The Chicago Bears found themselves down 45 points before scoring their first touchdown in the third quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Packers.
Losers of five of their last six games, the Bears are caught in a downward spiral that will likely cause them to miss the postseason for the fourth straight season. The team’s roster features loads of talent at skill positions, but the coaching staff isn’t getting the most out of its players. And that’s just one reason why both head coach Marc Trestman and GM Phil Emery are currently on the hot seat.
Brandon Marshall left Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. He later said it felt “sore” but shouldn’t cause him to miss any games in the future. Marshall had put together a solid performance up to that point, hauling in eight catches for 112 yards—including the team’s first touchdown.
The Bears wide receiver said what the team is going through is “tough”, but he’s “been through much worse” (via David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune).
I asked B. Marshall if he’s gone thru anything this difficult in career. His long answer: ““It’s tough because you put so much into this.”
— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) November 10, 2014
More Marshall: “It’s part of your life’s work and to get these results is tough. At the end of the day, you talk about going thru things..” — David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) November 10, 2014
Marshall then somehow flipped the script and made it all about him. He answered a question involving the team with a response that focused on his difficult childhood.
Marshall: “You talk about tough, I’ve been through much worse. Christmastimes, and a two-bedroom hotel and there’s 10 of us sleeping…”
— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) November 10, 2014
Marshall: “.in a hotel and bringing in Christmas. And that’s in college. So tough. This isn’t tough. This is just disappointing. Confusion.’ — David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) November 10, 2014
He did, however, comment on the current state of the team. But he didn’t go into much detail.
#Bears WR Brandon Marshall: “We’re not very good … That’s the reality of it.”
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) November 10, 2014
The Bears were coming off a bye heading into Sunday night’s game. But the team certainly didn’t look more prepared. In fact, they looked just as bad—if not worse—as they were in the blowout loss in Foxborough just two weeks prior. And at times it looked as if certain players just gave up on plays.
14 seconds remaining in first half and #Bears have been outscored 80-7 in the last two first halves. — Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) November 10, 2014
Bears are 2nd team in NFL history to give up 50 or more points in back to back games. Other: 1923 Rochester Jeffersons (via @EliasSports)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 10, 2014
The Bears’ embarrassing performance on Sunday Night Football will surely make for an interesting week.
Trestman’s first stint as an NFL head coach could come to a close in the near future, as the patience exhibited by the powers that be in the team’s front office seems to be wearing thin.
And Marshall’s right: This Bears team that has been outscored 133-51 by its opposition in the last three games is not very good.
[Twitter: @DavidHaugh, @AdamJahns]