Monster Meltdown: Plenty of blame to go around after Bears blow 10-point lead to Lions

Go ahead.

Go right ahead and blame Mitch Trubisky for the Bears' 34-30 loss to Detroit at Soldier Field on Sunday.

It's completely justified to do so, especially after he lost a fumble at his own 7-yard line with just 1:48 remaining.

Two plays later, Adrian Peterson rumbled in from 5 yards out for the game-winning touchdown to send the Bears (5-7) to their sixth consecutive defeat.

Trubisky absolutely can't lose the ball there. Can't do it.

Worst-case scenario is to take a sack and punt the ball back to Detroit.

But make no mistake: This loss was on everybody.

First and foremost, it was on the defense, which allowed Matthew Stafford to put together a 7-play, 96-yard touchdown drive that trimmed the Bears' lead to 30-27. Stafford's 25-yard TD pass to Marvin Jones Jr. was an easy rainbow toss over pathetic coverage by Jaylon Johnson.

There's just no excuse for any opponent - much one like the lowly Lions - to cruise downfield with almost no resistance.

Blame Allen Robinson as well. He absolutely has to get past the first-down marker after making a catch near the sideline on third-and-5 in the game's waning moments. Instead, he stepped out of bounds at the 20-yard line, forcing a fourth-and-1.

Blame the offensive line and David Montgomery, too - although they all had solid performances until the last play when Montgomery was stuffed for no gain.

Blame coach Matt Nagy, defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor for poor play calls and/or bad clock management. Blame Nagy and Lazor for the astounding inability to make halftime adjustments for the offense.

Finally, blame general manager Ryan Pace for assembling this team - one that would need a near miracle to turn things around.

Of course - as is almost always the case - there wasn't much blame going around in postgame interviews.

"It's never fun being in that locker room after these losses," Nagy said. "There's not a lot of words that can be said. We have to do it with our actions. We're all obviously disappointed and that's a tough one."

Said Trubisky of how he felt after the Bears' last play: "I was just in shock a little bit. I thought we were pretty much in control the whole game."

After Detroit made it 30-27, the Bears took over on their own 11-yard line and ran two plays that picked up 3 yards each.

On third-and-4, Trubisky dropped back but couldn't find anyone open at first. He then spotted Anthony Miller and pulled the ball back, only to have it dislodged by Lions DE Romeo Okwara. The Bears' Germain Ifedi almost recovered the loose ball, but it squirted loose and Okwara recovered.

"I don't know if I was pump-faking and clutching it, or if I was gonna pull the trigger," Trubisky said. "Time was just running out; he made a good play. Credit goes to them. I've just got to take care of the football."

The ending ruined what was otherwise a solid performance by the offense as:

• Montgomery gained 111 yards from scrimmage, 72 of which came on the ground on 17 carries.

• Cordarrelle Patterson ran for 59 yards on 10 carries.

• Trubisky, making mostly solid decisions, finished 26 of 34 for 267 yards and a 108.3 rating.

• Anthony Miller (5 catches, 56 yards), Darnell Mooney (4-43) and Cole Kmet (5-37, TD) all came up with important catches at key times.

In the end, though, it didn't matter.

In a cruel twist, it was the defense - a unit that's kept this team in so many games - that gave Detroit too many chances and too many yards.

Stafford, who probably figured he'd blown the game when Bilal Nichols picked off a fourth-quarter screen pass, ended up being the hero with a monster 402-yard, 3-touchdown performance. He hit eight different receivers, with Jones (8-116) TE T.J. Hockenson (7-84), Quintez Cephus (2-63) and Amendola (3-62) leading the way.

Now the Bears must once again lick their wounds as they prepare for the Texans. And with just four games remaining in a season that seems lost, it's fair to wonder just how focused they'll be.

"The easy way out is for people in different positions like myself to chalk it up and say, 'Man, it just wasn't our year,'" Nagy said. "But that'll never happen with me - and our guys. They feed off that. That's all we can do. The belief, the trust and that we have to finish strong and to understand that that's what we have left.

"That's what's been given to us, so that's what we've got to do."