One of the numerous puzzling elements of the Bears’ listless 55-14 loss at Green Bay on Sunday night was that it came after Chicago’s bye week.
But instead of looking rested and sharp, the Bears were dull throughout in losing their third straight game. It was an almost unfathomable performance, given how badly Chicago — now a playoff long shot at 3-6 — could have used a win.
Afterwards, both Bears coach Marc Trestman and quarterback Jay Cutler insisted the team had practiced well leading up to Sunday night.
“Based on what I saw this week, I was confounded to see the type of play we had tonight,” Trestman said. “And again, our coaches did a tremendous job preparing our guys this week, and our guys did a tremendous of preparing, but none of it, none of it translated to the game tonight.”
Said Cutler, who committed three turnovers in defeat: “We felt really good coming into this one, and then to play like that, it’s embarrassing.”
The loss dropped the Bears to 11-14 in Trestman’s two-season tenure. Celebrated in Chicago a season ago for his work with the offense, Trestman is now under considerable criticism as his club fades to the back of the NFC North pack.
The manner of the loss to the Packers, coupled with a similar uncomfortable thrashing at New England two weeks ago, left Trestman fielding some tough questions Sunday night. He was even asked if some players were starting to quit on him.
“I find none of that as we work through the week. I’m in all the meetings, I’m on the practice field,” Trestman said. “And that’s what’s disturbing to me, is that the level of focus and work ethic is as good as any team I’ve been around in my years in the league.
“What’s translating to the field is not what we expect based on what we’re seeing during the course of the week.”
Beginning with next Sunday’s game vs. Minnesota, the Bears play five of their next six at home. Perhaps that will help Chicago perk up. Who knows?
But everyone knows the story about the down-and-out Bears right now.
“As I told our players, there’s a good team in there somewhere, (because) we’ve seen signs of it this year, but we’re not a good team right now,” Trestman said.