If you’re wondering whether a mutiny is nearing for the Chicago Bears, you don’t have to look hard anymore. For those who may not remember, two weeks ago, following the loss in Washington, tight end Cole Kmet admitted on his podcast that how the game ended didn’t surprise him. So many self-inflicted mistakes. An overall lack of urgency. It was predictable. Why? Kmet saw the same thing unfolding in practices leading up to the game. Guys weren’t going full speed or paying attention during drills. When that happens, your chances of winning games in the NFL tank.
Well, Kmet is not the only one who has mentioned this. On Monday, following their ugly 19-3 loss to the Patriots, no fewer than three other Bears players mentioned serious problems with the team’s practices. It started in the morning with running back D’Andre Swift.
“I’m just going to say that we can do a better job of focusing on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We can’t just expect it to have it click on Sunday without seeing it done in those work days leading up to it. We just got to be more intentional about our work throughout the week and come here every day with a purpose.”
Next was wide receiver D.J. Moore, who mentioned it during his interview on 670 The Score.
However, the true sound byte belonged to Jaylon Johnson. The Bears cornerback has always been known for answering with blunt honesty, and he didn’t disappoint. Spiegel & Holmes asked him the same question. Johnson didn’t even let him finish before acknowledging the truth. Too many guys aren’t working hard enough. They don’t have the hunger.
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This is a damning indictment of the Chicago Bears brass.
Remember, GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus said when they took over that their entire focus was finding players who fit two criteria: they had to love football and be willing to look really hard. If what Johnson and the others saw is true, then that mission is a colossal failure. It has become abundantly clear something broke with the Bears over the past month. Guys stopped going hard on every play. It often looked like they were running in sand. Little mistakes piled up. Confidence withered away.
Those are the classic signs that a team has checked out. What makes this astounding is that it’s happening with the Chicago Bears still very much in the playoff picture. It isn’t like the season is completely lost. In such a situation, it is almost always a coaching issue. Matt Eberflus is already known for letting things snowball when they go bad. He owns the longest losing streak in franchise history at 14 games. He has coughed up four double-digit leads in the 4th quarter. Most would agree he played a central role in that brutal loss to Washington on the Hail Mary.
Eberflus is supposed to keep guys focused and motivated. If multiple players are saying he isn’t doing that, not much else needs to be said.
