Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington is always looking ahead and accentuating the positive in his opening remarks at his weekly news conference at Halas Hall. (“This week, the San Francisco 49ers’ offense, at first glance, you see all the signatures of a Kyle Shanahan-led offense.”)
But after the Bears allowed 452 yards and 38 points and showed little to no resistance against the 49ers in his first game as the defensive play-caller, even Washington did what NFL coaches are loathe to do on a Friday: address last week before looking to this week.
It was that bad.
“I’m going to start with this: Last week’s performance on the defensive side of the ball, myself — clearly we failed to meet the mark in terms of anything that could be considered an acceptable performance,” Washington said. “And that starts with me.
“We’ve identified, looked at, scrutinized, gone through every aspect of our process, our preparation, tactically, strategically, some of the core values and beliefs that we have, and I expect us to respond . . . and put forth the type of performance that will [give] us a chance to win a football game, and to actually win it.”
We’ll see about that. Although the defense’s performance against the 49ers was a new low, it was hardly new. Since the Hail Mary debacle against the Commanders on Oct. 27, the unit has been determined to regain its excellence from the first half of the season but keeps sliding deeper and deeper into the muck.
The Bears, in fact, had been living up to their goal of being a top-five defense through the first half, ranking fourth in points allowed (17.0 per game) and fifth in yards allowed (292.0 per game) after the Commanders game. But since their bye in Week 7, they’re 24th in points allowed (25.3 per game) and 31st in yards allowed (404.9).
The 49ers game looked like an opportunity to stop the regression. The Bears were feeling relief after coach Matt Eberflus was fired, and the 49ers were without All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.
Instead, the 49ers needed just five plays to drive 70 yards for a touchdown on their opening drive, and the rout was on. Four days later, a Rams defense that ranks 24th in points allowed and 27th in yards allowed held the same 49ers to 12 points and 191 yards Thursday in a 12-6 victory.
“I’m not going to put forth any theories or anything that sounds like an excuse,” Washington said. “We fell short. And that can’t be. The players have a lot of pride. They invest a lot, as do I and the rest of our coaching staff, so we’ve got to move forward and come out ready to play and give ourselves a better chance.”
Many hoped Eberflus’ firing would invigorate the fading Bears. They instead played worse. Niners receivers were consistently open for big plays. Quarterback Brock Purdy completed 10 of 11 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown (a 149.1 passer rating) to “open” receivers,” according to NFL.com’s Next Gen Stats.
What’s the deal with that?
“We have to be better,” Washington said. “Everything starts with rush and coverage. It all starts with our ability to affect the quarterback. Any time the quarterback is able to stand back there, the receivers are going to break open whether you’re in a zone or man concept. We have to do a better job with that.”
The offense has struggled with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. But the demise of the defense since the Hail Mary has been mystifying.
“Disappointed,” Washington said. “But very determined. I’m going to chalk that up as an anomaly as far as the character of our guys and the way we perform. We’re going to bounce back and perform the way we’re capable of.”