Ultimately, Stevenson played after two series and had to do so as backup Terell Smith became another ankle injury casualty.

It is assumed that the defense will return to its normal state. The offense is a no-show.

An honest look at the good, the bad and the ugly of Sunday’s Bears’ 29-9 loss to Arizona would actually be a bad, worse and ugly, or nauseating, worse and ugly.

But in fact, there was some good. Nobody cares, but it was there.

So here’s the good, the bad and the ugly of Sunday’s loss.

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Kicker Cairo Santos

A 53-yard field goal in desert rain and hail. Or at least, his basket came after the hail but while it was raining. Apparently someone needed to watch the Weather Channel because the roof was open during a storm in Arizona. Then he made another 53-yarder and a 29-yarder to keep them at 14-9 until just before halftime.

Punter Tory Taylor

A 54.5 yard average, a 67 yard punt, a yard short of his best and one more inside the 20. Taylor keeps knocking them out of holes, but his coverage team keeps him betrayed on a 27-yard punt return by Greg Dortch that set up the Cardinals for their first touchdown at the Bears 41.

CB Tyrique Stevenson

If he didn’t like the way things went last week and the penalty the team gave him for missing two series, then at least he didn’t sit around pouting. Stevenson tied for a team-high seven tackles and had two pass breakups, including a brilliant one on Marvin Harrison Jr. He couldn’t catch the Hail Mary, but did everything he could to remove the aftertaste. The rest of the defense seemed to have a bad taste in their mouths.

WR Roma Odunze

His bond with Caleb Williams as a rookie appears to be real. He had his second 100-yard game, but the biggest was 87 yards and four catches in the first half while the Bears were still in the game.

Steward DB Reddy

He was able to pass into coverage in his first NFL action and took the ball away, leading to an Elijah Hicks recovery.

S Kevin Byard

One of their most consistent players missed a few tackles, including one on Trey McBride while his arms were stiff, which allowed the Cardinals to score their first touchdown. He was also on the side where Demercado broke off his touchdown and simply needed to return it inside to end the half. But he allowed himself to be blocked and didn’t go outside of Demercado to report him so someone else could help stop him.

DT Gervon Dexter

It certainly wasn’t Dexter’s best game defending the run, as some of the biggest gains came after he overran the play in his gap and left a big hole for the back to exploit . The other thing Dexter did wrong was a “leverage” penalty for putting his hand and weight on the Arizona right guard’s back while jumping on a basket that gave a 10-point lead. 6 to the Cardinals. Instead, the penalty gave them the chance to score a touchdown and take a 14-6 lead. It was a penalty, but the replay did not necessarily confirm that it actually happened because it is doubtful that he actually gained an advantage by what he did, and that is a requirement.

LB Tremaine Edmunds

He wasn’t the only one to make play errors, but on a third pass, he trapped Emari Demarcado simply by turning him inside. Instead, he let Demercado step outside for an easy first down on a baseline play. The Bears defense was moody and making fundamental flaws all day. He also missed a tackle on an inside run by Conner. Overall, the linebackers weren’t there when needed against the Cardinals’ gap blocking scheme.

LB TJ Edwards

When you give up a season-high 213 yards to the Cardinals, the linebackers are all in the crosshairs. Missed tackles and not being in the gap were commonplace against Arizona’s running game.

RB Andre Swift

The safety was his fault for a low block on a pass in the end zone. His running didn’t impress on the day either, but nobody did much on offense.

WR Keenan Allen

He dropped an 8-yard pass on third down in the second quarter when he picked up a first down, killing a drive and forcing the Bears to accept a 53-yard Santos field goal.

Coach Matt Eberflus

At least he came out after the game and owned the bad blitz call that Demercado used to break free for a 53-yard touchdown. Maybe he was thinking too much about last week when they didn’t pressure Jayden Daniels in the Hail Mary, but a blitz left no one to help the safeties, who were stranded on the game. This is simply not the time to blitz.

Eberflus also deserves criticism for the bizarre penalty given to Stevenson during two series on the bench. It was like a symbolic penalty and it initially hurt a defense already without three starters.

What happened to the HITS principle? It didn’t look like they were keeping up with him in this game on defense.

Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron

Waldron didn’t have any more plays at the goal line, but once again their offense came out pitching a shutout in the first quarter.

He’s not the one throwing passes or reading the defense. Williams is, but Waldron should have just made the play to specifically target Cole Kmet. They never targeted one of their big weapons for the second week in a row.

QB Caleb Williams

Stray passes, poor footwork when throwing deep, being uncomfortable in the pocket and missing too many and taking another sack that helped them get out of field goal range for the second week in a row made part of his difficulties. It’s almost like Jekyll and Hyde with Williams on the road. He has a passer rating of 67.2 on the road and 105.1 at home after Sunday’s loss.

The list of injured

Never good when the starting right tackle is out with a knee injury and now Darnell Wright is a problem with left tackle Braxton Jones already out. Then there’s Terell Smith with an ankle injury, Jaylon Jones with a shoulder injury and perhaps the costliest injury, a pectoral injury to Andrew Billings. The big guy has been key to their run defense as well as their interior pass rush.

Add in Montez Sweat, Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, and the Bears could be without six starters next week if nothing improves.

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