3 Takeaways From Bears' Week 4 Loss vs. Giants

The Chicago Bears had multiple opportunities to try to surge ahead of the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon. However, they failed to capitalize on them. And because of that, their up-and-down start to the 2022 season has continued.

In a game in which neither team led by more than eight points, the Bears ended up on the losing side, falling 20-12 to the Giants at MetLife Stadium. Chicago went up 3-0 in the first quarter, but New York took a 7-3 lead on Daniel Jones' 21-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes and 8 seconds to go in the first and stayed in front the rest of the way.

Through the first four weeks, the Bears have alternated wins and losses. They've dropped both of their road matchups, as they also lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 at Lambeau Field.

Here are three takeaways from Chicago's Week 4 loss.

The Run Defense Drastically Needs to Improve

AP Photo/John Minchillo

Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker (9) chases down New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

No team in the NFL is giving up more yards on the ground than the Bears. Through their first four games, they're allowing a league-high 183.3 rushing yards per game. That was a major reason why they lost to the Giants on Sunday.

New York leaned heavily on star running back Saquon Barkley, who had 31 carries for 146 yards. Plus, Jones scampered for 68 yards and two touchdowns before he suffered an ankle injury. As a whole, the Giants had 262 rushing yards on 44 attempts (an average of 6 yards per carry).

Barkley is off to a stellar start this season. But the Bears needed to do a better job of limiting his production.

"It was definitely a challenge," Chicago linebacker Roquan Smith said, per Larry Mayer of the team's official site. "[Barkley] came out and played a great game. There were a lot of mistakes on our behalf. We've just got to get better from it, grow from it. He's a heck of a player, but that's no excuse. We've just got to all get better and look ourselves in the mirror, including myself."

At this point, the Bears have a glaring weakness on defense, and teams know to attack them on the ground. If they don't fix this issue, more performances such as this are likely to happen.

Trips to the Red Zone Must Result in More Points

AP Photo/John Minchillo

Chicago Bears place kicker Michael Badgley (10) kicks a field goal against the New York Giants during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

The Bears finished with 12 points, but they didn't get into the end zone once. Michael Badgley (filling in for Cairo Santos, who didn't play for personal reasons) booted four field goals that accounted for all of Chicago's offense on the afternoon.

That's not exactly a formula for success, especially when the Giants scored two touchdowns in the first half and were in the lead for most of the game. The Bears made three trips to the red zone and still couldn't get in the end zone.

“We definitely have to punch it in in the red zone to win the game,” Chicago wide receiver Darnell Mooney said, per Tom Canavan of the Associated Press.

Despite that, the Bears could have had time for a potential game-tying drive when the Giants were forced to punt with 2:13 to go in the fourth quarter. But Chicago rookie Velus Jones Jr. muffed the return, and by the time the Bears got the ball back, there were only 16 seconds remaining.

The Bears Showed Their Effort Level on Last-Ditch Attempt

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) reacts at the end of the game against the New York Giants during an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

The Bears had the ball at their own 33-yard line with 3 seconds to go. They were too far back for a Hail Mary attempt. So that means Chicago's last-ditch effort to pull off an improbable win was to lateral the ball—and to do it a lot.

Those types of plays are rarely successful in these scenarios, but never say never. And the Bears put in their full effort to try to catch the Giants' defense sleeping. On the final play, Chicago lateraled the ball five times and fumbled it four times, before New York's defense finally fell on one and ended the game.

“You’ve just got to try to play the play longer than them on that one,” Bears quarterback Justin Fields said, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I know everybody was tired. I know I was tired, but on those plays, you’ve just got to hope for the best and keep the ball alive.”

So at the least, it was encouraging to see the effort from Chicago's offensive players, even if the play was unsuccessful and actually resulted in a 5-yard loss. Still, the Bears proved they're going to play until the final whistle, which could bode well for them when they're in better situations.