The Chicago Bears are left in a daze of confusion after what happened the past month. They went into the bye week with loads of momentum and confidence, sitting at 4-2 with a surging offense. A brutal Hail Mary loss in Washington, two blowout defeats, and a blocked game-winning FG against the Packers have sent them reeling to 4-6 and all but out of the playoff picture. Players seem stunned at the turn of events while coaches are grasping at straws, trying to reverse the slow collapse before it’s too late. Montez Sweat has been in the midst of it all.
The star defensive end has had some difficulties this season. Despite playing well, his sack total is stuck at 3.5, and he’s been battling persistent injuries. When asked about his mood and that of the locker room going into a pivotal matchup with Minnesota, Sweat didn’t mince words.
“We’re on, what, a three or four-game losing streak? I’m pretty fucking frustrated.”
It isn’t hard to gauge how the Bears players feel. They know they should be better than their current record suggests. If not for some brutal late-game decision-making, they would be 6-4. Montez Sweat must feel a helpless sense of deja vu. This was his experience, for the most part, in Washington for years. The team would always have enough talent to compete, but they always seemed to get held back by coaching or quarterback problems. His only trip to the playoffs came in 2020 on a team that finished 7-9. He hasn’t even sniffed a Super Bowl. At 28 years old, he knows his number of peak years is dwindling. Setbacks like this have to tug at a man’s love for the game. It will be interesting to see how he and the team respond on Sunday against an 8-2 Vikings team with all the momentum in the world.
