Chicago Bears aren't dwelling on a dismal Sunday loss, but eye Colts as chance to right the ship

‘The better team won that night’: Bears’ Kevin Byard opens up about loss to Texans

FOX 32's Lou Canellis went 1-on-1 with Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard who shared his thoughts following a loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - When self-reflecting on Sunday night, Chicago Bears' wide receiver DJ Moore didn't expect his in-game expressions as something he might have to fix.

The NBC Sunday Night Football crew showed Moore sitting on the Bears' bench with a straight face. Plenty on social media pointed out the frustrated and dejected look on his face.

Moore said the social media call-outs made no sense to him.

"I usually sit on the bench like that anyway," Moore said Wednesday. "I don't know what that's about."

Part of it was the excitement around the team that came to a screeching halt on national television. It was a dreary game for a team looking to shake off the ghosts of non-offensive pasts.

But, Wednesday featured a rallied locker room and a team that's not dwelling on Sunday night. The Bears are moving ahead knowing there are still chances for the offense to improve.

Moore said it usually takes two or three games for an offense to get completely on the same page. The Bears did this last season when they averaged 15.6 points per game in the first three games of 2023 before dropping 28 on the Broncos.

The difference between 2023 and 2024 is the Bears' outstanding defense, which held a talented Texans offense to 19 points.

This leaves the offense as the main issue on the table, again.

After scoring 24 points in two games – which includes mostly field goals, one touchdown and one two-point conversion – the offense needs that breakout game.

It was better on paper Sunday night, but a two-interception game and just a putrid offensive line play captivated a national audience for all the wrong reasons. Caleb Williams said he has to get used to games like that occasionally.

"It's the NFL," Williams said. "There's going to be games like that."

That can't be the norm, however.

On a dismal night, Williams did have things he improved on.

"First and foremost is the communication in and out of the huddle," Williams said. "I would say the pass game, rhythm, getting involved with receivers."

The communication still wasn't great. The Bears had too many false starts, pre-snap and delay of game penalties.

Bears guard Nate Davis pointed to a lack of execution on the offensive line's part. The hostile environment at NRG Stadium played a factor into it all.

"Next time, we'll be ready," Davis said. "We didn't just execute correctly."

The Bears need to find an offensive identity, though. The Bears pass the ball horizontally and haven't established the run through two games, but it's something that Davis sees as correctable over time.

"It's a long season, we can fix those things and keep moving," Davis said. "It's all on us."

The biggest things to fix lie in the smaller details, Davis said. Williams pointed to himself as someone who can understand when to change snap cadences and how to properly communicate that.

Williams' rookie season will feature plenty of these lessons, and the Bears are focusing on improving what they have. The Bears aren't making any changes to the offensive line as it stands.

"We're looking for continuity, consistency and communication," Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said.

Those three things can come. The team understands it's early in the season, too.

Week 3 will not be a must-win game for the Bears. They aren't sitting at 0-2 like the Bengals or Ravens.

Plus, the defense has shown they can take care of the rest if the offense can just score 20 or more points. That might sound like a big ask after the first two games of the regular season, but Moore was adamant the team has the pieces it needs to click.

That was evident in the Bears' locker room. There's no panic. There were plenty of smiles. The Bears aren't wallowing.

They're still looking for it all to come together, though.

"We’re trying to get on the same page," Williams said. "We’re going to be making those plays."

Keenan Allen's heel needs time

Keenan Allen, Zacch Pickens, Khari Blasingame and Teven Jenkins were not practicing on Wednesday.

Allen continues to recover from a heel injury he suffered in training camp. He led all Bears with 11 targets in Week 1. Getting him back would be big for Williams in Week 3 against a Colts' defense that doesn't have the same secondary talent Tennessee and Houston do.

For Allen, it's about his level of pain.

"It's got to be right for him," Eberflus said.