The first loss of a new season always hurts a little bit more. Especially when it’s in front of a national audience in a game where things came down to the wire. Although it felt like the Chicago Bears were consistently playing from behind the eight ball, they still found themselves with possession of the ball and a chance to win the game with under two minutes to go.

It would be easy to chalk Sunday night’s loss up to more than it is. But when looking around the league, there’s not a whole lot that can be drawn from the opening two weeks of the season. Obviously, Chicago needs to find a way to run a successful offense. That’s a given at this point. Even so, they looked like a team that was an offense away from being able to beat one of the better teams in the league.

There’s plenty to be drawn from Sunday night’s loss, so let’s dive into Week 2’s 10 Bears Takes.

1. Changes along the offensive line need to be coming in short order if they can’t run the ball or protect their rookie quarterback.

On Sunday night, the Bears surrendered 36 pressures. Their rookie quarterback was sacked seven times and hit on 11 different occasions (on counting penalties or dead plays). Suffice it to say, the offensive line play has not been good enough through the team’s first two games. Going into the season, there was plenty of optimism surrounding this offense. They spent three financial resources on Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, and Gerald Everett. They also used the No. 9 overall pick on Rome Odunze. On the line, they traded a fifth-round pick for super sub Ryan Bates and signed Coleman Shelton to a one-year deal in free agency.

What has that got them so far? The 31st ranked offense in the league, that can’t successfully run the ball or protect their young quarterback. So, what now? In short, the leash needs to be short. This was always going to take time to sort out, and injuries have not helped, but the interior line might need to see changes. It all starts with at right guard with Nate Davis. Despite signing a three-year, $30 million free agent deal last offseason, he’s been one of their biggest issues. With Bates on the shelf for the next three-plus games, it might be time to give Matt Pryor (or Bill Murray) a shot. Shelton has struggled at center, especially as a pass protector. With Bates on Injured Reserve, their options are limited, but maybe it’s time for Doug Kramer to show what he can do.

They don’t have any obvious replacements waiting in the wings but at some point soon, different options need to be explored. For as much focus as the front office put into surrounding the No. 1 overall selection with weapons, they neglected the most important aspect of a rookie quarterback’s development: The offensive line. If a league-leading nine sacks isn’t enough to force change, maybe a bottom-five rushing attack will.

2. Caleb Williams’s night had mixed results, but his longevity should be the biggest worry for 2024.

In many ways, Williams slumped over on the field, and going through hell on the sidelines felt very familiar, didn’t it? We saw former No. 11 overall pick Justin Fields experience similar issues many times throughout his three-year Bears career. His first NFL start resulted in nine sacks. On Sunday night, Williams was beaten up nearly as badly as Fields was against the Cleveland Browns.

Sure, the front office did a great job of surrounding their rookie quarterback with a top-end supporting cast on paper. But what about the offensive line? What about the play calling that is supposed to help a young quarterback navigate a new test that is NFL defense? That should be the primary concern moving forward.

Quarterback development is rarely linear. Whether that’s from week to week or from team to team. Even so, allowing a young quarterback to get hit that often and develop bad habits is one of the cardinal sins that Chicago’s latest regime is looking to avoid. How does that get fixed? On the surface, there’s no easy answer. Changes on the offensive line seem like the obvious place to start. A serious sit-down with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron should be next on the docket. Although Waldron is an established play caller with a track record for helping quarterbacks, those qualities have not shined through thus far.

The biggest concern in the short term has to be Williams’ health and viability for the final 15 games. Chicago has not had a quarterback start a full season of games in longer than most can remember. Injuries happen but the Bears have often been guilty of contributing to those issues with their lack of supporting cast in the trenches.

It’s been said that pressure creates diamonds, and while that might be true in most cases, pressure can lead to bad habits for a young quarterback, and this franchise should look to avoid that at all costs.

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

3. For as bad as the offense played, the defense was once again a positive story on Sunday night. Head coach Matt Eberflus has this group playing at a high level, despite very little offensive production.

I’m still not convinced that Eberflus is a suitable head coach, especially for the Bears’ current situation. But there’s no denying his chops as a defensive mind. The first year and a half was a disaster. The team struggled to win games, and the defense looked lost. Out of seemingly nowhere, the defensive fortunes turned around and this unit has not looked back. Plenty of credit should go to Eberflus and his staff. He’s taken one of the league’s worst defenses and rebuilt it into one of the better groups in the league.

