Three Takeaways from the Bears loss to Chargers

Kirby Lee - USA Today Sports

by Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Mon Oct 30 13:00:11 GMT-05:00 2023

Just when you thought the Bears may have figured things out as a team and a possible winning streak could be coming, they put on a putrid display Sunday as they got drubbed 30-13 by the Chargers. On paper, that kind of result shouldn't surprise you, as the Chargers are one of the more talented teams in the NFL with one of the best QBs in the game.

However, games are not played on paper, and both teams entered this game with two wins and had a chance to potentially save their season. A lot of the Chargers struggles hinge on head coach Brandon Staley whose constant questionable calls have started to bit this team in the back side. When it comes to the Bears, they are still a young team in rebuild mode, so it is going to take a little bit to get the consistency they are hoping for.

Here are some takeaways from the game:

City of Horrors

The Bears don't go to Los Angeles often, but when they do, the results haven't been pretty. Throughout the history of this franchise, the Bears have played in Los Angeles 17 times and have posted a 3-14 record. That includes an 0-7 mark in their last seven trips to the City of Angels, with their last win coming in 1987. Whatever the reason, this team struggles in So. Cal, and there is no explanation as to why.

Sure, the two-hour time difference could play a role in that, but every team that goes out west has to deal with that, yet they have had more success than the Bears. Some things in the NFL can't be explained, and this is one of those things. You see it in all sports. For whatever reason, specific teams struggle in certain places, and this is a place where the Bears hate to play.

Trade Deadline chatter

Although Ryan Poles has said the team won't be aggressive come the trade deadline, it is something to pay attention to as teams have 36 hours to make deals. With the Bears sitting at 2-6 and virtually having a slim to no shot at making the playoffs, the Bears need to start preparing more for their future instead of living in the moment.

That includes trading away some of the talent on their roster right now to gain more assets for the future. When you look at their roster right now, TJ Edwards, DJ Moore, Justin Fields, and Tremaine Edmunds are the names that come to mind as some of the more talented players, but also the players locked up for the foreseeable future. There is no way any of these guys are dealt, as the Bears have too much invested in all of them.

However, several players are on one-year or contract-year deals, and those are the ones to look for. D'Onta Foreman, Travis Homer, Eqanimeous St. Brown, and Darnell Mooney are potential names on offense, with Jaylon Johnson and Yannick Ngakoue as the big names on defense. Foreman and Ngakoue are the more likely names to be dealt, as the Bears would have no problems landing a few pieces in return for each player to help build toward their future.

According to @AllbrightNFL the Bills have interest in Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson!#BillsMafia | #BuiltinBuffalo pic.twitter.com/esdZSD0Eze
— Peter DiBiasi (@DibiasiPeter) October 30, 2023

Where is Darnell Mooney?

Speaking of Mooney, it is becoming a concern when you look at his production this season. A former mid-round selection of the then-GM Ryan Pace, Mooney was seen as one of the steals of the draft in 2020 and went on to have an outstanding rookie season.

Then came 2021, when he not only formed a great connection with Justin Fields but emerged as a legitimate No. 1 WR option as he hauled in more than 1000 yards in his second season. 2022 was supposed to be the season where he broke out, and not only did he get off to a slow start, but he ended up getting hurt mid-way through the season and never returned. After the Bears traded for Moore ahead of 2023, Moore was supposed to slide back into the No. 2 or No. 3 role, which is where he is a more natural fit.

Instead, Mooney continues to struggle, and that is starting to become a concern for Bears fans everywhere. Granted, Moore will be the team's No.1 target every week; Mooney has all of the potential in the world to be an excellent No. 2 option. However, the past two seasons haven't shown that, and some of the fans are wondering if his time with the Bears is coming to an end at some point this season.

Injuries can be to blame for last season, but this season, you can't blame the injuries for his struggles. It is starting to become apparent that Mooney doesn't fit well in this Luke Getsy system, which makes him expendable after the season. If I were the Bears, I would trade him and get something back for him because it seems that he will be on the way out after 2023 one way or another.