LAKE FOREST, Illinois — A 4-4 record is no reason for the Chicago Bears to panic midseason.

The trend is the problem of coach Matt Eberflus and his staff, and if it doesn’t change soon, the team’s season and future could become a more important question.

The Bears are coming off two devastating losses; one on a last-second Hail Mary pass at Washington and then a 29-9 blowout at Arizona on Sunday. And Eberflus thinks he knows what his struggling team’s biggest problem is.

“We’re working on exactly what we need to improve on, and to me that starts with the run game on offense and then on defense, and to me that’s what it’s all about,” Eberflus said Monday. “We’ve got to do a really good job of creating that, and that’s where you get your play-action passes, and that’s where you get your play-action screens, and if you get to that, you put yourself in a good position on third down. ”

While Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has struggled with a 67.2 passing rate in away games compared to a 105.1 passing rate at home, his passing game ranks 28th overall in passing yards. Williams’ lack of a consistent rushing attack to help establish his passing game has led to poor starts. The Bears had 10 points in the first quarter.

“We have to be ready to play and get points off the first drive, the first play, and I think we put ourselves in some negative plays, scenarios in those situations,” rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze said. “We had great success in the first drive.

“So, we need to keep this going all the way to the end zone, so you know we can start fast. Set the tempo of the game.”

Although the offense faltered due to inconsistency, Chicago’s defense was solid until Sunday. The Cardinals rushed for 213 yards in the win. This was the most rushing yards the Bears have allowed since Jan. 1, 2023 against Detroit.

Chicago played without defenseman Montez Sweat due to a shin injury. He also lost linebacker Andrew Billings to a chest injury in the second half. Eberflus had no update on Billings Monday.

Eberflus said he would not take drastic coaching actions, such as assigning offensive play-calling duties to someone other than the team’s offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron.

“The changes we’re going to make are we’re going to look within ourselves and make sure that we’re doing a good job using our talents and skills and actually executing the overall, basic execution of our plan,” Eberflus said.

After all, the Bears say they’re 4-4, and that doesn’t seem like the worst record. Playing in the NFC North, where every other team has at least six wins ahead, will make the rest of the season difficult. They still have all six NFC North games to play.

What works?

Pass the defense. Even without starting safety Jaquan Brisker for three games due to a concussion and cornerback Kyler Gordon for two games with a hamstring injury and a Hail Mary TD pass, the Bears rank eighth against the pass and 3rd in defensive passer rating and in the red zone. defense.

What is the need for help?

Transition game. Williams has a 65.4 passer rating and 49.2% completion rate (32 of 65) over the last two games following his heat. He had a 106.4 passer rating with nine TDs and three interceptions against tough defenses in the previous four games, but the Cardinals defense struggled until Sunday.

stock up

Odunze had his second 100-yard game on Sunday with 104 yards on five catches, but Williams struggled to find his other receivers.

stock decreased

Tight end Cole Kmet was on his way to his best season after six games, and after Sunday it looked like he was missing from the pass rush. He wasn’t targeted even once in Sunday’s loss, nor was he targeted once against Washington a week later.

injuries

Chicago came out of Game 8 with major concerns. Right tackle Darnell Wright is out with a knee injury and Billings is dealing with a chest injury. Starting left tackle Braxton Jones missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury, so guarding Williams could be problematic. They’re still waiting for Brisker, Gordon, and Sweat to return.

key numbers

3 — Number of away wins for Eberflus’ Bears in 21 attempts.

Next steps

The Bears will host New England at Soldier Field on Sunday, where they will have won eight in a row.