After a week off, the Bears suffered their fifth straight loss, falling to the Green Bay Packers 41-25.
Though the final score wouldn't appear to be a blowout, the Bears trailed by 24 in the second quarter and 31 in the third. The score may have tightened, but the game left coach Matt Nagy with the feeling that the Bears had been outpaced for the entire game.
"I just felt like they got after us the entire game from the first quarter until the very end," said Nagy. "That's basically where we're at right now. [I] talked to the guys in the locker room afterwards. There's guys that care. I think that's what's important to us. But they care, and they know that we've got to do it on the field; it's not about what we say."
In contrast to previous games in the losing streak, the offense managed to move the ball for most of the game, despite three costly turnovers. However, the defense struggled to counter the Packers offense. The Packers' 41-point performance marks the highest total against a Bears team since Christmas Eve in 2016.
In his return as the Bears' starting quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky completed 26 of 46 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. However, the fourth-year quarterback's two interceptions and one fumble lost that was returned for a touchdown made for a decidedly mixed result in his first start since Sept. 27.
Nagy believed that Trubisky made the right reads early in the game but said that he would review his quarterback's progressions during film session. However, Nagy defended Trubisky's first interception of the day, a deep throw into the hands of Packers safety Darnell Savage.
"It was a shot that we took," said Nagy. "They made a good play on defense. Sometimes that's what happens in this game. I don't think that it affected the next play per se, but those type of deals right there when you're playing a really good offense like we are, the turnovers, you just can't have those."
Running behind a reconfigured offensive line, running back David Montgomery rushed for 103 yards on only 11 carries, including a 57-yard run in the Bears' first drive of the game. Sunday marked the second 100-yard game of Montgomery's career and his first this season. Nagy cited the second-year running back as one of the few bright spots in the game.
"David's a hard runner now," said Nagy. "He cares immensely about this game. He's going to give it every ounce that he has. And you felt that today. With that is belief and knowing that he plays hard and he believes in us. We just got to keep plugging away and fighting."
The defense allowed the Packers to score touchdowns on all three of their first half possessions, as Aaron Rodgers gradually marched his team down the field with a string of third-down conversions.
The defense did not record a single sack or quarterback hit. Rodgers threw for 211 yards and four touchdowns on only 29 passing attempts. The Packers also gained 182 yards on the ground with Aaron Jones contributing 90 yards and Jamaal Williams recording another 73.
"You have a couple of guys that have almost 20 rushes per guy and almost 100 yards [each]," said Nagy. "They're getting some yards there on the run and you kind of felt that early on. And so, that's where, again, our team has been relying on our defense, and they're not always going to play perfect."
Commentator Tony Dungy remarked that he believed the defense had given up on the game after Williams broke several tackles to score a 13-yard touchdown. Nagy disputed the idea that effort was an issue against the Packers.
"That's one thing that I'll never agree with anybody, is our guys quitting," said Nagy. "I'd disagree with that. But, was the fundamentals of the tackling, could it be better? Sure, without a doubt. But, again, that's something that our players have to dig down deep, say 'enough is enough.' We as players and coaches didn't do that tonight."
