At 2-7 and still searching for an answer at quarterback, the Bears aren’t much further along in their rebuild than they were a year ago. They lost 24-17 to the Saints on Sunday in a game that was theirs to take. Here are three takeaways coming off the defeat:
What are they good at?
One thing the Saints have in their favor: They’ve got a strong pass rush and a great overall pass defense. That’s going to give them a chance in any game. The Bears simply don’t have an overwhelming strength that makes a difference. They’ve been good against the run, but that’s not nearly enough.
Eberflus’ losses
Regardless of the circumstances, the growing stack of losses is going to make it nearly impossible for the Bears to justify bringing coach Matt Eberflus back. He is now 5-21, never has won back-to-back games and has struggled with the public-facing aspects of the job.
O-line woes
When Justin Fields returns, he’ll be back behind an offensive line that still hasn’t shown it can protect quarterbacks. Tyson Bagent was on the run and under pressure throughout the game Sunday, getting sacked twice and hit two other times. The O-line committed seven penalties (one declined) for 50 yards.
