With Chicago skid at 10 games, finale can't come soon enough for Bears

CHICAGO (AP) — When the Chicago Bears threatened to score in the closing minutes of a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, fans expressed their feelings loud and clear.

They weren't cheering for a touchdown or field goal. They had something else in mind.

“Sell the team!” they chanted.

With their skid at 10 games, a season that started with playoff hopes can't end soon enough for the Bears (4-12). They will wrap it up when they visit the rival Green Bay Packers on Jan. 5.

“My job is to go out there and win games,” quarterback Caleb Williams said. “And we don’t focus on the outside noise. The fans are going to cheer and maybe boo sometimes. And you can’t react to that. It’s not something that we react to.”

Chicago is 14-36 in three seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and has two double-digit losing streaks.

The Bears dropped their final 10 in 2022 when they were tanking as part of a franchise-record 14-game skid that stretched into last year. They've never lost more than 10 in a row in a single season.

The slide was at six games when they fired former coach Matt Eberflus the day after a loss at Detroit on Thanksgiving, following a series of poor late-game decisions. They're 0-4 under interim coach Thomas Brown, and they've been dominated by Green Bay in recent decades.

The defense. A defense that has gone from ranking seventh in yards per game through the first six weeks to 25th did its part against Seattle. The six points allowed were a season-low and the 265 yards the Bears gave up were their second-lowest.

“As we know, our defense has a certain standard and we’ve showed it,” cornerback Kyler Gordon said. “So, obviously syncing a little bit. Just getting back on the guys to get back right. It’s just important to know what we can do and just go in there and execute.”

Pass protection. Williams was sacked seven times, bringing his NFL-leading total and individual franchise record to 67. The Bears broke their previous mark of 66 sacks allowed in 2004, when they used four quarterbacks. Their issues on the offensive line are well-documented. And so is Williams' tendency to hold onto the ball too long, resulting in unnecessary sacks.

“There were miscues,” Williams said. “There were stupid sacks that I was taking, losing 10, 14 yards, which is frustrating. But I will say that I will definitely take the heat for this one just because (of) some of the situations that I put us in.”

DE Montez Sweat. The Bears gave up 53 yards rushing on Seattle's game-opening field-goal drive. But the line performed better after that. Sweat picked up his first sack since Week 12 against Minnesota on the first play of Seattle's second possession, when he took down Geno Smith for an 8-yard loss. Though he's only missed one game, Sweat has been slowed by ankle and shin injuries. His 5 1/2 sacks are a big drop from last season, when he had a combined 12 1/2 for Washington and Chicago while becoming the first NFL player to lead two teams in the same season.

Williams. Coming off a promising outing against NFC leader Detroit that followed some shaky outings, Williams had a rough night. The No. 1 overall draft pick completed 16 of 28 passes for 122 yards — not much more than his low of 93 in a Week 1 win over Tennessee — after throwing for 334 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions. The seven sacks for 46 yards both matched his second-highest totals.

The Bears reported no injuries during the game.

5 — The Bears once again had trouble sustaining drives, converting just 5 of 15 third downs and punting on seven of their 10 possessions. They tied a season low with 11 first downs and managed 179 yards. Chicago owns the NFL's second-worst third-down conversion rate at 31.8% and is averaging a league-worst 287.3 yards per game.

The Bears have lost 11 straight against the Packers — the longest streak by either team in the storied rivalry — and 26 of 29 counting the playoffs. They've dropped eight in a row at Lambeau Field since a win in 2015.

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Olympic gymnast Simone Biles uses a camera while watching warmups prior to an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) celebrates his fumble recovery with teammates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift, left, runs with the ball as Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A spectator braves the rain to watch the second half of an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) and offensive tackle Darnell Wright (58) react while walking off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. The Seahawks won 6-3. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams talks with reporters after an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, center looks at the scoreboard during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Teoscar Hernández is headed back to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The free agent outfielder has agreed with the reigning World Series champions on a $66 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press late Friday night.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the move had not been announced by the team.

After initially looking for a three-year contract that never materialized in free agency last offseason, Hernández and his representatives turned their focus to getting the best short-term deal from the best team interested. That led to a $23.5 million, one-year deal with the Dodgers, where he joined a loaded lineup that included Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

Hernández wanted to play deep into October, and did, becoming a a World Series champion during an All-Star season when he was the Home Run Derby champion and won his third career Silver Slugger, which got him a $1 million bonus.

The Dominican outfielder had a huge impact as the Dodgers won their second World Series title in five seasons. He hit .272 with a career-high 33 homers and 99 RBIs in 154 regular-season games.

Hernández had made it clear he wanted to stay in Los Angeles, saying that was his priority. He got emotional when thanking fans during the World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium after the club's championship parade.

“I play this game to win,” he told the fans that day. “And the Dodgers gave me the opportunity to come here so I could help this organization, this team, these people, this city, win a championship. You guys made this dream come true. Thank you for making me a world champion.”

Now they will get to try to do it again, with Hernández likely switching from left field to right field, his best defensive position. There are plans for Betts to move back into the infield next season.

Hernández turned 32 during the playoffs, when he hit .250 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 16 postseason games. He struggled during the six-game National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, going 2 for 21 with one RBI. That was after he hit .333 with seven RBIs in a five-game Division Series against San Diego, and before hitting .350 in the World Series against the Yankees — including a two-run double in the fifth inning of Game 5 for a 5-all tie before the Dodgers clinched the title with a 7-6 victory.

Hernández has a .263 career batting average with 192 homers, 572 RBIs and 65 outfield assists for Toronto (2016-22), Seattle (2023) and the Dodgers. His first All-Star season came withe Blue Jays in 2021, when he hit 32 homers while setting career highs with his .296 average and 116 RBIs.

His 2024 deal with Los Angeles included $8.5 million in deferred money that will be paid over 10 equal installments each July 1 from 2030-39.

AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.

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FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández is high-fived in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly ball by Gavin Lux during the second inning in Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)