3 Takeaways from Bears' Week 16 Loss vs. Bills

For the second week in a row, the Chicago Bears took on one of the NFL's top teams at Soldier Field. This time, they hosted the Buffalo Bills in a Christmas Eve matchup on Saturday afternoon that seemed likely to be another tough test.

That ended up being the case, as the Bears fell 35-13 to the Bills, who improved to 12-3 and remained in the No. 1 spot in the AFC. Meanwhile, Chicago took its eighth consecutive loss and dropped to 3-12, a week after it lost to the Philadelphia Eagles (the NFL's top team).

The Bears led the Bills 10-6 at halftime, but the game turned over the final two quarters. Buffalo took the lead on Devin Singletary's 33-yard touchdown run early in the third, as it went on to score 29 points over the final 25 minutes and 51 seconds.

Here are three takeaways from Chicago's Week 16 loss.

The Defense Continues to Produce Mixed Results

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) celebrates after an interception against the Buffalo Bills in the first half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The Bears defense has been doing a better job of generating takeaways, even when they take on strong offenses. The Bills even had a bit of trouble holding on to the ball Saturday.

Kyler Gordon and Nicholas Morrow each intercepted Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, while Elijah Hicks recovered a fumble by Gabe Davis in the third quarter. It was the second week in a row that Chicago forced three turnovers.

However, it again didn't lead to a shutdown performance by the Bears. They especially had trouble stopping the Bills rushing attack, as Buffalo totaled 254 yards and three scores on the ground.

"We've just got to penetrate, and everybody's got to stay disciplined and stay in their gaps and dominate the line of scrimmage," Chicago linebacker Matthew Adams said, per Larry Mayer of the team's official site. "We've just got to get to the ball and swarm the ball, seven-plus to the ball to stop the run."

The big plays being created by this unit are a reason for optimism moving forward. But the Bears still need to improve on other areas to have defensive success in the future.

More Playmakers Are Needed on Offense

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Chicago Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (12) makes catch for 44 yards in front of Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

It's been a stellar second NFL season for Chicago quarterback Justin Fields, who has proved he can likely be the franchise QB for the long-term future. But the Bears need to add more talented playmakers around him in order for the offense to reach the next level.

Otherwise, there will be performances like the unit had Saturday. Fields completed 15 of his 23 pass attempts and had a touchdown throw, but he compiled only 119 yards. And 44 of those came on one catch by rookie wide receiver Velus Jones Jr.

Chicago also struggled to run the ball in the frigid conditions. It had only 80 rushing yards on 29 carries, an average of 2.8 yards per attempt.

Fields has proved he can power the offense, but it'll be much easier for him to do so once the Bears have built up a strong receiving corps and backfield mix. They should have that listed among their primary objectives during the upcoming offseason.

The Bears Could End Up with No. 1 Pick in Draft

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus watches warms up before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Chicago, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Even though the Bears hadn't won since Week 7 (a stretch of losing that has continued), they weren't getting any closer to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft over that span. That's because the Houston Texans, the NFL's worst team, kept losing games as well.

But Chicago got closer to the top spot in the draft this week. Houston defeated the Tennessee Titans to improve to 2-12-1. So the Texans have the same number of losses as the Bears, but with one fewer win and a tie.

Either of these two teams could end up with the No. 1 pick by the end of the regular season. Chicago has a pair of tough NFC North matchups against the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, while Houston still has to play a pair of AFC South contests with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts.

The Texans' remaining schedule is a bit easier, though. So if they end up winning just one of those two games, it could greatly help out the Bears, who seem unlikely to knock off either the Lions or Vikings.