GLENDALE, Ariz. – Bears players huddled around Matt Eberflus after a 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, waiting for his postgame speech.

Its theme was clear.

This is a time where the Bears have to stay together.

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He’s right. This two game losing streak, featuring a loss to Washington on a Hail Mary and a shellacking here in Arizona could be a fault like that turns into a fracture point, with intense scrutiny over why the Bears are playing so far below its potential.

Players were receptive to it.

“Obviously, these losses are tough,” quarterback Caleb Williams said. “There’s not much to say after. We all have to be better. That was his message, and he was speaking to coaches, himself, and us players.

“That was his first message, and then after that, a couple of guys stepped up and spoke and said (that) we’ve got so much ahead of us, we still have so many games left. Right now, we’re 4-4, 0-0 (in the NFC North). It’s beginning the season again, and we have to figure out a way to string together some wins.”

That’s vital for a team that seems a little lost at the moment, with underwhelming play in all phases against Arizona.

Linebacker T.J. Edwards said there was no finger pointing after this loss or the last one, nor will there be any moving forward.

“I think, honestly, we’re a team that, that’s the first thing we do is stay together,” he said. “I think it’s easy, especially where we’re at — people try to pick us apart and do those things — and we’re not going to do that. We’re a team. That’s why it’s the greatest game on earth, because it takes every single person in here to do something special and we have that belief.” 

The belief remains and is supplemented with the knowledge the Bears simply must be better overall.

Eberflus focused his postgame press conference on accountability. That was a hot topic in the aftermath of comments made following the loss in Washington. Eberflus took the blame for an explosive Cardinals touchdown run at the end of the first half that was this game’s pivot point.

He took “full responsibility” for the offense not being on track and was committed to finding answers. They start with the coaching staff, which is responsible for putting talented players in position to have success.

“We have to circle the wagons and do a really good job of staying tight,” Eberflus said. “That’s what you do in times of adversity. We have everybody we need in that circle of men in there, the staff members and the coaches in there.

“We have everybody we need. Take an inward look and make sure we’re doing things the right way. It starts with the coaches first and it starts with that practice on Wednesday. There’re a lot of things we have to answer before Wednesday when we get out on the practice field. It’s important that we do that.”

Eberflus insisted that player buy-in remains high. His players agreed.

They also separated the Washington loss from Sunday’s debacle, though Williams said the Bears needed to move on from Week 8’s heartbreak faster.

“I think early on in the week, I think we could have done better overall of bouncing back after that,” he said. “I know it’s a tough loss. It’s tough regardless of who you are in the facility. If you are out there making plays or if you’re making decisions up top.

“Being better at that, understanding that we have many more games left after that. Being able to be one, be a family, and move on from that. And have the right leaders, which we do. We have the right guys to do things like that, which is bounce back from something like that. We’ve got to do it this week.”

That will be essential to righting the ship. There’s no guarantee that will happen, rebounding quickly from what happened here is essential.

Part of that is schematic, finding answers to help the Bears produce. Part of that is phycological, with the mindset that all goals are still achievable. That’s true now, but won’t be if the Bears continue to lose. There’s confidence that won’t happen moving forward.

“I feel like it can go anyway that we want it to go,” Tyrique Stevenson said. “I believe in this team. I believe in our offense and our defense. It’ll get back to the drawing board on Monday, chop it up, figure out what we need to fix and I feel like we can take this where we need to go.”