Bears have complete breakdown in blowout
The Bears hit rock bottom Sunday against the Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with an effort so pathetic it landed them in the record book.
Marc Trestman's team allowed 38 first-half points, the most in franchise history. Twenty-one of those points came in a 57-second spurt late in the second quarter that turned a 17-7 Bears deficit into a total embarrassment.
The 51-23 loss actually looks better on paper than the Bears' performance on the field. They head into their off week at 3-5 and no realistic chance of participating in the postseason, while the Pats improved to 6-2.
"We were outplayed and out-coached in all three phases of the game," coach Marc Trestman told reporters. "We started slow and we couldn't keep up the pace."
That 57-second Bears slopfest epitomized the game and the first half of a disappointing Bears season because it illustrated breakdowns in all three phases.
The meltdown started with a Rob Gronkowski touchdown catch, his second of 3 on the day. Not only could the Bears not prevent the Patriots' tight end from catching the ball (9 receptions for 149 yards), it never even prevented him from getting a clean release from the line of scrimmage.
After Gronk's second TD, the Bears' offense went three-plays-and-punt for the second time in five possessions. New England's Julian Edelman returned Pat O'Donnell's punt for 42 yards, and the Pats were back at the Bears' 9-yard line after Trevor Scott's holding penalty was tacked on. It took one play - Tom Brady's pass to Brandon LaFell - to make it 31-7 Patriots.
On the Bears' ensuing play, quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled, and Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich scooped it up and went 15 yards for another TD.
Game, set, match … and season.
"I just got hit, and the ball came out," Cutler said of his fourth lost fumble of the season. "I was just trying to cover it up."
Cutler also gave up his eighth interception on a failed Hail Mary pass toward the end zone on the Bears' next possession. That ended a first half that should have left Bears players and coaches looking for a hole to climb into.
What was Trestman's halftime message?
"I told them we're going to define ourselves by the way we play the second half," Trestman said, "because the first half was inexcusable."
The Patriots' lead quickly climbed to 45-7 on Gronkowski's third TD reception before a couple of meaningless, cosmetic touchdowns by the Bears. All of Gronkowski's running and catching took a toll on him, and the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Pro Bowler had to go into the locker room to be rehydrated.
"There's a size matchup when you have him man-to-man," Trestman said. "We had him covered man-to-man by two or three different players, and Tom (Brady) made meticulous throws.
"He was on target even when (Gronkowski) was covered, so you have to give him credit for that. He caught some in zone as well, but we had some very tight coverage on him, some hip-to-hip coverage, and the ball was thrown perfectly."
And there were several times when Gronkowski was poorly covered by a defense that allowed 487 yards, including 298 in the first half.
The Bears' defense allowed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to complete 30 of 35 passes for 354 yards, 5 touchdowns, no interceptions and a 148.5 passer rating. He was not sacked. Arlington Heights native and Patriots rookie Jimmy Garoppolo finished up for Brady.
Defensive end Lamarr Houston had the Bears' only sack, which came late in the fourth quarter, when they were down by 25 points. In a fitting display, Houston suffered a knee injury celebrating his hollow achievement.
"I'm very disappointed for Lamarr," a terse Trestman said. "I really am."
Adding more injury to the insult, guard Matt Slauson suffered a pectoral injury, linebacker Darryl Sharpton left with a hamstring injury and cornerback Kyle Fuller, who tried to play through hip and hand injuries, was unable to finish.
Cutler regrouped in the second half and finished 20 of 30 for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns for a 108.6 passer rating, although most of his production came in garbage time. Running back Matt Forte rushed for 114 yards on 19 carries and caught 5 passes for 59 yards and a TD.
Tight end Martellus Bennett's TD catch late in the third quarter was the highlight of the season so far, and he finished with 95 yards on 6 catches.
None of that should make the Bears feel better as they spend their off week stewing in what has been a demoralizing first eight weeks.
"We're going to have time to really look at ourselves individually and collectively," Trestman said.
They won't like what they see.
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