The 0-4 Bears squandered a 21-point lead late in the third quarter and fell apart in such an exhaustingly familiar way in Sunday’s 31-28 loss to the Broncos. Quarterback Justin Fields continued to be the NFL’s most generous turnover machine, the defense had multiple late-game lapses and coach Matt Eberflus made a highly questionable decision that backfired.
Or, as the Bears call it, just another Sunday.
They finally ran into a defense worse than their own, at least statistically, and still found a way to get outplayed. The Broncos’ comeback marked the worst blown lead in Bears history.
The Bears were still up 28-21 with seven minutes left when Fields dropped back from his own 42-yard line and had no awareness that linebacker Nik Bonitto was behind him. Bonitto popped the ball loose, and Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper scooped it at the 35-yard line and sprinted for the game-tying touchdown.
The Bears could’ve wiped all of that clean, at least for a day, if they’d done anything when they got the ball back. They made it to the Broncos’ 18-yard line when Eberflus opted to go for it on fourth-and-one, but Khalil Herbert didn’t pick it up.
The Broncos responded by driving to the Bears’ 33-yard line. Will Lutz kicked the winning 51-yard field goal with 1:46 left.
Fields threw away their final chance with an interception from near midfield with 32 seconds left.
