The Bears reached the low point of the Matt Eberflus era on Sunday night — and that’s saying something, given that he once lost 14 games in a row.
That’s what expectations will do. A team that sold this season as a jumping off point for Caleb Williams and his offense lost to the Patriots, 19-3. Here’s a look at the lowlights:
Big-picture problems
Eberflus heard fans chanting for his job during the game, saying afterward that it comes with the territory. After a disastrous showing Sunday, he was forced to acknowledge big-picture problems, starting with a broken offense, in what figures to be the start of a two-month slog.
Caleb goes backward — again
Williams’ 120 passing yards Sunday was his worst total since his first-ever NFL game. Since the Bears returned from a bye, Williams’ game-by-game passer rating has read like a list of Lake Michigan water temperatures on Halloween: 59.5, 68.9 and, on Sunday, 63.2. He’s headed in the wrong direction after spending the early part of the season making weekly improvements.
Not a rush
Playing behind a makeshift offensive line, D’Andre Swift missed holes and too often tried for too many home-run carries, finishing with 16 carries for 59 yards. He has 32 carries for 110 yards over his past two games, an average of 3.4.yards per carry. In the four games prior, he averaged 5.4.