If Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington thought his defense “failed to meet the mark in terms of anything that could be considered an acceptable performance” against the 49ers in his debut as play caller, what exactly would he call the effort that led to a 30-12 thumping by the Vikings on Monday?
Stunningly, other than the loss, he thought the defense played decently.
“The response to some of the situations we were put in was really, really good,” he said Thursday. “It was a spirited performance. The guys competed. They were physical.”
Washington went on to cite the Bears getting pressure on Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, allowing only 13 points in the first half and managing dangerous wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison until the second half.
It was an odd spin on a game in which the Bears allowed the Vikings to score on three of their first four possessions, gave up 5.1 yards per play in the first half and could’ve given up more points if not for the Vikings running the clock at the end.
He also highlighted cornerback Tyrique Stevenson’s interception in the red zone in the second quarter, but that was on fourth down, so if Stevenson had batted it down, the Bears would’ve gotten an extra seven yards of field position.
“I like exactly what he did in that situation,” Washington said.
ESPN broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman recognized in real-time that Stevenson could’ve made a headier play.
“That’s one he probably should’ve just dropped — they lost yardage on it,” Aikman said.
“Well, you go tell him,” Buck jabbed.
“I think he’s heard enough from enough people,” Aikman replied.
After the commercial break, Aikman said of Stevenson, “It’s been a rocky road… Even with an interception on fourth down, it’s not without a debate.”
The Bears absolutely didn’t play well defensively against the Vikings. And now they’ll face the NFL’s best offense when the Lions arrive Sunday. They’re averaging 32.8 points per game and scored a total of 76 points against good defenses — Packers and Bills — the last two weeks.
If Washington wants his stint as play caller — he took over when the Bears fired Matt Eberflus — to help him land his next job, he’ll need to do better. Whereas Thomas Brown immediately injected life into the offense when he got promoted to coordinator last month, Washington hasn’t redirected the declining defense.
In his first two games, the Bears gave up 68 points, yielded nearly six yards per play, let opponents convert 50% of third downs and allowed scores on 12 of 19 possessions.
When asked for an assessment of his own work, a question Brown hasn’t shied away from, Washington said, “I’m not evaluating myself.”
Isn’t that part of the job?
Penalties were a huge issue for the Bears against the Vikings, and that’s partly a reflection on the coaching.
Veteran safety Kevin Byard committed pass interference on a third-and-seven in the third quarter to extend the Vikings’ drive, and they cashed in for a touchdown and a 20-3 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter, with the offense still desperately trying to get back in the game, Stevenson committed pass interference in the end zone to give the Vikings first-and-goal at the 1-yard line and set up another touchdown to put them ahead 27-6.
“We just have to find a way to play cleaner,” Washington said.
That’s the Bears’ answer for everything: Telling you something you already know.
It’s been trending this way for a while. The Bears allowed an average of 14.9 points over the first seven games and were among the league’s top defenses, but have given up 27 per game since. They’ve lost players to injuries, had costly mental lapses and simply haven’t been talented enough in some key positions.
The one thing that this team had right at the start of the season has gone totally wrong.