Broncos @ Bears Review: Chicago continues losing streak, and problems still remain for Denver

The Chicago Bears (0-4) losing woes continued as they blew a 21-point lead to the Denver Broncos (1-3) who picked up their first win of the season at Soldier Field.

The whole game was going Chicago’s way as they were unstoppable and Denver did not have an answer to their offence. The Bear would take the lead from the Broncos as they fought back in the second quarter and scored 21 points to end the half 21-7.

The Bears were up 28-7 by the end of the third quarter behind the amazing play of Justin Fields who had his best game in a Bears jersey. But then the fourth quarter happened where the Broncos scored 24 unanswered points in the second half, including a game-tying touchdown and a 51-yard field goal by Wil Lutz, giving them a 31-28 lead with 1:46 remaining in the game.

In the end, the Broncos’ defence held strong, preventing the Bears from getting into field goal range, and Kareem Jackson sealed the victory with a game-winning interception as he picked off Fields’ last ditch attempt at winning the game.

Here are some of the big takeaways from a game that has perhaps kickstarter one team’s season and brings more questions for the other.

Is Justin Fields the franchise QB or not? That is the question

Despite the loss, Bears’ quarterback Justin Fields had an impressive game, establishing career highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and passer rating (28-for-35 with 335 passing yards — a career-high — 4 passing touchdowns) Fields threw four touchdowns, but committed late mistakes that contributed to the Bears’ 31-28 loss to the Broncos and these were major mistakes that included a fumble and the interception. 

While they did lose in bad fashion, the positives is that he looked more comfortable in the pocket and was able to find his playmakers, especially D.J Moore and Cole Kmet. Moore had a season-high performance as he finished with eight catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, while Kmet caught 7 passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns, serving as a reliable checkdown option in the red zone for Fields to identify near the middle of the field.

The performance from Fields demonstrates the potential that he has… but is that too late now? Everyone, the Bears were not gonna contend for a Wildcard spot this season, but we knew it was either make or break for the fourth year QB.

The season so far has been about whether or not Fields could lead the Bears at quarterback and with the Bears currently holding the first two picks as it stands, the prospect of moving on from him to let’s say…USC’s Caleb Willams or UNC’s Drake May or even Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman.

It is certainly an enticing prospect given how good the upcoming draft class is full of QB talent, especially Willams who is a Heisman Trophy winner and continuing to play well for the Trojans. 

Whilst this performance against Denver was good, Fields failed to ice the game and played against one of the worst defences in the league. No one will remember the three quarters he played, but they will remember the fourth and last quarter where he failed to produce a game-winning drive and touchdown passes with the clock running down.

With a 5-24 record as the starting QB, the front office will have to acknowledge that change is needed and this could be their opportunity to do so. 

Chicago’s coaching decisions

In his two seasons as head coach, Matt Eberflus hasn’t been dealt the most talented roster in the NFL. However, the decisions he and his coaching staff have made have played a significant role in the Bears’ lack of success.

Luke Getsy’s performance as an offensive play caller has often been questionable, and the departure of Alan Williams as defensive coordinator under mysterious circumstances has left unanswered questions for the public. Alongside these questionable hires and the ongoing disappointment of the team’s win-loss record, the writing is on the wall for a potential head coaching change in 2024.

One area of criticism directed at Eberflus has been his decision-making during games. One notable example was his choice to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Denver 18 rather than attempt a go-ahead field goal, which ultimately backfired. This decision left many questioning his choices, as it’s unclear if Eberflus overestimated Chicago’s rushing ability or underestimated the Denver defence.

The Bears’ loss marked their 14th consecutive defeat dating back to last season, and Eberflus’ overall record as Chicago’s head coach is now 3-18. Despite the team’s passion and energy, Eberflus acknowledged that when a team is 0-4, no one has done their job well enough, and they need to do a better job collectively as a group. The Bears will need to evaluate their coaching decisions and make necessary adjustments to avoid similar mistakes in future games.

Russell Wilson’s best game

It is certainly saying something about the Denver Broncos when this is the best game Russell Wilson has played in an orange jersey. He played a crucial role in bringing them back into the game and getting the comeback win after a terrible first half.

Wilson threw for three touchdowns, showcasing his decision-making and footwork that enabled his receivers to exploit the Bears’ defence. He completed a 48-yard pass to Marvin Mims Jr., which setup Wil Lutz’s game-winning 51-yard field goal. Wilson finished the game with 223 passing yards and no turnovers.

Despite some concerns about his leadership in his second year as the Broncos’ starting quarterback, Wilson’s performance in the game against the Bears demonstrated his ability to rally the team and secure a much-needed win. Moving forward, the Broncos will look to build on this momentum and capitalise on Wilson’s skills to improve their record and performance throughout the season.

Denver’s poor defensive game

For a team that was top 10 in defence last year to now being one of the worst defences in the NFL and last week watching the Miami Dolphins score 70 illustrated that. But the Denver Broncos’ defence played a crucial role in securing the team’s comeback victory against the Chicago Bears. Although the defence struggled to contain Bears’ quarterback Justin Fields, who had a field day with over 300 passing yards and four touchdowns, they stepped up when it mattered most in the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Broncos’ defence sealed the win with two takeaways and a fourth-down stop. They forced a three-and-out on a crucial Bears drive, allowing their offence to cut the deficit to one score. Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper and the rest of the defence managed to hold the Bears from scoring in the final moments of the game.

Some other positives that the defence can take is that they were able to pressure and sack Fields. They recorded four sacks and nine QB hits, with edge Nik Bonitto getting 2.5 sacks and two QB hits who had his best game in his young career with an noticeable sack early where he forced the Bears to punt

Despite the lapses in their performance, the Broncos’ defence showed resilience and the ability to make key plays when needed.

Moving forward, this should give the team a much needed confidence booster as they will need to address their defensive issues and work on containing opposing offences more effectively to ensure more victories in the future especially with a tough coming for the Broncos in the coming weeks with two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and a game against the Buffalo Bills.

Looking ahead

The next game for the Broncos will be back in Denver as they face off against the New York Jets (1-3) who are coming off a controversial loss against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. Whereas the Bears have a short week as they will take on the Washington Commanders (2-2) on Thursday Night Football who lost a divisional match against the Philadelphia Eagles in overtime.