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‘We haven’t found the formula’: Bears’ Kevin Byard talks team struggles and ‘respecting the game’
FOX 32's Lou Canellis goes 1-on-1 with Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard, talking about the team's recent struggles and "eliminating distractions."
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The evening following the Chicago Bears' loss to the Washington Commanders was going to be a maze.
How does a team navigate a Hail Mary loss to a team they should have beaten on the road? How does the fan base navigate that?
Plenty pointed fingers at Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson for his actions on the Hail Mary play. In the week since, the every part of the Bears' team has responded.
From Stevenson, who issued an apology and was benched for the first two series of last Sunday's loss to the Cardinals, to the coaching staff which took multiple sets of accountability too.
"I'm his coach and I'm the one responsible," Bears defensive back coach Jon Hoke said Thursday. "Obviously I'm the one who has to make sure he's locked in, focused and all those types of things. So, to me, I take the responsibility of that, because that's my player."
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said last week that "it starts with me," which was another level to it all.
Considering what happened against the Cardinals, the series of events truly was laid to rest.
"I just know that Tyrique’s attitude last week during the game was outstanding," Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. "Once we got off the field on that first series, he was the first one out to the numbers encouraging and congratulating his teammates."
Stevenson was covering Marvin Harrison Jr., and Kyler Murray targeted the rookie in the first half. Harrison caught the pass, but Stevenson stripped the ball away from him as he was going to the ground.
"When he rotated into the ball game, he made a heck of a play in stripping the ball away from the intended receiver," Washington said.
Stevenson needed to have a game like Sunday to move on.
He had seven total tackles and was credited with two pass break-ups. It was a game the Bears have come to expect out of the second-year player out of Miami who earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 1.
"He's doing a nice job out in practice yesterday," Washington said. "He'll be ready to go."
Washington didn't say if Stevenson would return to the starting lineup this week. That's up to Eberflus, and Eberflus was clear those decisions would be kept in-house until game-time.
It might seem like belaboring the point. Still, had that one Hail Mary play gone the Bears' way, they'd be 5-3 at the moment instead of 4-4.
It was a moment where everyone looked inward to make sure it never happens to the Bears again.
"I've got to make sure I coach that better, make sure he does what he needs to do," Hoke said.
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 27: Head coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears gestures during the third quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Now, the Bears can focus on the next issue: defensive consistency.
The Bears struggled on the ground against Arizona. They allowed 213 rushing yards, 53 of which came late in the first half on a touchdown run that was a backbreaking moment in a game the Bears were never in.
That's the name of the game now, and it's what the Bears are focusing on this week.
"I said it all the way back in training camp; it’s a prove it league," Eberflus said on Friday. "You have to prove it. All this talk about being top five in things – it’s great talk, but it’s what you do on the grass. It’s how you perform every single week."
The defense will now take on the New England Patriots, and rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye plays behind an offensive line that's struggled this year and leads an offense that ranks last in total offensive yardage per game. If there ever was a game where the Bears could get right, it comes Sunday at home.
Still, it's the NFL. Every team has professional players. Taking a team for granted is the first step a team can take in losing a game it shouldn't.
That's why it's imperative for the Bears to get right on Sunday. Not just to prove to the rest of the league they can get back to the level they were playing at before, but to also prove to themselves they can play at a high level even after losing Andrew Billings to a season-ending injury and having other defensive starters on the injury report.
"We’ve had some plays – some chunk plays that have put the yards up – we just have to be more consistent," Eberflus said. "We have to be more consistent, and the guys have worked their tails off in terms of that – in terms of the run game this week. They are excited about this performance coming up."