It was already a bad day for the Chicago Bears. It was almost a tragedy.

Caleb Williams was crooked. He was suffering. Oh no. He got up. All right… He left. Phew.

He then reassured reporters that he was fine. That might be the only good thing about Sunday’s 29-9 loss.

In a must-win game, the Bears fell to 4-4. Former NFL coach Bill Parcell always said that a player’s value depends on his record. At .500, the Bears are simply floating.

We saw them play well. We’ve seen what this is supposed to look like.

Now they need to figure out how to maintain that success with this roster if they want to contend in the NFC North and challenge for a playoff spot.

“We have to find out and be proud of what we do here,” Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “It was unusual of us, especially on defense.”

The Bears have already found something to be proud of.

They beat a Los Angeles Rams team that improved from 1-4 to 4-4 with a win Sunday, wowed the Panthers and pinned the struggling Jaguars. In those wins, the defense forced turnovers and the Bears offense took advantage.

It’s difficult when you get in your own way.

According to the Elias Bureau of Statistics, Emeri Demercado’s 53-yard touchdown run at the end of the half is the longest rushing touchdown allowed in the final 20 seconds of the first half since the merger of 1970.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus admitted his mistake – aligning himself with the word “responsibility” he used last week – during and after the game.

“I called pass defense, pass pressure and they ended up running the ball,” Eberflus said. “I can make a better decision there. It’s up to me.”

These kinds of moments hurt. On Sunday, there were many moments that hurt beyond that.

The chopped block foul that resulted in a safety, the leverage foul that turned a field goal into a touchdown, the dropped passes we’ve seen end this season, and the scheme decisions that are still hard to understand.

Tight end Cole Kmet did not have a target on Sunday. This can’t happen, even though it already happened before this season.

In sports, some days it’s just not your day. But the Bears can take steps to remedy that.

They did just that last week when they came back strong to take a late lead against the Commanders in a game they had no chance of winning.

We know what happened after that, as the Hail Mary sting persisted throughout the week and continued into Sunday when news of Tyrique Stevenson being benched erupted before the noon games kicked off.

The Bears can do so much. They know it.

“Keep playing, we have a lot of ball left,” Bears receiver Keenan Allen said. “We are not playing to the potential we want to achieve.”

But time is not eternal.

Week 11 brings the Packers to Solider Field in a game that will ultimately be the biggest test for the Bears. Can this remade team and talented defense be the team that beats Green Bay?

This Bears team was supposed to be the one to keep up and challenge the rest of the NFC North.

There’s still a chance they could. When the defense plays in pursuit of an opposing offense and Caleb Williams passes in rhythm, then the Bears are a good team. Staying the course is difficult when things aren’t going well, but the team’s leadership preaches it.

“There’s no giving up in anyone here,” Bears linebacker TJ Edwards said. “No one is going to stay here to take this.”

The Bears have a chance to regain their momentum next week against a Patriots team that just lost to the same Titans the Bears beat in Week 1.

Still, the Bears can’t afford to overlook anyone. Especially when every match is now so important.

If there’s anything the last two weeks have proven, it’s that the Bears don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone. It’s good. Only teams like the Kansas City Chiefs have that luxury, and it’s why they’re seeing a third straight Super Bowl.

However, the Bears roster will look different next year. I’m not saying they’re going to blow it up – in fact, they should. not do it — but having three draft picks in the first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft means the Bears will look to draft players who can make an immediate impact.

This list is still wondering if Keenan Allen will be here next year. What about the pass rush? What the Bears have in place can win games.

They need to find out as soon as possible to fight for the playoff spot they’ve been chasing since the current regime took power two years ago.

“We need to understand what it is, how to make plays and how to have a better impact on the game,” Johnson said. “We have to find ways to win.”