3 Takeaways from Bears' Week 8 Loss

With head coach Matt Nagy absent after testing positive for COVID-19, the Chicago Bears couldn't put an end to their recent struggles Sunday. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor filled in for Nagy as the team's losing streak extended to three games.

The Bears took a 33-22 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field. Chicago had a seven-point lead midway through the third quarter, but San Francisco scored 24 points over the final 21 minutes to come away with a victory.

After the 49ers took a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Bears nearly came back, as Justin Fields scored on a 22-yard touchdown run with 9:32 remaining. However, Cairo Santos missed the extra point that would have tied the game, and San Francisco reclaimed the momentum from there.

Here are three takeaways from Chicago's Week 8 loss.

Defense Delivers an 'Embarrassing' Performance

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The 49ers only had the ball for 22:49 on Sunday afternoon. Yet they put up 467 total yards against the Bears defense and came up with enough big plays to end up victorious.

Chicago's defense couldn't come up with many stops. San Francisco's first drive resulted in a missed field goal. After that, its final eight possessions ended with four field goals, three touchdowns and a game-ending kneel.

The Bears knew their performance wasn't nearly good enough for them to win.

"It's embarrassing, and it's not the standard and we all have to get better," Chicago linebacker Roquan Smith said, per Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire. "Definitely on us."

During their three-game losing streak, the Bears have allowed 95 points. And for a franchise that has traditionally relied on strong defenses to have success, these recent performances haven't been up to scratch. Chicago will need to get better on that side of the ball in order to turn things around this season.

Fields Continuing to Show Improvement

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Justin Fields has endured some growing pains in his rookie season. But there have also been flashes of the quarterback's potential. On Sunday, there was more of the latter, as he had one of his best showings of his young professional career.

Fields went 19-of-27 for 175 yards, one touchdown and one interception while also rushing for a team-high 103 yards and a score. And he impressed his Bears teammates in the process.

"He's different," Chicago rookie running back Khalil Herbert said, per Larry Mayer of the team's official site. "[He's a] playmaker as you can see, but his will to win is very strong, and it's going to pay off soon."

Fields did his best to try to lead the Bears to victory against the 49ers, and he was nearly successful. However, he's not perfect. Chicago's final two drives resulted in a punt and an interception. But as he gains more experience, he may gain the ability to turn competitive games such as Sunday's in the other direction.

Bears May Struggle to Stay in Playoff Hunt

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At the end of Week 5, the Bears had won two games in a row, owned a 3-2 record and were in the thick of the NFC North race. But their recent struggles have changed things. Now 3-5, Chicago sits in third place in the division and is four games back of the first-place Green Bay Packers.

The Bears' schedule doesn't get any easier in the near future, either. Of their next five games, four are against teams that have winning records. That includes matchups against three opponents that are division leaders: the Baltimore Ravens (5-2), Arizona Cardinals (7-1) and Green Bay Packers (7-1).

Chicago has a road matchup against the 4-3 Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9, before having its bye in Week 10. That week off may be coming at the perfect time, especially if the Bears lose again in Pittsburgh.

Still, it's becoming increasingly likely that Chicago won't reach the playoffs this year. There will be plenty of positives to take away from this campaign (such as Fields' development), but one of those won't be a postseason berth unless it can correct its mistakes and find ways to knock off some top teams soon.