The Chicago Bears fell to 4-6 after losing to the Los Angeles Rams, 17-7, in Week 11's Sunday Night Football. And while there may be a mathematical possibility for the Bears to make the playoffs, it's likely around 1 percent.
It's time to accept the harsh and painful reality of the Bears' 2019 season, one of the most disappointing and shockingly bad years this franchise has endured in a very long time.
Heartache like this is often the result of unrealistic expectations to begin with. Were the Bears really prepared to make a Super Bowl run with a second-year head coach and a third-year quarterback who still wasn't a finished product? The defense certainly appeared ready for a special season, but there was never the kind of overall team balance to make this year's goals a reality.
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So here we are. With six games left on the schedule, the Bears are three games out of a wild card spot. The offense is still a mess and the defense is steadily getting less reliable.
Chicago managed just seven points against the Rams on Sunday night while the defense allowed running back Todd Gurley to eclipse 100 total yards for the first time since Week 1. And then there's the whole kicking situation.
Here are Week 11's Studs and Duds:
Stud: LB Roquan Smith
NFL
Smith led all Bears defenders with 11 tackles and an interception. He didn't play a perfect game and often got bullied on the second level when the defensive line couldn't keep him clean, but the sideline-to-sideline burst that made him a first-round pick was on display for four quarters.
Dud: K Eddy Pineiro
Pineiro left six points on the field for the Bears with two killer misses early in the game. In fact, those misses seemed to take the life out of Chicago's offense. Pineiro hasn't been good the last two weeks and even though Nagy said the Bears aren't looking to bring in competition, it doesn't appear Pineiro is the long-term answer.
Stud: SAF Eddie Jackson
Jackson was playing noticeably faster Sunday night and had one of his best plays of the season when he penetrated the backfield for an explosive tackle for loss. He ended the game third on the team with six tackles and looked like he got some of his mojo back.
Dud: RB David Montgomery
Montgomery hasn't had any help from the offensive line or play-calling this season, but at some point, he needs to flash the ability to pick up more yards on his own. He managed just 31 yards on 14 carries and his longest run of the game covered just five yards. There are a lot of reasons to be excited about Montgomery's future, but it's time for him to prove he can really be a special running back.
Stud: RB Tarik Cohen
Cohen made the most of his workload against the Rams. He had 14 touches for 74 yards and a touchdown and looked explosive along the way. An argument could be made that Cohen should've received the lion's share of the carries Sunday night. He was simply more effective.
Dud: Offensive line
It's become glaringly obvious that the Bears' offense is hindered by the problems along the offensive line. Aaron Donald didn't do them any favors; he embarrassed every Bears lineman he faced. And while that's a pretty common occurrence for Donald, it only accentuated the need for Ryan Pace to pay close attention to the position group this offseason.