler Gordon (6), T.J. Edwards (53) and Dylan Cole (55) on Sunday at Soldier Field.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Not this time.

Three weeks after the Bears’ defense collapsed in the fourth quarter against the Lions at Ford Field — losing a 12-point lead in the final five minutes — the Bears found themselves in a similar situation Sunday at Soldier Field.

They again led by 12 points in the fourth quarter — this time with 14:12 to play — with Jared Goff and the Lions’ potent offense ready to turn it up a notch and will their way to another victory.

But the Bears’ defense lived up to its resolve to not let it happen again, stopping Goff and the Lions stone cold. On fourth-and-one at the Lions’ 34-yard line with 12:18 to play, Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn tackled Jahmyr Gibbs for a four-yard loss. The Bears took over, tacked on a field goal, and the defense poured it on to seal a 28-13 victory.

“This one was oddly similar to the last time,” Sanborn said. “We learned from our mistakes. It speaks to the guys in this room that we all understood the situation. After that game in Detroit, we took a deep dive into how we have to play better in those situations. To come out here and be in an oddly similar situation and close the game out and leaving no life for them just felt great. A great team win all around.”

After Sanborn’s big stop, the Bears efficiently stifled the Lions down the stretch. They sacked Goff three more times (Gervon Dexter/Montez Sweat, Justin Jones/Sweat and Jones alone) and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds intercepted Goff with 2:31 to go to clinch the Bears’ second consecutive victory.

It was the finishing touch on a dominant second half. The Bears’ defense held the Lions to 76 yards and no points on 31 plays after allowing 191 yards and two touchdowns on 32 plays in the first half. That’s a far cry from the game at Ford Field, when the Bears allowed 148 yards on 17 plays in back-to-back touchdown drives in the final 4:15 of a 31-26 loss at Ford Field.

“You definitely get that feeling where you’re up two scores and we were like, we kind of get in a little habit,” said Sweat, who had two half-sacks, four quarterback hits and five tackles. “And we’re like, ‘Hold on. Back up,’ because we just got humbled three weeks ago. We wanted to finish on a good note this time.”

The performance was the best evidence yet that Matt Eberflus’ defense is taking hold. The Lions came in second in the NFL in total offense (400.6 yards per game) and sixth in scoring (27.3). The Bears held them to 267 yards — their lowest total of the season by 70 yards; and to 13 points, their second lowest total of the season.

The Bears had three more takeaways to give them 11 in the last three games. Jaylon Johnson had an interception in the second quarter. Linebacker T.J. Edwards recovered Goff’s fumbled snap.

And while players are making plays, Eberflus deserves credit for pushing many of the right buttons. Not only on Sanborn’s tackle of Gibbs (“It was a great call by Flus,” he said), but with second-half adjustments that flummoxed the Lions.

“We found our swagger,” Jones said. “[The Lions] came out with looks that were different from what we practiced all week, so we had to come in at halftime and adjust to it.”

In the first half, the Lions gained 47 yards on three plays with tackle Dan Skipper as an eligible linemen. In the second half they had minus-four yards on three plays with Skipper, with an incompletion and fumbled snap.

“They came out with it again, first play of the second half, so we had to adjust to that,” Jones said. “They were making good plays on it in the first half. But we adjusted to it pretty good. [We were] just playing our game. Not blinking. Playing lights out.”

Bears promote WR Collin Johnson to active roster

2023-12-09T15:34:43.751-06:00

Collin Johnson (19) had 18 receptions for 272 yards (15.1 average) and two touchdowns as a rookie with the Jaguars in 2020.

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

The Bears have promoted wide receiver Collin Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Lions, addressing a need because of injuries to Equanimeous St. Brown (out with a pectoral injury), rookie Tyler Scott (questionable with a hamstring injury) and Velus Jones (questionable with an illness).

The injuries left the Bears with just three healthy receivers on their 53-man roster — DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney and kick returner Trent Taylor. Besides Johnson, the Bears also have veteran Nsimba Webster on their practice squad.

The 6-6, 220-pound Johnson, a fifth-round draft pick of the Jaguars in 2020, has 29 receptions for 377 yards and two touchdowns in 26 regular-season games (one start) with the Jaguars in 2020 and the Giants in 2021. He tore his Achilles in training camp with the Giants in 2022 and was put on injured reserve. He was waived by the Giants on Aug. 27 this season. The Bears signed Johnson to their practice squad on Oct. 10. He also contributes on special teams.

Bears’ defense faces a defining moment vs. Lions

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Former Bears running back David Montgomery (5) scored the winning touchdown on a one-yard run with 29 seconds left in the Lions’ 31-26 victory over the Bears on Nov. 19 at Ford Field.

Paul Sancya, AP Photos

Football players live by the 24-hour rule — you celebrate a win or lament a loss for one day, and it’s on to the next game. But Bears safety Eddie Jackson acknowledged that the loss to the Lions three weeks ago at Ford Field still is sticking with him.

“This is probably the worst feeling after a loss that we’ve had,” Jackson said. “It’s a division opponent. They’re plus-two wins to us. To go the way it did, it sucks. And I feel like everyone has that taste in their mouth. Now that we get a chance to get it back, at home, it’s a good feeling.”

The loss to the Lions on Nov. 19 sticks with the Bears because it came with so much hope. The Bears were in control — on offense, defense and special teams — against a Super Bowl-hopeful team playing at home, and with their starting quarterback.

The Bears led 26-14 with 4:15 left in the fourth quarter before the Lions rallied for two long touchdown drives around a Bears three-and-out to win 31-26. It was the Bears’ best and worst moment of the season, a sign of actual progress undone by a harsh reality: When it became a battle of wills, the Bears crumbled like a team that doesn’t know how to win.

On Sunday at Soldier Field, the Bears have a chance to prove the late collapse was the fluke and not the first 55:45 — that they can finish what they started.

“I feel like everyone in here feels that way,” Jackson said in the Bears’ locker room. “We know how that game went; we let it slip away from us. So it’s definitely in the back of our minds. We’ve got to go out and dominate all four quarters. We’re ready to get this thing going and end the game how it should have ended.”

One game will not make the season, but this is the Bears’ best chance to make their biggest statement about the direction they’re headed. Their four victories this season have come against teams in some state of distress — the Commanders (fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio), the Raiders (fired head coach Josh McDaniels), the Panthers (fired head coach Frank Reich) and the Vikings (without Kirk Cousins and Justin -Jefferson).

The Lions’ slip has been showing in recent weeks against the Chargers, Bears, Packers and Saints, but in the big picture, they’re still a team on the rise, still in first place in the NFC North. Still with their starting quarterback and best receiver. Enough to make this a statement game.

“[Not] just because it’s this team, but it’s a chance for us to get back-to-back division wins,” Jackson said. “That’s the main goal. We got one [against the Vikings]. Now we’ve got to get another one.

“Everyone knows it’s do-or-die. Our playoffs started last week. We’ve got these last five [games]; we’ve got to give everything we’ve got. Lay it all on the line. That’s what we plan on doing.”

At 4-8, the Bears are not playoff contenders, but they’ve earned the right to dream. They’re 4-4 after starting 0-4. Their defense is trending up with the addition of defensive end Montez Sweat and with their seven takeaways in the last two games.

But if they want to change the public narrative that change is due, they have to start Sunday and prove they can start and finish against a playoff-bound team.