Matt Eberflus wasn’t in charge as the Bears’ head coach on Sunday, but a new head coach produced the same result they had seen every week for several months: a loss.

The Bears fell 38-13 to the 49ers in Thomas Brown’s debut as Chicago’s interim coach, dropping their record to 4-9 for the 2024 regular season. It was the seventh defeat in a row.

On the bright side, the Bears’ draft positioning has improved. That’s the biggest positive takeaway you can take from this game. Here are some of the less optimistic takeaways from the Bears’ loss.

Porous cover

Brock Purdy surpassed 200 yards rushing in the first half. George Kittle had more than 100 yards at halftime. Jauan Jennings ended up receiving two touchdowns. In their first game without Matt Eberflus, some of the defensive stability – which was touted as one of the few positive aspects of his tenure – disappeared. The coverage was porous, especially in the middle of the field. The soft zone is an integral part of the system, but the linebackers and defensive backs often looked out of place.

Poor offensive execution everywhere

Having more punts than net passing yards in the first half is never a good sign for your offense’s performance. Part of this was due to Caleb Williams, who failed to extend the play early, held on to the ball for too long and took sacks in the process. However, the receivers were unable to assert themselves in the first half and the offensive line let off too much pressure. It was simply poor execution in all aspects of the game, and it was pretty clear that multiple parties were responsible for Chicago being shut out in the first half.

At least Rome Odunze had a nice day…

Odunze caught two touchdown passes on Sunday after only receiving one touchdown before the start of the game. He looked better as the game went on, taking advantage of the Bears’ quicker offensive philosophy to prevail against a tired San Francisco defense. His toe-tap touchdown in the back right end of the end zone might truly be the best catch a Bears player has made all year. It is encouraging to see the bond between Williams and Odunze flourishing despite the defeat.