The Chicago Bears earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs on Sunday, but it didn’t happen in the way they envisioned. The Detroit Lions stormed into Soldier Field and laid a beating on the NFC North champions, driving up and down the field in a 19-16 victory to close the regular season.
Bears fans can take solace in the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Washington Commanders to give them the second seed. But the performance is concerning in several ways, including a secondary that gave up 331 yards to quarterback Jared Goff and the Lions' passing attack.
With so much damage coming through the air, it has reawakened the concerns about Chicago’s defense, and it could lead to an early departure when the playoffs begin next week.
Bears’ Secondary Concerns Coming to a Head Entering Playoffs
The Bears' defense has been the epitome of a bend but don’t break unit under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen this season. Chicago entered Sunday ranked 21st with 222 passing yards allowed per game, but their 22 interceptions and 18.7% turnover rate ranked first in the NFL to mitigate that damage.
Chicago was able to use that to their advantage when Kevin Byard grabbed his NFL-leading seventh interception in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 16-16. But the play didn’t make a difference because the Bears gave up too many explosive plays through the air.
Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with 11 catches for 139 yards, and Jameson Williams had six catches for 74 yards. Even the little-used Kalif Raymond caught three passes for 52 yards, while running back Jahmyr Gibbs caught three passes for 33 yards and Detroit’s lone touchdown of the game to give Detroit a 13-0 lead in the second quarter.
The lead wound up swelling to 16-0 on a 25-yard Jake Bates field goal late in the third quarter and while the Bears came back to tie the game, it was reminiscent of past meltdowns on the back end of the defense including a 449-yard performance in a Week 9 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and a 334-yard performance in a Week 2 loss to Goff’s Lions in Detroit.
With 10 games decided by one possession, having a defense that coughs up big plays is a massive concern going into the playoffs. It may not be fixable with Nahshon Wright's knack for giving up completions, while Kyler Gordon is currently on injured reserve with a groin injury.
If Chicago can’t fix the problem, the secondary, which has fueled many big wins with its turnovers, could be the reason its storybook season doesn’t have a happy ending. That's something the Bears can't afford to happen, putting pressure on head coach Ben Johnson to find a solution before it's too late.