Bears' Problems Run Deeper Than One Play Against Commanders

The Chicago Bears have more than just a Hail Mary to worry about.

The Bears actually played terribly throughout the first half of the game - and into the third quarter. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams missed easy passes, and his receivers dropped a few, as well. The offensive line struggled to block, and the Bears struggled to run the ball. The defense gave up yards and long drives to the Commanders, though it managed to stiffen enough to force field goals on each drive.

But Bears running back D'Andre Swift had a 56-yard touchdown run and the Bears offense got untracked. Williams started to play better. The Bears even overcame a fumble at the Commanders goal line by offensive lineman Doug Kramer -- Kramer had been tasked with carrying the ball into the end zone.

While that play call got a lot of criticism, this author is OK with it -- sometimes the play call isn't the problem, it's the execution. If that play works, the same critics would be praising the Bears for their trickery.

Of course, it all fell apart when Daniels ran around for over 12 seconds before tossing the ball 52 yards for a touchdown that was caught when Nate Brown took in a tipped pass. Everything went wrong for the Bears on the play. They had chances to bring Daniels down despite rushing only three and failed. The Commanders arguably got away with both a hold and blindside block. Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was taunting fans and actually missed the snap -- and although he recovered enough to get to the ball, he tipped it into the air instead of knocking it down to the ground.

The Bears also were out of position and failed to shadow Brown.

Coaching has come under fire, as well. Why didn't head coach Matt Eberflus use a timeout -- he had all three remaining -- to set the defense up? Or why didn't he use one when Stevenson was clearly too busy taunting fans to pay attention? Why did the Bears rush just three? Why weren't different personnel on the field? Why was pass rusher Montez Sweat, who'd had a monster game, not on the field? Why did the Bears concede 13 easy yards on the previous play -- 13 yards that made the Hail Mary much less difficult?

It's easy to be stunned by the final play of the game, but the Bears weren't good most of the day Sunday. Nor were they well-coached -- and they were coming off of a bye. Even had they knocked the Hail Mary to the ground, there'd have been plenty of questions.

Bad days happen in the NFL, especially with a rookie quarterback, and this is still a rebuilding team. The offensive line still needs work, and it's worth noting that it was patchwork against Washington due to injuries. Yesterday was tough for Bears fans, but not a season killer.

That said, if this Bears team is going to move from rebuilder to playoff competitor, either this year or next, a lot of things need to be cleaned up.

Until then, it's the same old Bears.

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