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 one among two NFL video games this season and not using a landing. Chicago totaled 179 yards of offense, its fourth-lowest output in 2024, and managed solely a subject aim in its ultimate dwelling sport of the season.
Similar to how the Bears’ loss to the Lions performed out on Thanksgiving Day, Chicago trailed by three coming into its ultimate 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 going through 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 utilized his group’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 approach our protection had been taking part in all day, probably have an opportunity to go flip the sector and drive 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 related 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 come back off the clock earlier than rookie Rome Odunze gained 15 yards on third-and-14 to get the Bears into Seattle territory.
But Chicago wouldn’t advance the ball previous the Seahawks’ 40-yard line, and one other one-score loss would finish in comparable confounding style.
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, an extra 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. “Even although I bought hit within the throat and the face, bought to only rise 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 annoyed Williams was seen yelling towards the sideline.
Just like in Detroit, the Bears wanted a subject aim to tie the rating, and so they crossed the 50-yard line with 1:05 left. After losing 83 seconds of sport time, Chicago failed to aim 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 and not using a turnover (fourth most in NFL historical past).
“I feel clearly there’s occasions the place you may 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 sport, and it is irritating. But bought to discover a approach.”
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 had 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. But on the finish of the day, shoot, that is on us. We’ve bought to remain ready all through the entire sport and I imply, that is all I can say.”
