Bears end 14-game losing streak, honor Chicago legend

Stop the presses!

The Chicago Bears have won a football game.

Finally — after nearly an entire calendar year — a 14-game losing streak ended with a dominating 40-20 victory at Washington on Thursday.

Justin Fields threw for nearly 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in leading the Bears to an almost unbelievable 27-3 halftime lead. Also in the first 30 minutes, D.J. Moore caught 5 passes for 137 yards and 2 TDs, and Khalil Herbert ran for 76 yards on just 9 carries.

The no-name defense — clearly channeling its inner Dick Butkus — dominated as well. Tremaine Edwards had a sack, Andrew Billings made a huge stop on third-and-short, and Greg Stroman Jr. intercepted a pass.

Butkus, who passed away in his sleep overnight at age 80, had to be smiling from above. Few former players loved the Bears more than the hard-hitting linebacker from Chicago. He played every game, every quarter and every down with such ferocity that many of his hits would draw flags today.

Go watch some videos today in his memory. They are awe-inspiring.

Butkus used to almost bury opponents into the turf — and that's exactly what the Bears did to Washington in the early going.

Fields connected with D.J. Moore for 58 yards on the third play from scrimmage and finished the opening drive with a 20-yard TD pass to his new No. 1 receiver.

The Bears' next four drives resulted in scores as well and gobbled up 232 yards.

When it was over, Moore had 8 catches for 230 yards and 3 TDs.

It was an impressive display — as was much of Sunday's effort against Denver in which the Bears racked up 471 yards of offense in a gut-wrenching loss.

Not to sound like a broken record, but all this does is reaffirm my steadfast belief that you must give young, emerging quarterbacks and offenses time to jell in the preseason. (And it shows how utterly awful Denver and Washington are).

Fields has looked like a totally different QB the last two weeks. He's on the same page with Moore, Cole Kmet (5 catches, 42 yards) and was just inches away from two huge plays to Darnell Mooney.

This should be a lesson to Matt Eberflus if he somehow survives to coach a third season.

Play your starters more in August. End of story.

Now, nobody should be going gaga over this victory. The Bears are still 1-4 after all and host a desperate Minnesota squad on Oct. 15. There are theoretically a couple of easy wins against Las Vegas on Oct. 22 and Carolina on Nov. 9.

But otherwise, the Bears are at the Chargers, Saints, Lions and Vikings over the next six weeks.

So 3-14 or 4-13 is certainly still in play.

Which means one thing: The one-time Monsters of the Midway — are becoming the Detroit Lions.

Every few years we are sold hope. It'll be different. This regime will get it right. Stick with us because we finally have a great QB in McNown, Grossman, Cutler, Trubisky, Fields ...

But it's always false hope. Anyone who isn't emotionally bankrupt must have more patience than a second-grade teacher explaining common core math.

Four postseason victories since 1994? In a league that begs you to accidentally trip into a playoff spot?

It's unbelievable.

Even with this victory, the Bears are plummeting toward the abyss and may not emerge for years.

The dearth of talent is only one problem. The bigger issue is the coaching staff — and, apparently, the clueless general manager.

Eberflus' hand-picked defensive coordinator, Alan Williams, mysteriously resigned. We still don't know why. Eberflus then fumbled his way through Sunday's postgame presser when trying to explain why wide receiver Chase Claypool wasn't at the stadium.

Of course, it was GM Ryan Poles who gave the Steelers the 32nd pick in the last draft in exchange for Claypool last season. Don't make the trade and Poles could have solidified the O-line, found an edge rusher or taken WRs Jonathan Mingo (who went to the Panthers), Jayden Reed (Packers) or Rashee Rice (Chiefs).

Poles, who isn't going anywhere, needs to do much, much better.

As for Eberflus, it's pretty clear that — after just 22 games — he is not a capable head coach.

Sure, for one night everything good.

But the Bears still seem to be falling into further irrelevance.