Chicago Bears head into ‘mini-bye’ with coach Matt Eberflus searching for answers

LAKE FOREST – Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is going to take a good, hard look at his team over the next 11 days.

After a 12-7 loss to the Washington Commanders on Thursday night at Soldier Field, the Bears have a lengthy break. They will face the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on “Monday Night Football” next week. It equates to 11 days off between games.

It’s not a bye week, but in a lot of ways it feels like one. The Bears won’t practice again until Thursday.

“We’re spending time during this mini-bye to evaluate each guy,” Eberflus said Friday afternoon at Halas Hall. “We come up with three things they’re doing well right now and three things they need to improve on. And the plan for each guy, fundamentally, to improve on that. That’s a very important piece for us to grow as a football team.”

The Bears had a chance to win Thursday’s game in the final minute. Quarterback Justin Fields connected with receiver Darnell Mooney on a do-or-die fourth down play, but Mooney bobbled the pass and, when he did come down with it, wound up short of the end zone.

Instead of a last-minute comeback victory, the Bears (2-4) dropped a game against a Washington team that had lost four in a row.

The Bears have plenty of evaluating to do. They rank 29th in the league with 15.5 points per game and 293.7 yards per game. Their passing attack ranks dead last with 122.8 yards per game. They are more than 30 yards per game behind the New York Giants, who rank second worst.

Eberflus will be looking at all aspects of his team. That means the personnel, but that also means the play-calling. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s plan of attack also will be under scrutiny.

“When you say evaluate scheme, evaluate players, that’s part of the whole process,” Eberflus said. “Are we putting our players in the position to succeed? And that’s the quarterback position or running back position or receiver position, I think that’s true with any position.”

The Bears’ offense is clearly broken. Any offense that ranks 29th in points and yards per game is broken. That being said, six weeks into the season is not too late to turn things around.

The Bears could take a look at shuffling things up on the offensive line. Fields was under all kinds of pressure Thursday night. Left guard Cody Whitehair’s knee injury hurts, but the Bears still need to be creative to boost the protection in front of Fields.

Alex Leatherwood is likely to return to the active roster soon. The Bears could look to work him in at either guard or tackle. They also have a capable veteran tackle in Riley Reiff, who is sitting on their bench. Would they consider a change at the tackle positions?

“The rhythm and timing of the passing game is all predicated on the movement passes, the pocket when you are dropping back, and those are all things that we’re going to keep looking at,” Eberflus said. “In terms of helping guys inside or outside more, doing more things that can help the offensive line, that can help the receivers, that can help every group.”

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The offense also could do a better job putting the ball in its best playmakers’ hands. Mooney had seven receptions Thursday, which is his season high. A second option behind Mooney needs to emerge. That could be tight end Cole Kmet or somebody else.

On Thursday, Eberflus’ Bears were schooled on how to create pressure while rushing only four. Eberflus has said on multiple occasions that he wants his defenses to do that. The pass rush, simply put, has to improve.

Defensive coordinator Alan Williams called some well-timed third-down blitzes Thursday. The Bears don’t want to blitz often, but if that’s what it takes to create some pressure, it could be an adjustment they have to stick with.

Every single position and every single player is going to be under the microscope this week as the coaching staff reviews the film.

“When you have a mindset of growth that way, you will improve,” Eberflus said. “And you will get better. And then our units will function better, more consistently.”