Following a disappointing performance against the San Francisco 49ers, the Chicago Bears defense is under scrutiny. Coach Ben Johnson refrained from assigning blame to his defensive unit for allowing 42 points during Sunday night”s game, but admitted the issues were evident.
As the Bears prepare to host the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field on Sunday, Johnson emphasized the importance of winning to secure the No. 2 seed for the NFC playoffs. This seed would grant them home-field advantage in the divisional round, provided they advance past the wild-card game.
Despite the loss, Johnson sought to boost the morale of his defense, pointing out that they had a pick-six on the first play of the game, courtesy of linebacker T.J. Edwards, marking a rare occurrence in the NFL. The defense also managed to force a punt from the 49ers, which they had not done since late November.
“It always comes back to fundamentals, particularly in terms of gap integrity in the run defense,” Johnson remarked, noting the strength of the 49ers” offense, which has averaged 35 points over the last five weeks. He acknowledged that the Bears” offense struggled in the first half, failing to maintain possession and leading to a lack of support for the defense.
One of the most glaring issues for the Bears was their inability to stop the 49ers in the red zone, as San Francisco converted all five of their opportunities into touchdowns. In contrast, the Bears had previously limited the Green Bay Packers to zero touchdowns in the red zone.
In terms of passing, Caleb Williams achieved a season-high 330 passing yards, despite missing key receivers Rome Odunze and Olamide Zaccheaus due to injury and illness, respectively. The offensive line held up well, even with tackle Darnell Wright battling illness.
The Bears” run defense was another area of concern, allowing 200 rushing yards against the 49ers, which included a standout performance from Christian McCaffrey, who racked up 140 yards.
Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden made a significant impact, posting career highs with eight receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown. In contrast, star receiver DJ Moore had a quiet game, recording just one catch for seven yards.
Adding to the Bears” challenges, linebacker Noah Sewell suffered an Achilles tendon injury, with reports suggesting it may be a tear. Meanwhile, defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is currently in the concussion protocol.
As the Bears look to improve ahead of their matchup against the Lions, they aim to avoid a repeat of their earlier 52-21 defeat in Week 2.
