The Bears free fall continued with a seventh-straight loss since starting the season at 4-2. A 38-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers secured last place in the NFC North this years and a fourth straight losing season, essentially ending any faint hope of turning things around in 2024.

The Bears have fired Matt Eberflus and Shane Waldron. That didn’t right the ship. There’s nothing left to do but play out the string, with the harsh reality that the Bears have underperformed and continue to play well below expectation.

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While there’s plenty of doom and gloom to go around, there are still a few overreactions to ponder following possibly the worst showing of the season, where Chicago got demolished in every phase by the host 49ers.

Let’s dive into a trio of bold proclamations coming out of this Week 14 loss at Levi’s Stadium:

The Bears defense missed Matt Eberflus

Overreaction?: Nope.

While Matt Eberflus wasn’t a good fit as Bears head coach and had clearly lost the locker room, there’s no doubting the fact that he’s a really good defensive play caller. He has a good instinct to bring extra pressure and when to sit back in coverage.

The Bears defense was good working with Eberflus, and the unit is downgraded some without him. Kyle Shanahan clearly got the best of Eric Washington’s unit, taking advantage of the Bears blitz package while consistently taking chunk yardage working over the middle of the field.

It had gotten to a point where Eberflus had to go after that Thanksgiving loss in Detroit, where late-game mismanagement didn’t sit right with the Bears locker room. It would’ve been hard to keep him at that point, but Eberflus is a smart defensive mind who was really good getting his unit to perform well when it mattered most. The Bears were worse in the red zone. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy averaged 13 yards per pass attempt. The Bears gave up 24 points before halftime while the offense struggled, meaning this contest was decided early. While he had to go, it was clear that the defense missed having Eberflus on the headset. That’s a biproduct of a move that had to be made, one that hurts the defense just a little bit moving forward.

Thomas Brown ain’t the answer

Overreaction: Yes

The interim head coach’s debut in his new role didn’t go as planned. The Bears got throttled. Brown was open about the fact that the game plans have to be better and that slow starts are hurting Chicago’s chance to compete.

Just because his first game didn’t work out, that doesn’t mean Brown won’t be a good head coach or shouldn’t be legitimately considered for the full-time gig in 2025. The locker room loves him and his leadership style. It would be hard for him to turn things around completely in one week, with the team struggling as much as they have of late.

He shouldn’t be graded on wins and losses down the stretch, though that will be a factor. I think Brown will be a head coach at some point, even if it’s not for Chicago. His ability to keep the squad together will be important, though Caleb Williams’ development will be key. So will the offensive output under Brown, who must show well as a leader of men and a CEO head coach. Can’t be judge on stats or wins and losses. GM Ryan Poles must be observant and really look at how he commands the organization. Whether or not that stands out amid competition from outside the organization is uncertain. But he’s definitely not out of consideration after one game. Not by a long shot.

Rome Odunze is making a case to be the No. 1 receiver

Overreaction?: Yep

DJ Moore is the top dog in the receiver room. As it should be. He has a long track record of excellence, with the talent and drive and competitive nature to be the top option in any scenario.

While Rome Odzune has shown well of late, and had two touchdowns against the 49ers, Moore’s still the guy. He’s still in his prime and does a ton with the touches that he gets. Having Odunze around will make the Bears better, and he clearly as the ability to be a top receiver across the league.

He’s under contract (likely) for four more seasons. Moore will be locked into Chicago for even longer than that. Those two could be a productive pairing with Caleb Williams that could drive the Bears offense. Odunze hasn’t been dominant this season, but he has shown flashes of quality play. Moore’s the Bears’ best receiving option and should continue that way. That’s no slight to Odunze, but Moore’s the guy around here and will be so for a while.