Perez's Bears Brief: 4 things we learned about Chicago in Week 12

Week 12's loss to the New York Jets was a tough one to swallow. I must admit, I forgot what life before Justin Fields was like for the Chicago Bears. Then came the quarterback circus Sunday morning, and all the trauma and pain of the Bears' endless search for a solution at the game's most important position came flooding back.

Trevor Siemian. Nathan Peterman.

Both Bears had a stint as the starting quarterback against the Jets. At least, Peterman had his 15 minutes of fame after Siemian injured his oblique in pregame warmups. It was a pre-Fields classic Bears moment that, hopefully, fans no longer have to suffer through.

Week 12 was painful for several reasons. Let's dive into four things we learned about the Bears in this week's Bears Brief.

1. Injuries are mounting, and it's troubling

The Bears can't afford to suffer injuries to key players during the regular season's final month. With five games left on the 2022 schedule, the goal should be to keep foundational pieces healthy.

That didn't happen in Week 12. WR Darnell Mooney suffered a serious ankle injury that's expected to end his season. He may need surgery to repair torn ligaments, which means his rehab will linger into the offseason. That's a worst-case scenario for a club that seemed to take a big step toward fixing its wide receiver problem with the trade for Chase Claypool.

Safety Eddie Jackson crumbled to the ground with a lower-leg injury, too. Early reports are that he may have dodged a serious injury. Consider that a gift from the football gods. Jackson has played quality football this season and should return in 2023 as one of the defensive leaders. The Bears can't afford to lose players like him or Mooney to meaningless games in an already lost season.

It's time to give some young players reps. I'm not suggesting starters should be outright benched, but their snap count can be reduced. There's no harm in letting guys enter a critical offseason healthy and ready to roll while giving younger depth players a chance to prove they belong.

2. What's the deal with David Montgomery's usage?

Montgomery is in the final year of his rookie contract with the Bears, and I have a hard time finding reasons why Chicago will re-sign him. They don't use him like an irreplaceable piece of the offense. In fact, it's quite the contrary.

Montgomery played 68% of the offense's snaps against the Jets. It's a workload that makes sense with Khalil Herbert as the No. 2, but the fact Chicago gave practice squad call-up Darrynton Evans 32% of the offensive reps is, in a word, shocking.

Montgomery played well in the loss. He ran for 79 yards on 14 carries. He broke tackles and routinely found positive gains. Yet, he was off the field for nearly 1/3 of Chicago's offensive plays.

That tells me that Montgomery is a replaceable piece. I understand that offensive coordinator Luke Getsy prefers a committee approach like the Green Bay Packers use with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, but Evans isn't Dillon. He isn't Herbert. He's 'just a guy,' and if the Bears think their committee approach with 'just a guy' filling in for Montgomery is a better strategy than Montgomery being the bell cow, then there's almost no chance they'll pay Montgomery the $7 million - $8 million per season he's likely to demand.

Let me be clear: I think it's foolish to take Montgomery off the field right now. He's one of the top two or three offensive players on the Bears' roster. Montgomery hasn't been used to his fullest potential since he joined the Bears as a third-round pick in 2019, and I think he'll find more success with another team in 2023.

3. Has Chase Claypool arrived?

Two catches, 51 yards. Those aren't crazy numbers, but boy, were they satisfying for Bears fans waiting for Claypool to announce his arrival in the offense.

Claypool flashed his incredible potential on this long reception in the first quarter. He was blanketed by Jets star CB Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner but used his big body to secure a catch that most receivers in the league are incapable of making:

It would've been sweeter if that catch was on the other end of a Justin Fields pass, but beggars can't be choosers.

Claypool will enter the 2023 offseason with an incredible amount of pressure. The Bears' second-round pick, which they traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire him, is trending to be the 33rd overall selection (the 2023 draft will have 31 first-round picks). That's essentially a first-round value; Claypool needs to keep generating excitement to hold off Bears fans during the NFL Draft season.

4. Losing is better than winning for the Bears right now

I get the argument that winning games, even in a lost season, breeds a winning culture. And that losing games -- or finding the positives in losses -- is a loser's mentality. But it isn't an argument I subscribe to, especially not with this Bears team.

If Chicago has proven anything through 12 games and nine losses, they're a tough team that doesn't quit. Coach Matt Eberflus has his players playing hard for four quarters. They're simply overmatched from a talent standpoint.

And what's the best way to close the gap in talent deficiency? The NFL Draft. So, yeah, losing is winning right now.

The Bears moved into the second overall pick by losing to the Jets. That feels pretty good, right? It makes for an exciting offseason, especially considering the amount of money Chicago has to spend in free agency.

One argument against losing is that prospective free agents may be dissuaded from coming to Chicago because of the perpetual losing seasons. But that won't be the case in 2023. The power of Fields, the lure to play with one of the game's most exciting young playmakers, will make the Bears an attractive destination for players who know Chicago is a team on the rise. It won't matter how many losses they have in 2022; game recognizes game. And the Bears will have no trouble signing big-ticket free agents.

But losses do matter for the NFL Draft. The Bears have the second pick right now, but that will likely change once they get through their bye week. They have more losses than the other three-win teams because most of those clubs already had their bye. There's likely to be a shuffling in the top-five picks, which makes losing even more important to hold onto a top selection.

You may not like it. You may think it's ridiculous to want to lose. But that's where we're at with this team right now. The Bears need blue-chip talent, and if they keep losing this season, they'll position themselves to add it in the 2023 NFL Draft.