They don’t have a dominant defensive line but they make up for that with scheme and one of the NFL’s best back sevens. Their secondary is young and features a Top 3 cornerback in Jaylon Johnson. The defensive coaching staff has done a quality job of developing former second-round picks Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker. They are opportunistic and have made the proper in-game adjustments when needed. In short, there’s very little to complain about when it comes to the Bears’ defense.

Couple in the offensive struggles that have plagued the Eberflus era and it makes their recent performances even more impressive. You’d like to see them get after the quarterback with more consistency, but that should come in time with more talent up front. As long as they continue to take the ball away and make the proper adjustments when needed, the ceiling for this group feels limitless. The biggest question becomes: Can the offense find a way to pull its weight at some point over the final 15 games of the season? If so, this will be a team that no one will want to see.

4. Through two weeks, Shane Waldron feels a lot like Luke Getsy 2.0.

At some point, the excuses of lack of talent have to run out, right? All offseason, we talked about how things were going to be different this time around. Waldron was in high demand coming from Seattle, and the Bears felt like a picture-perfect situation for any rookie quarterback to step in and be successful right away.

Instead of optimism, there’s plenty of worry through the first two games of this season under their new offensive coordinator. So far, Waldron’s offense feels like it lacks an identity. They can’t run the ball or protect the quarterback. They haven’t found any success challenging down the field. Their personnel choices have been curious, and the playcalling has felt familiar, if not predictable. So, what gives?

That’s something that Eberflus will need to figure out and do it soon. Are receivers not getting open downfield? Is there a lack of trust in Williams that prevents them from running a quick-strike passing attack? Despite spending $8 million per year on Swift, is there no bend in giving someone like Khalil Herbert or Roschon Johnson a chance to be the “hot hand”?

Make no mistake about it: Waldron and Getsy are two very different offensive minds. Waldron has a proven track record and has shown an ability to get the most out of his talent. Their offensive schemes are different, as is the style of playcalling. Even so, both men have produced similar results so far, and that’s concerning. Instead of waiting until the mid-point in the season, this offensive staff needs to be in the “lab” trying to reassess their plans moving forward. That starts with a hard reflection of how they’ve done through the first two games of the season and what they can do better moving forward. Both general manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus lauded Waldron’s ability to remain flexible and adjust on the fly. Now, we need to see it in action. The stakes are high, with the No. 1 overall pick’s development on the line.

5. Despite being labeled as “week-to-week” on Tuesday, Rome Odunze gutted out his second NFL game and played a large amount of the snaps.

Odunze was known for his durability during his time at Washington. Not only did he lead college football in receiving yards in 2023, but he was known as a tough and ultra-reliable player. That’s why when he was diagnosed as “week-to-week” early last week, it came as a surprise to many.

Despite only practicing once after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain, Odunze was ready to roll on Sunday night and ended up playing (94%) of the team’s snaps. He was second on the team, only to DJ Moore at receiver. Considering the circumstances surrounding his injury, it speaks to the durability and toughness that Odunze was lauded for coming out of college.

From a playing perspective, there’s still plenty of improvement to be had. Odunze has just three receptions for 44 yards. He should have had a touchdown on Sunday night but couldn’t time trying to high-point the ball in the end zone. He also had a fourth-down blunder in which he kept running down the field and never turned his head around for the ball. It was the final offensive play of the game and a learning moment he won’t soon forget.

The former No. 9 overall pick’s ceiling is still sky-high, but rookie moments have been aplenty in the early going. Hopefully, his ability to stay on the field will lead to more production as the season progresses.

6. Gervon Dexter Sr. appears to be taking the next step as a pass rusher. What’s next for this defensive line?

Heading into the regular season, my level of concern was much higher on the defensive line than on the offensive line. That’s not to say that I didn’t have concerns about the offensive side of the ball but on paper, there were many more question marks in the defensive trenches.

Through two games, the defensive line has more than done it’s just. It helps that they were able to add Darrell Taylor right before the season. It also helps that players like Dexter are developing into game-changing players. The former second-round pick has taken the next step so far in 2024. He has two sacks, has played the run better, and appears to be a more disruptive player as a whole. This is a welcomed development for a team that was sorely in need of more playmakers on the interior.

So, what’s next for this defense?

So far, they’ve exceeded expectations. They’ve forced four turnovers and ranked 11th in sacks. They are on pace to double their production from a year ago. Assuming they stay stout against the run, there are plenty of reasons to believe that this defense could end up being a true Top 5 unit.

