DETROIT — Bears defenders were disgusted by their historically inept performance against the Lions on Sunday. If they’re going to get better, though, they might have to do it without two of their best players.
The Bears gave up 52 points at Ford Field, the fourth-most for the franchise in the Super Bowl era. The Bears gave up 55 twice — to the Packers in 2014 and to the Lions in 1997.
“It’s a look-in-the-mirror game, for sure,” safety Kevin Byard said.
By the time the Lions sat their starters down with about six minutes to play, they were averaging a whopping 11.9 yards per play. Quarterback Jared Goff, whom Ben Johnson mentored into a standout before taking the Bears job in January, went 23-for-28 for 334 yards, five touchdowns and a near-perfect 156 passer rating.
“When you play a good team and you don’t do your job, things like this happen,” cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said.
That the Lions lit the Bears up without cornerback Jaylon Johnson and linebacker T.J. Edwards offered little comfort. Johnson, who missed all of training camp with a groin injury and didn’t return to practice until last week, made his season debut Sunday. Johnson fell face-down to the Ford Field turf after breaking up a third-down pass in the second quarter and eventually walked off with a trainer. He was ruled out with a groin injury. Edwards, who had fought back from a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the opener, left the game with another hamstring problem.
“It’s horrible when you see your teammates go down, two guys who fought really, really hard to be up for this week … ” defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said.
The loss of either for an extended period of time would be a blow to a Bears defense that was supposed to be a strength but has struggled through two games. They’ve allowed a whopping 73 points in the last five quarters — 21 points to the Vikings in the fourth quarter of the opener and 52 to the Lions.
“We shouldn’t be giving up 50. …” Jarrett said “We have to take our pain and put it into our preparation.”
After the Bears’ 52-21 loss in Detroit, it’s safe to say theirs is a report card no one would want to bring home.
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Everything everywhere imploded for the Bears in a game that could’ve gotten much worse if the Lions had wanted to run up the score.
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No team bumbles around its division quite like the Bears, who took the old routine to a new level in a pathetic 52-21 loss to the Lions.
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