CHICAGO -- Welcome to reality.
The Chicago Bears (3-1) are not among the NFL elite. Not even close.
Chicago might have enjoyed the good fortune to open the year against the bottom-feeding Detroit Lions, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, but whatever feel-good vibes materialized from the surprise 3-0 record evaporated in Sunday's 19-11 home loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bears -- led by veteran quarterback Nick Foles -- were consistent, all right.
Consistently bad.
Instead of playing lethargic football for most of the game -- like versus the Lions, Giants and Falcons -- the Bears were flat for all four quarters against the Colts.
Mitchell Trubisky or no Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears' offense remains a mess. In what sounds like a broken record, the Bears failed to convert on third down (4-of-14), run the football (28 net rushing yards) or score enough points.
The defense was not much better, either.
Chuck Pagano's group has played shockingly ordinary football for a month.
And special teams allowed a punt block.
Touch them all, Bears.
Chicago is fortunate not to be 0-4.
QB breakdown: Foles squandered the opportunity to ease any quarterback concerns around town. The 31-year-old signal-caller was largely inaccurate and ineffective. Foles finished 26-of-42 for 249 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Bears moved the ball slightly better in the fourth quarter because -- as is usually the case -- Matt Nagy's team fell behind by two scores and had to operate out of the hurry-up. The difference was that the miracle comeback did not happen on Sunday. Foles tossed an interception that went off wide receiver Anthony Miller's hands at the 10:59 mark of the fourth quarter and effectively sealed the win for the Colts. The Bears expected a lot more out of the veteran QB. Hard to imagine the Bears' offense would have fared much worse under Trubisky.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The ultra-conservative first-half game plan on offense. One reason the Bears benched Trubisky for Foles -- we thought -- was because Foles possessed better downfield vision and deep-ball accuracy. The theory turned out to be a bust. Foles failed to stretch the field until midway through the second quarter. Chicago's offense was so bland that it reminded people of the brand of football the organization played from 2015 to 2017 when John Fox's Bears bored the nation. Where was the creativity? Where was the adventure? It was all in dangerously short supply in Week 4.
Eye-popping stat: The Bears and former Pro Bowler Allen Robinson have yet to agree to a contract extension. The stalled negotiations have not really derailed Robinson's effectiveness. The 27-yearold wideout went over 5,000 career receiving yards with a 27-yard catch in Sunday's second quarter. Robinson has now made at least one catch in 76 consecutive games. He ended the day with seven receptions for 101 yards -- most coming in garbage time -- and a touchdown.