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On October 23, a cloud followed the Bears' defense at its morning meeting at Halas Hall, a dreadful overtime meeting against the Dolphins and a surgical dissection performed by the Patriots blocked the sun.
The Bears competed in the sixth dolphin week, ranked third in the NFL in yards per game. Nine days later, they were 17th. The team's 3-1 starting force started to shake.
As coordinator, Vic Fangio, directed the post-mortem video 40 hours after the defeat against the Patriots, he thought about their predicament in terms of baseball. For long-time fans of the Phillies, it's his second language.
Analogical calculations of Fangio were simple and powerful. A defeat for a football team equals 10 consecutive losses to baseball.
Fangio said on Thursday, "If you're a Cubs player or fan, you've lost 20 in a row." You can not let that infect you with negative thoughts. We can win the next game and feel like we are on a 10-game winning streak. "
So, Fangio encouraged his players that day to not lose the confidence that they had inspired in the dominant September. Regardless of Khalil Mack's status with his injured right ankle, it was the same group that brought nine of the 11 starters in the 10th ranked defense last year. The one who spent the off-season and pre-season promising a higher climb.
Five days later, as the defense snuggled without Mack before his first attack on the Jets, it was clear that Fangio's message was there. There, at Soldier Field, these 11 proud men got along well.
"We said," We will do it now. That's what we're starting right now, "recalls Eddie Jackson.
They then proceeded to the second best match, statistically, of the post-Lovie Smith era. In a 24-10 win, they allowed only 207 yards and 3.8 yards per game.
The defense of the race was a wall. The Jets' 2.4 yards per run was the best average of the Bears since October 6, 2013.
So what happens if the Jets are in their first two receivers, their starting center and their second half-goal? Put an asterisk by the performance if you want. Just be aware that no one inside Halas Hall has done it.
Because, no matter who the opponent, the Bears did everything for which they challenged themselves.
"We were aggressive," Jackson said. "We played fast. Everyone was on their keys. We just cleaned up the little things we had done wrong, and one of the most important things was to tackle us. We cleaned it up and saw everyone fly, play with energy. Everybody was happy. When you see that, when the loot is being built, it's hard to stop. "
Eight of the 10 complete possessions of the Jets ended in battles. There was no takeaway and only one bag, but the Jets crossed the midfield only twice. Only 12 of their 54 games were in Bears territory.
This confidence was back.
Now the Bears should take advantage of it. Sunday's challenge, with or without Mack, is to prevent the lifeless Bills attack from finding a spark.
The Bills begin their sophomore quarterback, Nathan Peterman, known for his 10 interceptions in just 84 career attempts. No team scored fewer points. No offense averages fewer yards per game. No more allowed bags per pass attempt.
And there is even more importance as the Bears are halfway through the season. Sunday's game is the prelude to three games of NFC North in a 12-day period starting Nov. 11.
As the rise of the Bears approaches divergent paths, the defense is determined to guide them further. No more gliding. No more dips. Without looking back.
"We saw ourselves doing it," said defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. "Now, can we bring out that – the same intensity, the same passion, the same mindset," I want to touch everything "? How do you keep a high team every week? "
follow the guide
These questions asked by Hicks? Fangio constantly reflects on the answers.
He is a straight shooter; a preparation and remote access coordinator who gives priority to the technical and schematic battle over everything else. Quarterback Andrew Luck – whose stay at Stanford was similar to Fangio's – who famously described "Lord Fangio, pushing his blitz into the dungeon."
But it would be a misconception to believe that Fangio minimizes the intangibles necessary for effective defense. As the defense sought to reaffirm after two defeats, he pressed emotional buttons.
He coached Hicks into his office for an individual four-minute video session. A piece in the edit sequence was a pass to the screen. While they were watching together, Fangio challenged Hicks to escape the body stack at the line of scrimmage.
"Akiem, I know you have a step closer to getting to that ball," Hicks recalls. "I know you can bring some presence and slow down this guy a bit." Vic repeats it over and over again, I know it fits me. "
Fangio does not hold individual sessions all the time. He does it when he needs it, when a player can absorb an important message.
READ MORE: 7 Things Bears coordinators heard this week, including Vic Fangio, who let Khalil Mack get rid of his NFL injury and fines "
READ MORE: 3 Keys for First Place Bears in their 9th Week Bills Match »
On the other hand, a message is constant.
"If I have to be accused of throwing too much into the sea, it's attacking," Fangio said.
Each week, he compiles what the Bears call "tape tape". It is a montage of their qualities and those of other teams. It also contains misfires. Hicks has exaggerated that it's an hour.
"When we see the team tackles and tackles that we miss, it's like:" Really?!? What is going on? "Jackson said." You look at yourself and you say, "Dude, you have to go back to that."
It was an overwhelming feeling after the Bears missed 14 tackles against the Dolphins, generating 183 extra yards and two touchdowns, according to the Tribune count.
Against the Jets, the Bears missed seven tackles, but the damage was negligible due to the way the players swarmed the ball.
"When everyone is where they are supposed to be and you play physically, "Adrian Amos said," so it's difficult for mistakes to get through. "
Forward, up
Hicks is not a movie critic, so his review meant something on Tuesday after analyzing the Jets game.
"It looked good," he said. "It seemed reeeaallllll well."
The beautiful was in the defense of the race. Running back Isaiah Crowell and Trenton Cannon wore 19 times for 35 yards. Only one attempt lasted more than 4 meters, while seven were equal to 1 or less.
The fact that the Bears used an eight-man front against just three litters showed Hicks that their collective spirit was back to normal. The group effort, physical character and strength required for this performance generated a considerable collective pride.
Now, with that restored for at least a week, the Bears are going to Buffalo. The Bills' attack was putrid, but they established halfbacks in LeSean McCoy and Chris Ivory.
There can be no lull. Not when the Bears are the favorites at 10 points. Not with the heart of the schedule on the bridge. Not when their first place is so tenuous.
And certainly not now after maintaining their confidence in compartmentalizing their past failures.
"If we have a good rest of the season, no one will remember the game we had," said Amos. "Your identity and your game are not really defined by a match. We must continue to continue because the race is long. "
The summit is not in sight, but the light is on their way again.
Twitter @Rich_Campbell
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