Rapid Reaction: Chicago Bears

December, 4, 2014

Dec 4

11:37

PM ET

CHICAGO -- A few thoughts on the Chicago Bears' 41-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field.

What it means: The Chicago Bears move to last place in the NFC North, and the best they can hope to achieve at this point is a .500 record. Theyd have to win out to do that, and thats an unlikely possibility, given the way this team has performed in recent outings, with upcoming matchups on tap against the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. With the Bears playing two of their final three at Soldier Field, its worth pondering how much more ownership can take. Several players believe theyre currently auditioning for jobs with the Bears in 2015. If thats truly the case, theyre not making compelling cases to remain in Chicago.

Stock Watch: Bears coach Marc Trestman and the offensive coaching staff talked all week about the need to establish balance on offense but ran the ball just seven times in the first half and trailed just 14-7 at intermission. Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer even said it would be important for the club to run the ball if it faced an early deficit, yet the Bears did the opposite against the Cowboys. With 10:48 left to play and the Bears down 38-13, Matt Forte received just his 12th handoff of the game. So offensively, the coaching staff didnt stick to the game plan to run the ball against a Dallas squad ranked No. 22 against the run.

Protests empty seats: According to multiple reports, hundreds of demonstrators marching in the Chicago Loop in protest of a grand jurys decision to not indict a New York police officer in the death of Eric Garner played a role in stopping traffic on Lake Shore Drive and the Dan Ryan Expressway, resulting in empty seats at Soldier Field for the early part of Thursdays game. The demonstrations started at approximately 5 p.m. The stands at Soldier Field didnt fill up until approximately halfway through the first quarter, and the thought at first was that fans werent showing up because of the clubs disappointing record. There were 6,293 unused tickets for the game.

Game ball: Tight end Martellus Bennett hauled in 12 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown against his former team and now has a career-high 77 receptions on the season. This marks the third consecutive year Bennett has set a new career high for receptions.

Whats next: The Bears wont return to the practice field until Wednesday to begin prep for their matchup on Dec. 15 against the New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field.

• Joined ESPN in 2010
• Previously covered Jaguars and Redskins
• Played college football at West Texas A&M

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4696213/rapid-reaction-chicago-bears-25