Three Takeaways from Bears' Motor City beatdown |
Dustin Riese
· · 2 hours ago
Well, that was certainly an ugly game anyway you slice it, as the Bears showed up to the Motor City on Sunday and left with a 52-21 beatdown loss. Many of the concerns that arose following their week one loss to Minnesota resurfaced, as costly penalties, poor execution, and an overall sloppy offensive performance once again hindered this team.
This is a classic example of getting too involved in the offseason hype, as the team was built up as a sleeper this offseason, which led to many people getting on the Bears bandwagon. While there is still plenty of time for them to turn this all around, it will take a significant amount of work, as the Bears are much farther behind than people thought they would be. Ben Johnson knows that, and now it becomes a matter of patience as the Bears and their fans alike need to have patience with him, his staff, and the direction he wants this team to go. Here are some takeaways surrounding another loss.
When you look back at some of the Bears' best draft picks over the past decade, Jaylon Johnson comes to mind. The now six-year veteran is the leader of the Bears' young secondary and has emerged as one of the best pure coverage cornerbacks in the entire league. There is a reason why the Bears signed him to a massive extension last offseason; they know how valuable he is to the team and the defense. However, his value can only be realized when he is on the field, and Johnson is struggling to stay healthy in the early part of the season, which is a concern for all parties. After missing week one dealing with a groin injury, Johnson was ruled healthy enough to play in week two as the Bears' defense was about to get a huge lift. Less than one half into Sunday's game, Johnson went to make a tackle and went down as he re-injured the same groin that kept him out of week one and didn't return. Like a hamstring injury, groin injuries are challenging to diagnose, as the recovery timetable is so wide open. Don't expect Johnson to be healthy enough to go next week, but beyond that is where the question lies. The longer he is out, the more stress it will put on this secondary, as there are concerns about whether Johnson will be healthy anytime soon.
If you ask anyone who follows the Bears, both inside and outside the organization, they will tell you that they believe Ben Johnson is the right man for this job and is a great coach. While that may be the case, we haven't seen that in his two games leading this team, as it has been more of the same for this team. Whether it be the costly penalties that hinder drives, Chicago's inability to sustain consistent offensive play, or the Bears struggling to get after the quarterback, all the factors that have led to the struggles of the past few seasons continue to show up early in 2025. That alone goes to show that not even Johnson will be able to step in and change things overnight, as the Bears have numerous areas to improve upon as the season unfolds. Caleb Williams, especially, is someone who will be under the microscope this season, as he has looked great in back-to-back weeks on the opening drive before his accuracy issues have become apparent for the rest of the game, leading to poor decisions overall. Chicago needs him to figure things out quickly before the bust chatter starts to become too much.Jaylon Johnson is a concern
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Rome Odunze is a dog
While DJ Moore may be listed as the No.1 wide receiver in this offense, it's very clear that Rome Odunze is Williams' No. 1 target as those two have developed a ton of chemistry over the past year. After putting together a solid rookie campaign that saw him pick up more than 600 yards receiving and three touchdowns, Odunze has gotten off to a great start this season, as his two scores on Sunday give him three on the season, which equals his entire total from a season ago.
Odunze has also taken over the big-play role that Moore has held over the past few years, coming away with several 20-plus-yard plays already this season and leading the Bears with 128 yards on seven receptions as he continues to be Williams' most trusted option this season. That is worth noting as both Williams and Odunze were taken in the first round last season, meaning their contracts will be linked up together for five years.
The longer they play together, the better chemistry they will have, as Chicago could be on the verge of having their all-time leading wide receiver before all is said and done. Look for his production to continue as Williams will continue to go his way early and often.
