CHICAGO — One month after clock-management issues in opposition to the Detroit Lions led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus, the Chicago Bears sealed their tenth straight loss when timeout points and no try at a possible tying subject aim resulted in a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Thursday’s Seahawks-Bears matchup was considered one of two NFL video games this season with no landing. Chicago totaled 179 yards of offense, its fourth-lowest output in 2024, and managed solely a subject aim in its closing house recreation of the season.
Just like how the Bears’ loss to the Lions performed out on Thanksgiving Day, Chicago trailed by three getting into its closing drive. The Bears took possession with 5 minutes, 12 seconds remaining within the fourth quarter at their 11-yard line with all three timeouts.
Chicago ran six performs earlier than dealing with fourth-and-inches from its 39-yard line when left guard Jake Curhan, who began instead of injured Teven Jenkins (calf), was flagged for a false begin.
The Bears had been in punt formation when interim head coach Thomas Brown used his workforce’s first timeout with 2:14 left. A scenario that gave the impression to be the results of confusion on the sideline was a byproduct of Brown deciding to be extra aggressive.
“It wasn’t confusion in any respect,” Brown stated. “I simply modified my thoughts. I feel with the ability to use [punter] Tory [Taylor] as a weapon, and we nonetheless had, I feel it was, 2:16 on the clock, nonetheless had our three timeouts, plus the two-minute warning. The best way our protection had been enjoying all day, presumably have an opportunity to go flip the sector and pressure the three-and-out, get a shorter subject and have, like, a final end-of-the-game drive. That was my thought course of.
“Over the course of that, I modified my thoughts and stated, ‘Let’s go for it now,’ and despatched the offense again on the grass.”
Quarterback Caleb Williams linked with receiver DJ Moore on the following fourth-and-5 play for a 14-yard acquire. The Bears ran one play after the two-minute warning and allowed 45 seconds to return off the clock earlier than rookie Rome Odunze gained 15 yards on third-and-14 to get the Bears into Seattle territory.
However Chicago wouldn’t advance the ball previous the Seahawks’ 40-yard line, and one other one-score loss would finish in comparable confounding vogue.
Williams stated he was hit within the throat by Seattle’s move rush after launching a deep ball to Odunze. Between the time that play started to when Chicago ran its subsequent play on first down, a further 38 seconds got here off the clock.
“I do not know if the coaches noticed me down there after the large completion to Rome,” Williams stated. “Regardless that I received hit within the throat and the face, received to only stand up and go run down and snap the ball.”
The Bears ended up utilizing their second timeout on second-and-10 from the Seattle 40-yard line, and a pissed off Williams was seen yelling towards the sideline.
Similar to in Detroit, the Bears wanted a subject aim to tie the rating, they usually crossed the 50-yard line with 1:05 left. After losing 83 seconds of recreation time, Chicago failed to try a subject aim.
Brown confirmed that kicker Cairo Santos’ kick line was between the 34- and 37-yard line.
After attending to the Seattle 40-yard line, the Bears threw 4 straight passes, the final of which resulted in Williams launching his first interception after throwing 353 passes with no turnover (fourth most in NFL historical past).
“I feel clearly there’s instances the place you possibly can have a greater name, need a greater name, issues like that, however we did not execute,” Williams stated. “I did not execute on many various events this recreation, and it is irritating. However received to discover a means.”
After the sport, a number of Bears gamers described a chaotic feeling on the sideline as Chicago used two of its three timeouts in conditions that did not enable the offense to maneuver the ball nearer to subject aim vary.
“There have been some wrinkles in there,” Moore stated. “The one time that it went all the best way down and we actually did not know what to do. However on the finish of the day, shoot, that is on us. We have to remain ready all through the entire recreation, and, I imply, that is all I can say.”
