
DETROIT — There’s not enough money in the NFL salary cap to buy the mental toughness the Bears’ defense desperately needs. You have to develop that on your own — through the heat of battle and in real time.
The Bears learned that hard lesson in a dispiriting 31-26 loss Sunday to the Lions at Ford Field. With linebacker Tremaine Edmunds returning after missing two games and with defensive end Montez Sweat playing for the first time with a full week of practice, the Bears’ defense was as strong as it has been in two seasons under coach Matt Eberflus.