Last week, a day after the Chicago Bears misplaced their fourth consecutive sport and fell to the underside of the NFC, defensive lineman Justin Jones was requested how he and his teammates have been dealing with the flood of losses, how gamers have been digging deep to search out the funding wanted to persevere by way of this wayward season.
As a workforce captain, Jones is aware of his method issues and his phrases should resonate. He spoke from the center.
“Winning is an extrinsic motivation,” he stated, “You have to have something in you to play this game, to go through the ups and downs and still be able to work hard and still be able to come to work with a smile on your face. There has to be some kind of intrinsic motivation to why you play this game.”
A unique model of that query got here knocking once more Sunday after the Bears suffered their worst lack of the 12 months, a 31-10 drubbing by the New York Jets that additionally included a wave of accidents to key gamers.
The Bears completed November with no victory and fell to 3-9. Starting quarterback Justin Fields missed the sport with a shoulder damage. Among essentially the most notable accidents to happen, extensive receiver Darnell Mooney suffered a season-ending ankle damage and security Eddie Jackson went down with a foot concern that’s prone to maintain him out some time.
Quite frankly, contained in the Bears locker room, Sunday felt like a horrible, horrible, no good, very dangerous day. The temper mirrored that. Yet with the NFL’s prolonged common season, the Bears nonetheless had 42 days and 5 video games remaining, needing as soon as once more to reset and dig deep.
Jones was requested the place the Bears will discover the requisite push and focus stage to keep away from surrendering to frustration and fatigue.
“One of your morals as a man is you have to finish what you started,” he stated. “Whether things are going your way or they’re not, you have to finish what you started. For every man in this room, that’s the challenge going forward. Finish what you started. Put the best tape you can on film, make as many plays as you can and have fun doing it.”
‘Have some pride’
The Bears haven’t received since Oct. 24. That was the evening they registered a signature victory on “Monday Night Football,” hammering the New England Patriots 33-14 and experiencing an offensive breakthrough that created a wave of promise — for the long run.
Behind Fields’ highlight-reel playmaking, the Bears surfed that exhilarating wave by way of defeats in Weeks 8, 9 and 10 that felt far much less disconcerting than most Bears losses do. Including the win over the Patriots, the Bears averaged 31 factors and 384.3 yards over 4 video games, and a usually impatient fan base ignored the string of losses for essentially the most half, as a substitute selecting to embrace the hope Fields generated.
At Halas Hall, although, the burden of the shedding streak grows heavier. The psychological toll stays actual. Tight finish Cole Kmet acknowledged the drain Monday.
Kmet is in his third season with the Bears, every together with a skid of no less than 4 video games. As a rookie, Kmet received 5 of his first six video games. Since then, the Bears have misplaced 28 of 40, together with one playoff sport.
“Losing is tough, man,” Kmet stated. “Losing sucks, any way you put it.”
He was requested how the Bears can stay wired to push by way of the grind till the season finishes. It’s value mentioning once more, that end line is a great distance off.
“You stick to your routines and figure things out along the way,” Kmet stated. “Obviously shedding guys (to accidents) doesn’t assist. But as people you’ve obtained to do what you’ve obtained to do all through the week. Stick to your routine.
“At this point, you (work to) put good stuff on tape. That’s just what it’s about. Have some pride in yourself and put some good stuff on tape. If you do that, if each individual does that, I think the outcomes will start to change.”
Duty calls
For weeks, Bears coach Matt Eberflus has been touting the character throughout the locker room as a steadying drive, a flotation gadget that could be wanted in December as a lot as ever.
The Bears — beat up and crushed down — are strolling right into a stretch of three demanding house video games. First the Green Bay Packers come to city Sunday. After a Week 14 open date, the Bears will host the NFC-leading Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 18 and the Buffalo Bills on Christmas Eve.
Sure, a big portion of the fan base could also be fist-pumping after each loss, celebrating the Bears’ climb up the draft board and the potential expertise windfall that might deliver subsequent spring. But embracing failure and squandering alternatives to develop and develop could be a harmful proposition.
Veteran security DeAndre Houston-Carson has realized how one can compartmentalize every week and reboot accordingly.
“If you ask me how many games we’ve lost in a row, I really couldn’t tell you,” he stated. “Every guy might be different. But to me, I have a job to do. Wins and losses? Those kind of come and go. But I have a job to do and I’m trying to make the most of any opportunity I get.”
Houston-Carson was as soon as a Day 3 draft decide hoping to discover a path to make the workforce. Now in his seventh season, he’s a revered workforce chief who units a tone and an instance along with his work habits.
During his time within the league, the Bears have been by way of quite a lot of seasons by which December grew to become a check of focus and resolve. When the juice of the season diminishes, it’s the ambition and keenness inside gamers that always offers the gas.
“I don’t care how many games we’ve lost,” Houston-Carson stated. “I’ve obtained to show the tape on and I’ve to really feel good — like I put an excellent product on the market. (It’s) pleasure. And then one other factor is simply loving the sport. You can’t lose that side of it, particularly while you’re shedding.
“It’s our job. But you also have to have fun. If you don’t, then you’re going to drive yourself crazy.”
With greater than a month left within the season and 5 video games to play, such inner pep talks shall be wanted. The Bears face a steep climb and can want all the fervour and unity they will summon.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com