Opening Statement: No injuries to report in the game. We came out pretty clean. Dillon left and then came back, so nothing on the injury front. Really a tale of two halves for us. Go up 17-nothing, we got to find a way to finish. Love the way we played, our effort, but we got to be able to knock a team out when they're down. We gave them great field position. We had too many penalties. The turnovers were critical. Can't give up 17 points at the end of the day. That was our biggest issue. Gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown, and interception for a touchdown, and a long return in the kickoff game for a field goal. So really 17 points. I thought our defense played -- was a winning effort on defense. Made it hard for those guys, exactly how we wanted to, and we just handed them points. In a game like that that's going to be a little bit of a defensive battle, we have to make sure we don't make those mistakes. They mistakes were critical and they were killer. You give any team in the NFL 17 points and you're going to have a hard time winning. To me that is the story. I thought we came out and played how we wanted to on offense other than the first drive. Just didn't have anything until the second half. Couldn't get anything going, the run game going, got behind the sticks. We had sacks and penalties and all kinds of issues. Disappointing in that regard. Couldn't keep drives alive, weren't good on third downs, so a lot of things to work on and get back and get better.
On if QB Will Levis was trying to 'get it' to someone or throw it out of bounds:
"He was trying to throw it away. They brought a zero pressure so we had no answer. Had a free guy, so he knew, saw the pressure, recognized it, and was trying it forward so he wouldn't get intentional grounding. Got to be better than that and be able to get the ball on the ground and not throw it to anybody. He was not trying to throw to Tyler, he was trying to get it out of his hand. Just a tough spot going to his left and he couldn't get anything on it. We can't have that. We can't have an interception for a touchdown when we are up 17-16 at midfield, and the way our defense was playing, it's killer. It's killer."
On what Levis said to him on the sideline after the turnover:
"He knows just told him, look, we got the ball coming right back and we got to go try to find a way to score. There is not a whole lot of time to diagnose it. You got to keep your guys and get ready to go because the ball is coming right back in our hands with the chance to go win the game. That's really all you can say in those moments."
On if 'playing behind the sticks' impacted the second half production:
"Couldn't get any rhythm going. Every time I looked up I felt like it was second and nine or third and eight or third and ten. Just no rhythm on offense at all. I couldn't get in a rhythm calling plays because of the spots we were in. Yeah, it was a struggle of a second half in that regard. That certainly contributed to it. Weren't on schedule at all. Didn't get enough positive plays and efficiency to be in manageable down and distances. Then when we did, we didn't do anything with it."
On what he saw on the block punt and 'how big' of a momentum swing for them:
"When you give up a blocked punt in the game for a touchdown, that usually -- I don't know what the stats exactly are, but it certainly puts you in a really tough spot to win the game when you give up a special teams touchdown like that. Ultimately, I think we just got edged. I would have to look to see how long it took, but it wasn't a crazy rush, wasn't schematic; we just got to beat. We got pushed back. I got to see the timing on the punt, but just disappointing we would give that up in that spot because our defense was playing so good."
On the lack of rhythm:
"No, we were still in that same range of plays for the most part. We just finally got a couple of things off the ground. Again, get back on track spots for a lot of the game. That was really frustrating. Just not getting enough efficiency from the run game. That's a good run front. We know they're the number one defense in the league for a reason. I thought we would be better than we were in this game, and that led to a lot of the issues we had. We couldn't get anything positive going for stretches and that was really difficult."
On the lack of production from their new addictions:
"No, we had some shots to Calvin, the one Will couldn't get enough on the ball. He had them beat. It was hard. We're trying to get back on track and generate play-action explosives down the field and some go-balls, and we're in a spot where they're waiting for those things. So that is frustrating. We could not play offense the way we wanted to today and led to some pretty significant struggles."
On if the energy was dropping in the game:
"The momentum certainly swung. You have that punt block for a touchdown. We're in control the entire game, and to have that happen and then the interception for a touchdown, yeah, we were fighting up against it. We are on the road in a tough environment. We didn't bounce back the way I think we're capable of. Would've liked to see a little more response from the team in that spot. Just got to keep getting better."
