In their Week 1 loss to the rival Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears remained within striking distance for most of the game. A field goal ended the first half to give the Packers a 10-6 lead, hardly an insurmountable deficit.

So what happened in the second half that caused the game to slip away, with the Packers ultimately winning by a final score of 38-20? Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has a theory.

“Energy comes from execution at the end of the day, and when you're getting your a** whooped, there ain't no energy.” That was Johnson's summation delivered Thursday, per NBC Chicago's Josh Schrock.

Johnson went on: “If you see people with energy on the sidelines when they getting they a** whooped, something's wrong. We got to execute to be able to drive that energy.”

The Bears were still within two scores heading into the game's fourth quarter, after QB Justin Fields found WR Darnell Mooney for a 20-yard touchdown pass-and-catch. That brought the score to 24-14.

But Green Bay quickly took back control of the game. QB Jordan Love and the Packers got the ball back and travelled 61 yards in just five plays. The drive culminated in a TD pass to WR Romeo Doubs. That made the score 31-14, and Green Bay didn't look back.

It was a demoralizing loss for a Bears team that expects significant improvements from last season. The team finished 2022 with a pitiful 3-14 mark, and set out in the offseason to upgrade the roster around Fields.

The results so far are not encouraging. Sunday's loss marked Chicago's 11th straight defeat, including 10 in a row vs. NFC North rivals.

Week 2 features an away game against the surprisingly 1-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Two weeks into a season is too early to panic in today's NFL. But if the Bears turn in another uninspiring performance, there will be major questions about the direction of the team.

Johnson and the defense will hope for better execution, better energy, and better results this week. Otherwise, they risk an 0-2 hole they could struggle to climb out of.