4 things we learned from Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus, including Cody Whitehair’s injury and several loafs on Justin Fields’ fumble

Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus met with reporters Monday at Halas Hall after reviewing Sunday’s 20-12 loss to the New York Giants.

Here are four things we heard as the Bears turn the page to their Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Whitehair left Sunday’s game in the second quarter and didn’t return. Eberflus wouldn’t put a time frame on Whitehair’s recovery and didn’t rule out putting him on injured reserve, which would keep him out a minimum of four games. But Eberflus said the injury is not season-ending.

Whitehair has been a steady presence on the offensive line since the Bears drafted him in the second round in 2016. He has played in 99 regular-season games over seven seasons — missing only two in 2020 because of a calf injury and COVID-19.

“A guy that really shows Chicago Bear toughness — that’s Cody Whitehair,” Eberflus said. “We’re going to miss him for a little bit of time.”

On Sunday the Bears moved veteran Lucas Patrick, who had been rotating at right guard with Teven Jenkins, to left guard to replace Whitehair. Jenkins played full time at right guard and Sam Mustipher remained at center.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields was sacked six times, and Eberflus said the protection was good “at times.” Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence had two sacks and three quarterback hits.

“Obviously it broke down some in the middle at times,” Eberflus said. “One of their inside rushers had a pretty good day. We have to be firm there. We have to run off the ball better, which we know that. The guys were told that. And also the runners need to press the line better. We need to have a better day there.”

Santos was absent from practice last week and the game as he dealt with a personal issue. But Eberflus said Santos was back Monday and “squared away.”

Santos is 4-for-4 on field goals and 4-for-6 on extra points this season, the missed PATs coming during the wet and sloppy Week 1 win over the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field.

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Fill-in kicker Michael Badgley, who won the one-day replacement job at a tryout last week, went 4-for-4 on field goals Sunday for all 12 Bears points. Eberflus was familiar with Badgley from the kicker’s 12 games with the Indianapolis Colts last season.

“What a great job by him coming in, filling in on a short notice,” Eberflus said. “He was steady then (in Indianapolis) and he was certainly steady yesterday.”

Giants defensive end Azeez Ojulari circled around left tackle Braxton Jones to hit Fields’ arm in the second quarter, and Fields fumbled.

The play was made worse because several Bears in the vicinity of the loose ball — including Whitehair, right tackle Larry Borom and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown — didn’t attempt to jump on it. Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux recovered.

Eberflus acknowledged the players’ difficulty recognizing it wasn’t an incomplete pass with the play happening behind them — but he said they still need to be better.

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“That’s a little harder,” Eberflus said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, I’m in pass pro and then all of a sudden this thing drops from the sky, you know, over my head, and then it’s there.’ So I think Cody was caught off guard, as all the linemen were. They’ve got to be ready for it and jump on it and have some reaction there.”

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney said coaches addressed going after the football when it’s on the ground, no matter the circumstance.

“The defensive guys are always running to the ball regardless of what’s happening,” Mooney said. “Anytime you see a ball just randomly out there, you’ve got to get on the ball regardless.”

With the Bears down by eight with 3 minutes, 15 seconds to play, the Giants stopped running back Khalil Herbert for no gain on third-and-2 at the Bears 45-yard line. Eberflus opted to punt and count on his defense to get a quick stop rather than go for it on fourth-and-2. He said the defense’s second-half adjustments made him confident in the decision.

That part of the plan worked. Jaylon Jones downed Trenton Gill’s punt at the Giants 3, and the defense got a three-and-out. The problem was Bears punt returner Velus Jones Jr. muffed the catch and the Giants recovered, essentially sealing the game but for the Bears’ last-ditch effort in the final seconds.

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“We did a nice job there yesterday and gave ourselves a chance to go down and score and get a 2-point conversion,” Eberflus said. “Velus obviously has to learn the fundamentals of it and do a better job — which he did during the course of the day, just not on that one.

“He’s got to get himself under the ball and squeeze his elbows together and get squared away there. He’s an explosive player and a dynamic player, so he’ll learn from that.”