Johnson Not Interested in Bright Spots as Bears’ Skid Reaches 5 Games
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Jaylon Johnson wasn’t all that interested in discussing any bright spots or reasons to have hope for the Bears.
The star cornerback made his feelings clear.
Johnson is in his fifth season with the Bears, and they’ve only made the playoffs once, a brief one-game appearance in the 2020 Wild Card round, his rookie year. With the playoffs all but mathematically out of reach for the Bears for a fourth straight season, Johnson said he’s not moved by progress markers or moral victories anymore.
“I’ve been in slumps four, five years in a row now,” he said Monday. “So, I mean, at the end of the day, I don’t look for, ‘OK, what is going to be better in the future?’… It will be better when it’s better.
“So, right now, it’s not better. That’s all I can go off of.”
Playoff chances near zero
Instead of a morale-boosting come-from-behind win, Sunday’s game was another heart-breaking loss for the Bears.
They’ll enter Thanksgiving weekend near the bottom of the NFC standings, tied for 12th place with the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. Only the Carolina Panthers (3-8) and New York Giants (2-9) have worse records in the NFC.
What’s working
The passing game.
This is the one area where, despite Johnson’s comments, Bears fans should be highly encouraged.
Williams has clearly looked more comfortable in the two games since Brown replaced the fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator. The No. 1 draft pick followed up a solid performance against Green Bay by throwing for 340 yards and two touchdowns against the stout Vikings defense.
What needs help
Field-goal protection.
One week after his game-ending 46-yard field-goal attempt against Green Bay got blocked, Santos had a 48-yarder rejected on his first try against Minnesota. It happened from the same area, in the middle of the line, when the Vikings’ Jerry Tillery knocked down the kick.
Stock up
DJ Moore.
The Bears have done a better job getting Moore involved under Brown. He caught seven passes for a season-high 106 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota. That gave him 14 receptions for 168 yards the past two games, compared to 13 for 104 yards over the previous four.
Stock down
RB D’Andre Swift.
After a string of solid outings, Swift had just 30 yards on 13 carries Sunday. To be fair, he has been dealing with a groin issue, and he was going against the NFL’s No. 1 run defense.
Injuries
The Bears reported no injuries during Sunday’s game, so that was good news on the short Thanksgiving week.
Key number
5-18 — The Bears’ record in one-possession games in nearly three seasons under Eberflus, including a 2-5 mark this year. They are 14-31 overall during Eberflus’ tenure.
Next steps
The schedule certainly doesn’t get any easier for the Bears.
The Thanksgiving matchup at Detroit will be followed by a Week 14 game in San Francisco against the defending NFC champion 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 8, and then a Week 15 Monday Night Football rematch with the Vikings, this time in Minnesota, on Dec. 16.
Conclusion
The Bears are in a tough spot, and it’s hard to find any silver linings. They’ll need to regroup and refocus for the remainder of the season, starting with a tough matchup against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
FAQs
Q: How many games has the Bears’ skid reached?
A: The Bears have lost five straight games, including a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Vikings on Sunday.
Q: What’s the outlook for the Bears’ playoff chances?
A: According to ESPN’s NFL playoff odds, the Bears have less than a 1% chance to make the playoffs.
Q: Who’s been the bright spot on offense?
A: QB Caleb Williams has looked more comfortable in the two games since the Bears’ coaching change, throwing for 340 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings.
Q: What’s the Bears’ record in one-possession games under Eberflus?
A: The Bears are 5-18 in one-possession games under Eberflus, including a 2-5 mark this year.
