Marc Trestman focused on health of team, not his job security

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Marc Trestman had his chances with a fourth-quarter flurry to be part of his argument. But, maybe even to his own his credit, the ­maligned Bears coach didn’t go searching again and again for some sugar to coat a disastrous Thursday night during a disaster of a season.

It was bad. And Trestman knew it.

“There are no moral victories,” Trestman said after the Dallas Cowboys made easy work of his team when it mattered most in a 41-28 victory at Soldier Field. “We’re not playing well enough in all three phases to win on a consistent basis. That is definitely true.”

The 5-8 Bears, unbelievably, aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoff contention quite. There still are some dream ­scenarios that exist, but by Sunday the Bears’ playoff lives should ­officially end.

Not making the playoffs is one thing. But the Bears have been outclassed by playoff-caliber teams in resounding, confidence-killing fashion, whether it’s the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions.

On Thursday, the Cowboys joined the blowout party, breaking a 7-7 tie by scoring 28 consecutive points. Dallas was efficiently destructive behind quarterback Tony Romo (21-for-26, 205 yards, three touchdowns, 138.0 passer rating) and running back DeMarco Murray (32 carries, 179 yards, TD).

Afterward, Trestman was asked if he fears for his job.

“The only thing I’m concerned about is the health of my football team and some of the players on it and bringing them in tomorrow and coaching them up to do a better job than they’ve done,” Trestman said. “That’s exactly my only focus and will be my only focus.”

That would include receiver Brandon Marshall, who was hospitalized with rib injury suffered in the second quarter on a 15-yard catch.

Marshall (three catches, 61 yards) appeared to be having his best game of the season, which included a highlight-reel, one-handed grab for 42 yards just a few plays before he was kneed in the back and lost for the game.

Consider the injury to be another proverbial nail in the coffin for a Bears’ season that’s been dead for weeks.

The team’s overall competitiveness can be doubted and will be over the final three weeks. But Trestman tried to defend it.

“This team competes hard everyday to get better and it competes hard in a football game,” Trestman said. “That would be totally disrespectful to our football team to think that they’re not going out and competing as hard as they can.”

But really the only disrespectful thing Thursday came when Bears fans cheered another injury to safety Chris Conte.

The Bears’ demise against the Cowboys has been the same story all season. The offense couldn’t sustain drives at key parts in the game, while the defense gave up yards in chunks. There were penalties on both sides of the ball and errors on special teams.

Some players tried to find solace in a late rally that featured touchdown runs by running back Matt Forte and quarterback Jay Cutler and a successful onside kick by recently signed kicker Jay Feely. But that flurry was part of playing catch-up against a team that knew it had won.

“We’ve got a very disappointed locker room in there,” Trestman said.

As it should be.

Email: ajahns@suntimes.com

Twitter: @adamjahns

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