It wasn't pretty, but it was enough. The Chicago Bears took care of business against the Detroit Lions on Sunday to secure a 20-13 victory. This despite plenty of frustration after it ended. Hall of Famer Dan Hampton was among them. The offense basically could break their game into two sides. The first side where they went three-and-out seven times. Then there was the second side where they scored touchdowns on three-straight possessions between the end of the first half and start of the second.
Hampton though didn't want to hear any of that. He was too busy chewing out what he considered to be a listless and unforgivable performance by the Bears defense. Unusual considering they only gave up 13 points but it's all about context. The Lions were playing with backup quarterback Jeff Driskel who then proceeded to post a career-high 267 yards on the defense and came within 30 yards of tying the game in the 4th quarter and forcing overtime. Hampton thought this was totally inexcusable for a defense this talented and well-paid, and he made his feelings known on WGN radio.
“Yeah, we won. We won the game. We finally find a way to win after four straight losses, but this was despicable. How do you not put away one of the most miserable teams on the planet Earth with a backup QB and let them go down the field time and time and time again and have a chance to beat you? I’m telling you folks, there’s something really sad, sick about this team."
Dan Hampton is not wrong about the defense
This isn't just a former defensive guy choosing to nitpick that side of the ball. Something has been off with the Bears defense all year. Granted, when you lose a talent like Akiem Hicks, it makes things so much tougher. Not to mention they're still in the midst of a transition with defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. Yet that doesn't change the fact they shouldn't look this bad, particularly in the 4th quarter.
This group has developed a bad reputation for being unable to close out games. They allowed a 97-yard drive to lose against Oakland then gave up a touchdown to the Chargers late to lose as well. They came dangerously close to letting it happen again on Sunday before managing to shut the door. Through nine games, the defense has allowed a staggering seven touchdowns in the 4th quarter this season. They allowed nine in all of 2018.
There are seven games still to play. This stat more than anything showcases the major problem. One that doesn't figure to go away with several top quarterbacks looming down the stretch like Stafford, Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes. It's hard to feel like this group can summon enough of their old juice to correct the problem at this point.