The development of players like Dexter, Gordon, Brisker, and Austin Booker should be at the forefront of this coaching staff’s mind. If they continue to take strides in the right direction and the offense can eventually figure out how to pull their weight, the sky is the limit for this team.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

7. When is it time to ditch the orange uniforms?

Seriously, though? What is the Bears’ winning percentage when they don those things? It feels like every time they wear them, they lose. Some of you might not be superstitious but I feel like I’m stating the obvious at this point. In my opinion, they don’t look good anyway. If they aren’t playing well in them, maybe it’s time to go with a “white out” look or go back to their timeless throwbacks. Either way, the Orange look isn’t working out and should be left as a thing of the past.

8. Through two weeks, chaos reigns supreme in the NFL. Upset Sunday came early in 2024.

The New Orleans Saints have scored 94 points and are dominant (2-0) to start the season. The Arizona Cardinals just throttled the Los Angeles Rams. The Baltimore Ravens are (0-2) for the first time in nine years. The other Harbaugh brother is (2-0) in Los Angeles. The amount of chaos that we’ve seen through the first two weeks of the season speaks to the parity in this league.

As we all know, most teams will level out. The Ravens might not win the AFC North, but I’d be willing to bet they won’t finish as the worst team in their division. The Texans are the only team in the AFC South to have won a game so far. The Carolina Panthers have picked up where they left off last year and look like a complete disaster.

The list goes on and on.

If we’re overreacting to the first two games, here’s what I would say:

I was wrong about: The Vikings, Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angeles Chargers.

I was right about: The Panthers, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and the Tennessee Titans.

We’ll revisit this around the mid-point of the season to see where things stand. Either way, this has been an entertaining start to the 2024 NFL regular season.

9. NFC North Lookaround: A (2-0) Minnesota Vikings squad, the Packers dominant victory, and an odd day at the office for the Detroit Lions.

Somehow, some way, the Vikings find themselves atop the NFC North after the first two weeks of the season. Veteran quarterback Sam Darnold has played well but the story of this Minnesota team has been on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has them playing out of their minds. They handled an elite San Francisco 49ers team and looked to be in control all game. That’s two straight weeks of dominating their opponent. It’s still early, but I’m already starting to believe I was too low on them coming into the season.

Over in Green Bay, the Packers pulled off an impressive win. All of this, despite not having Jordan Love at quarterback. Malik Willis didn’t do anything impressive, but he didn’t have to. They rushed for the tune of 261 yards. Josh Jacobs already looks like a quality signing. Their defense also played much better on Sunday, taking the ball away three times, while forcing three other fumbles. It appears Love will miss close to a month, so staying afloat until he can come back remains the goal.

The Lions sputtered for most of Sunday afternoon. They dropped to (1-1) on the season, after failing to secure a last-minute victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Jared Goff is off to a slower start and threw a pair of interceptions. Their defense is still struggling to defend the pass, but Aiden Hutchinson had five sacks in the game. The Lions still look like one of the NFC’s best teams, but clear holes remain moving forward.

Standings after Week 2:

1. Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
2. Detroit Lions (1-1)
3. Chicago Bears (1-1)
4. Green Bay Packers (1-1)

10. Week 3 Look Ahead: The (0-2) Indianapolis Colts.

Heading into Week 2, I would have labeled the Colts as one of the “safest” picks to win. They were coming into the game relatively healthy and were facing a Packers team without their starting quarterback. Instead, they were thoroughly dominated and ended up losing 16-10 on the road. Quarterback Anthony Richardson completed just (50%) of his passes and threw three interceptions. Indianapolis’ defense gave up 261 yards on the ground and didn’t come away with a sack on backup quarterback Malik Willis.

First of all, head coach Matt LaFleur did a hell of a job. Even so, the Colts are (0-2) and will be a desperate team in Week 3 against the Bears.

The Colts are a better team than they showed in Week 2, but this is a very winnable game for Chicago. Forcing Richardson into some early turnovers could help. Keeping Williams protected will be a big key, but they should be able to find some success running the ball. The Colts defense has given up back-to-back big-time rushing performances.

This might be a “must-win” for the Colts, but the Bears also need to come away with a victory on the road. Setting themselves up with a (2-1) record and a long list of winnable games until mid-November could make or break the season if they have true playoff aspirations. We’ll see what shakes out next Sunday but this should be a “get back on track” game for the Bears if they are truly a team that will be contending for a playoff spot in late December.