On how much the defense kept them in the game and their containment of Bear QB Caleb Williams:
"They did a fantastic job. They did their part. Played a winning performance I felt like. I mean, at one point they had less than 100 yards in the third quarter I think. It was really well done. They played physical, aggressive, made life hard for Caleb Williams to get any rhythm going. They were ultimately in the same spot we were on offense and they found some touchdowns in other places and we couldn't. They struggled, our defense played well, and I was really happy to see that."
On Levis getting pressure and if the offensive line was getting 'whooped':
No, I don't think it was that. Certainly we lost some one-on-one rushes. They had some pressure that popped free, the one, the interception was a zero blitz. They have more than we can block in that point. Will is trying to get rid of the ball. I have to watch the tape to know the ins and outs of what happened. We had some losses in some big spots and it contributed to some bad football."
On what he saw on the strip sack:
"The strip sack? He was getting ready to throw the ball down the field and he didn't feel the backside pressure, which is what happened. We got edged on the backside. That's what happens on strip sacks when you don't see them coming. He's getting ready to draw and throw the ball down the field and he chopped the ball out."
On if it is 'easier' or 'harder' knowing that the loss was 'self-inflicted':
"They're all really difficult to swallow no matter how it shakes out. I thought we were in a good place and had a chance to win this game. For me, it's just disappointing that we didn't find a way to do that. They're all hard to swallow. Every last one. No matter how it shakes out. Bad taste in your mouth. Really disappointed. We got to find a way to rebound and get ready for the home opener."
On if the Bears did something to stop the run or what it self-inflicted:
"They changed up their front. We ran the ball well in the first half and they changed. We tried to get to a couple different things and they were pressuring a little bit more on first, second down. They were playing different fronts. Things that weren't unexpected. We knew that was coming. They just did a good job. They out-executed us on defense for sure. That part is disappointing for me. They changed what they were doing in the second half for sure, and they needed to. We didn't do a good enough job making sure we answered that."
On his thoughts regarding the discipline of the team:
"I don't think we have a discipline problem. It's hard to play on the road. We had some false starts, some holdings. It was more so I think things like that where you're getting holds. The block in the back on Nick Westbrook was a tough one. Thought that was close. At the end of the day though, we have to be better than that. We had way too many amenities and put us in tough spots. Got to be better."
On if he was 'surprised' how hard it was for the offense to get in a rhythm:
"No. I've seen plenty of games that go like this. Not as a caller, but I've been a part of enough of them. There are games where it's hard. You're trying to find something that you can manufacture some positive yards. Especially in the second half, it just felt like everything we did was difficult. We couldn't find anything to get positive results outside a couple things.
Yeah, that's challenging as a play caller, particularly when you're in second and eight plus and third and eight plus a lot. Those are hard down and distances to manage when you're not getting enough out of the run game, which we didn't in the second half."
On where he believes the game 'got away' from Levis:
"I think it's a balance. There were some things that -- you know, the sack fumble. He didn't see it. Wasn't he was being reckless. He was trying to get the ball off. The interception. Everything he said was right. You just can't put the ball in harm's way. He's still a young player and he has to learn in the game moments. This is when it happens. It's one thing to do it in practice, when you're in a game and the bullets are flying it makes it a little bit more challenging. He has room to improve, as do I, in some of the play calling. Best I can answer that."
On what was his message to the guys:
"Pretty simple: disappointing that we had as many errors as we did. I didn't necessarily think that would be the way we would lose a game. And positive, our defense played really well. First half was very, very good. We made way too many mistakes. Never going to win a game in the NFL spotting somebody 17 points without our defense having a chance to take the field. That was the major message. A lot to clean up and work on. It's the first week. We got 16 more. Got to find a way to get better for the next one."
On if Hopkins production was what he expected:
"Yeah, trying to make sure -- he wasn't ready to play 65 plays in a game, so rotated him in a little bit and got his feet wet, and he'll continue to get stronger and feel better and his role will increase. We wanted to get him started and that was the point, and he felt good enough to go, which I appreciate him fighting through it. So, we're going to keep getting healthier and he'll keep finding more roles in the offense as we get going."
On if not having Hopkins available hindered Levis:
"Hard to say. You would have to ask Will. I didn't feel that. He hasn't been in practice for the better part of six weeks. I couldn't answer that. I don't know. You have to ask Will."
