Three takeaways from the Bears' ugly loss to Ravens

Tommy Gilligan - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 3 hours ago

You knew at some point that the recent hot stretch for the Bears was going to come to an end, but not many felt it would end the way it did on Sunday. Facing off against a short-handed Baltimore Ravens team that was once again without Lamar Jackson, it was the Bears of old that decided to show up as opposed to the Bears that have won their past four games.

From a defense that was unable to get the stops they needed to make, to an offense that continues to move the ball, but can't put it into the endzone consistently, this was a recipe for disaster right from the start as the Ravens took care of the Bears 30-16 for a huge win. This is one of those games where the Bears not only struggled across all facets, but many of the issues and questions surrounding this team in recent weeks came full circle, leaving them with more questions than answers.

Knowing how good the NFC North has been and how difficult the back end of the Bears' schedule is, they can't dwell on this loss for too long, as they need to get back to the basics and come out swinging next week. Here are some takeaways from the Bears' loss to the Ravens.

Self-inflicting wounds

Remember when Ben Johnson made a point to hold this team accountable for their mistakes? He may need to do that again, as several issues continue to plague this team. One of the most significant issues to surface this week was the Bears' sudden struggles in the Red Zone, as they went from one of the best in the league to one of the worst in just three weeks.

If that doesn't change soon, Chicago is going to have a hard time keeping up with some of the better offenses in the game, as you need touchdowns more so than field goals. Red Zone struggles aside, the single biggest issue for the team this season has been penalties, especially presnap penalties that continue to haunt the team.

There is no question that the Bears have been one of the more penalized teams in the league this season, but they rank second in the league in presnap offensive penalties. Those are the careless penalties that drive coaches up the wall, and it has gotten to the point where something needs to change before this issue gets worse.

Having one or even two presnap penalties a game is bad enough, but when the Bears are averaging more than three per game, that is when it becomes a massive issue. If Johnson wants to stick to his principles about holding guys accountable, the offensive line needs to be held responsible for their mistakes.

So many injuries

Injuries are part of the game when it comes to all sports, but the Chicago Bears have been dealt with the injury bug a lot harder than most teams this season. From Jaylon Johnson being out for the remainder of the season to several other key defensive pieces all missing time, the Bears have seen their depth tested early and often this year.

Just when it looked like the Bears were starting to get healthy again to the point where nearly all of their guys would be back, two more defensive pieces went down on Sunday as both Shemar Turner and Dominique Robinson suffered leg injuries during the Bears' loss to the Ravens.

While it is unlikely that either of these injuries will be serious, Chicago can't afford to keep losing bodies if they want to remain competitive the rest of the way. Turner and Robinson may not be key pieces to the defense, but they are key rotational pieces that could impact this team if they are to miss any additional time.

When will the tight ends get involved?

One of the biggest strengths for the Bears' offense the past few years has been the ability to infuse the tight end position into what makes this offense tick. Judging by how good Sam LaPorta has been with the Detroit, and knowing that Johnson himself played a role in the Bears drafting Coleston Loveland in the first round, a lot of people expected Cole Kmet and Loveland to be one of the better tight end pairings in the league.

Here we are, eight weeks into the season, and not only have both guys dealt with injuries that have forced them out of the lineup, but when they are on the field, they haven't produced anywhere near the level the Bears expected. Whether some of that falls on how Johnson is calling the plays for this offense or on other factors, the Bears' tight ends group has been a massive disappointment this season.

When Williams has been at his best as a passer, it has been the tight ends who have helped, as they tend to give him the safety valve he needs when the pressure is mounting. With their lack of production across the board, Williams has now gotten to the point where he won't even look their way, which is why you are seeing a decline in his completion percentage this season. For Chicago to be at their best offensively, both Kmet and Loveland need to step up their game and start making the impact everyone expected them to make.