This should be the last time general manager Ryan Poles sees the Bears fall apart before recognizing that significant changes are required if they are to live up to his vision of championship contention.
They lost 20-17 to the Browns after leading by ten points in the fourth quarter, and it was a fitting end to their playoff hopes as they drew closer to elimination and guaranteed the franchise’s fifth consecutive losing season.
Poles and Bears should focus less on how close this was and more on how it got that close in the first place. This loss, like epic collapses against the Broncos and Lions, demonstrated how far they have fallen, not how close they are.
The Chicago Bears haven’t exactly played their best football down the stretch in fourth quarters this season, but their performance against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday set a new low.
The Bears led Cleveland by ten points entering the fourth quarter, but they lost 20-17, effectively ending their hopes of a miraculous run to the playoffs.
Worse, the Bears absolutely dominated in terms of turnovers on Sunday, with their defense registering a pick-six and nearly nabbing another in the loss.
The combination of a large lead and numerous turnovers prompted head coach Matt Eberflus to set a record that he would have preferred to avoid.
According to Erik Duerrwaechter of Windy City Gridiron, Eberflus is now the first head coach in NFL history whose team has lost multiple games in a season after holding a double-digit lead and a turnover margin of at least plus-2 entering the fourth quarter.
The Bears had a two-turnover advantage over the Broncos in their October game, but they gave up 17 fourth-quarter points in a 31-28 loss at Soldier Field.
The Bears (5-9) will now return home for two straight games on the lakefront, against the Arizona Cardinals on December 24 and the Atlanta Falcons on December 31.
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