LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Quarterback Caleb Williams wants to get the Chicago Bears' offense back to its previous level before last week’s loss on a Hail Mary pass against the Washington Commanders.
Before that can happen, the Bears and coach Matt Eberflus might need to get their house in order.
Players openly questioned coaching decisions in the wake of the 18-15 loss and spent Wednesday explaining why they felt they could maintain focus heading into a game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
“We’re playing in a league where you gotta be honest with yourself," linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. "You gotta look yourself in the mirror, but we are drawing closer together as a team, getting through this together, because that’s what it’s going to take to move forward, to get through it together.”
Before they moved forward together, there seemed to be some unanswered accountability issues they needed to address.
Wide receiver DJ Moore on a local radio show had questioned a play call using center Doug Kramer at the goal line in the fourth quarter.
“Me and Flus talked about it with the captains,” Moore said. “And it’s just got to stay in-house next time.
“I mean, I’m not going to say ‘sorry for what I said,’ but at the same time it is, it should have just stayed in house, but I said what I said.”
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson had wondered on the same show why they didn’t call timeout before the fateful Hail Mary pass to get the defense organized. Eberflus on Wednesday didn't dispute the value of this.
“My biggest thing was, I’m sure if we’re in the finals, we got one more shot or one more possession you are going to call, in a sense, a timeout to make sure the play is drawn up correctly,” Johnson said. “We want to set this pick this way. I mean get your guys in the best position to succeed.
“I mean at the end of the day that doesn’t necessarily change the result, but it changes I would say your mentality going into that play.”
Johnson said team leadership meetings and meetings with coaches can only go so far.
“We’ve been talking about doing things better the right way,” Johnson said. “I mean, at the end of the day, something like that just exposes certain things.
“But at the end of the day, it wasn’t nothing new that was said. It was just things that we keep reiterating that of course bit us in the (rear).”
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had been jawing with fans at the outset of the Hail Mary pass and didn’t see the play unfolding. Then he didn’t do his assignment and take Noah Brown at the back of the end zone; he rushed in and tipped the desperation throw back to an unguarded Brown.
Eberflus won’t say publicly if there has been any discipline for Stevenson or if he’ll lose his starting role.
“Perceptions are what they are and I appreciate your question, but in the building we hold each other accountable and it’s about our circle and the men in the building,” Eberflus said.
The Bears have bigger issues than one play.
Williams and the offense continued to struggle early in games. They have 10 first-quarter points but made other mistakes Sunday like Williams taking a 15-yard sack to knock them out of field-goal range.
“If we keep putting points on the board, if we keep doing our job, if I keep doing my job to the best of my ability, finding ways to get points and things like that, protect the football, we win a lot of games, especially with the defense that we have,” Williams said.
Ultimately, the Bears say there is a long season left.
That can be a good thing or bad thing considering how they came out of the tough loss.
“We’re not below .500, the sky isn’t falling,” Moore said. “So, on to the next opponent. That’s the Cardinals and we’ve just got to find a way to be 1-0 next week.”
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The Associated Press
