5 pressing questions after the Bears’ loss to Green Bay

The Bears endured a humbling 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. What transpired in Week 5 has left them wrestling with questions on both offense and defense.

They’ll want to find answers quickly before heading to Atlanta to face the Falcons on Sunday. Over the last three games, the emerging Falcons have put up 103 points to their opponents’ 68.

One conundrum: Should Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum start at quarterback in Week 6 if Caleb Williams can’t go? The Tribune’s Brad Biggs, Sean Hammond and Phil Thompson tackle that and more in this week’s pressing questions.

1. Use one word to describe what happened Sunday in Green Bay.

Biggs: Drubbing.

Hammond: Reality check. I know, I know, that’s two words. I’m already off to a bad start following directions. There was something mythical about the previous two comebacks against the Packers. Sunday brought a reminder that not every game will be like that. Matt LaFleur has won 65% of his regular-season games over eight years for a reason. In retrospect, it should’ve been more obvious that the Packers would have a response, especially with the Bears playing a backup quarterback. They let their game do the talking.

Thompson: Ambush. Usually the Bears offense has defenses chasing their tails by giving them unscouted looks, but one Bears offensive lineman said the Packers sent some pressure against the run from places they weren’t expecting. It’s similar to what another lineman said about the Minnesota Vikings defense. Green Bay’s early lead and effectiveness against the run made coach Ben Johnson have to lean on the pass. The Packers didn’t exactly bring the heat (a Week 5-low 12.8% blitz rate), but they generated enough pressure to post nine quarterback hits, including four sacks. That’s in part because the secondary’s coverage was so tight, there were few places to throw — and some areas that were traps. Of the Packers’ eight passes defensed, three were interceptions.

2. If Caleb Williams isn’t available, who should start at quarterback in Week 6 in Atlanta: Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum?

Biggs: Keenum. Based on how Bagent performed in Green Bay, there’s not a compelling argument otherwise.

Hammond: I’ll hark back to the old cliche that players and coaches like to use: It’s a results-based business. Past results don’t guarantee future success, but the on-field results sure seem to suggest Keenum gives the Bears a better chance to win. I do think starting Bagent the last two weeks was the right decision, but I also think it’s OK to change course if Williams is unavailable this week.

Thompson: You don’t want to be overly reactionary to one bad game, but under the circumstances it might be best to go with the seasoned veteran. Bagent was making some risky throws even during the win against the New York Jets, and he had dangerous passes against the Packers beyond the two interceptions. New coach Kevin Stefanski has lit a fire under the Falcons defense, and Keenum’s quick game might be better suited to their pressure.

3. After five weeks, what do we know for certain about the Bears defense?

Biggs: The gap between the best the unit can show and the worst is wide. No question the defense looked better in games when the offense dominated time of possession. The Bears have allowed 68 points in two road games and 28 in three games at Soldier Field. It’s a small sample size and the talent of the opposition varies. But the 2025 defense also had some serious home/road splits in the regular season:

The Bears were 6-2 at home in 2025 and 5-4 on the road. If they continue allowing 30-plus points away from Soldier Field, it’s going to be a challenge to be .500 on the road this season.

Hammond: Good passing attacks can exploit it. The Bears are 31st among 32 teams, allowing 8.3 yards per pass play. Some of their per-game defensive totals are somewhat misleading because of their league-leading time of possession. Week 1 at Carolina and Week 5 at Green Bay both looked bad for the Bears secondary. Weeks 2-4 were a different story, but the Vikings, Eagles and Jets are all in the bottom third of the league in passing yards.

Thompson: I don’t have a single quibble with your arguments, Sean. But I’m going to pick on the run defense, because troubling signs have been there all season. The extra depth at defensive tackle and speedier additions such as linebacker Devin Bush and safety Dillon Thieneman were supposed to help in that area, but it’s not showing up consistently. I can’t recall a more uninspiring NFL backfield than the Packers’ MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson and Pierre Strong Jr., yet they made impactful runs when needed. Seven of Green Bay’s 18 first downs and two of its four touchdowns came via the rush. Now here comes Bijan Robinson. Just like the Bears’ offense starts with the run, so should their defense.

4. The Bears have started 0-2 in the NFC North. What’s your level of concern?

Biggs: That’s way down the list right now because the Bears don’t play their next division game until Thanksgiving, before three straight NFC North matchups to end the season. Credit to the Vikings for their first 5-0 start since 2016. The division appears to be wide open. The other three teams are 3-2, and each one has at least one real flaw. The Bears need to get Williams back healthy, sort out some of the things that aren’t clicking in their passing game and find a way not to surrender so many explosive plays to non-terrible offenses. They can worry about the division record later.

Hammond: Minimal. They don’t need an outstanding division record to win the division, as last season proved. It usually helps, though. But this team clearly has a lot to clean up on the defensive side. That is cause for concern. The Bears need to focus on getting those issues fixed. It doesn’t really matter who the next opponent is, division or not.

Thompson: Moderate concern but nowhere near panic level. The Bears were able to win the NFC North last year despite a 2-4 division record, but any football follower knows that’s the exception, not the rule. More often than not, playoff teams have winning (or at least .500) records in their divisions.

5. Who do the Bears need most right now: Kyler Gordon, Ozzy Trapilo or someone else stepping up?

Biggs: They need their highest-paid players on defense to perform to the level of their contracts. That means defensive end Montez Sweat, who had one quarterback hit and no tackles in Green Bay, and cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who has had a bumpy first five games, need to start performing like upper-level players at their positions. Counting on Gordon, who has missed 19 of the last 22 regular-season games, to be a fix-it guy isn’t a bright idea. Maybe he steps up, but his lack of availability makes any sustained production the defense gets from him a bonus. Trapilo is recovering from a major knee injury.

Hammond: Gordon. The secondary could use the help, and it’s a big deal that Gordon is an experienced veteran who knows the system. If he’s fully healthy, that should be a boost for the entire secondary. He was a difference-maker in the playoffs in January. I’m less concerned about the offensive line. Ben Johnson can find solutions, whether it’s Theo Benedet or Trapilo playing left tackle. Obviously, Williams remains the No. 1 most important injured player they need back.

Thompson: Gordon is certainly the answer on defense. On offense, one factor missing from last season is Colston Loveland. I’m all for “buying Luther Burden stock,” but Ben Johnson’s use of the tight end — Loveland in particular — confounded defenses in the second half of last season. And Loveland exploded in the playoffs. So far, his catch rate has dropped from 70.7% to 56.5% and his yards per reception from 12.3 to 8.5. It feels like he’s bottled up.