Bears vs. Colts: Studs and duds from Chicago's Week 3 loss

The Chicago Bears (1-2) were defeated by the Indianapolis Colts (1-2), 21-16, in Week 3, which marked their second consecutive loss.

It was another brutal showing from the offense, which did see some encouraging performances from rookies Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. But the run game remained nonexistent against the league's worst run defense and Williams committed three turnovers that proved to be the difference. The defense allowed a season-high 21 points, but that should've been enough as the Bears offense wasted countless opportunities to score.

We’re taking a look at the studs and duds from Chicago's loss vs. Indianapolis:

Stud: WR Rome Odunze

Rookie receiver Rome Odunze came alive in Sunday's loss to the Colts, where he had the best performance by a Bears wideout this season. Odunze had six receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown, which included a beautiful 47-yard reception from fellow rookie Caleb Williams, who had 363 passing yards on the day. Odunze's production was one of the lone bright spots on an otherwise unimpressive offense that failed to eclipse 20 points for the third consecutive game.

Dud: OC Shane Waldron

It's only been three games, but it's clear that offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is not the answer in Chicago. After a downright abysmal showing in Week 2, it was more of the same from Waldron in terms of poor play calling and failing to get the run game going. Waldron's biggest gaffe -- and there were several -- was the call on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line at the end of the second half. Instead of playing it safe with run up the middle -- with Roschon Johnson or even a sneak with Caleb Williams -- he got cute with a brutal option call that was DOA. Williams lined up in shotgun and tossed the ball to D'Andre Swift, who lost 12 yards on the play. It was the epitome of everything that's gone wrong -- Waldron just doesn't know how to call an effective offense.

Stud: TE Cole Kmet

Another standout performer who benefitted from Williams' big passing day was tight end Cole Kmet. Guess what happens when you get the ball to your second-leading receiver from a year ago? Good things. Kmet had 10 catches for 97 yards with one touchdown, where he proved to be the security blanket that a young quarterback like Williams can benefit from. Kmet's score came near the end of the game, which helped cut Chicago's deficit to one score to almost give them a chance to win at the end. Unfortunately, the defense couldn't get a stop at the end.

Dud: Bears offensive line

Shocker, right? For the third consecutive week, the entire Bears offensive line has landed on our duds list. While not as awful as last week, the offensive line once again has failed to protect quarterback Caleb Williams, who was sacked four times on the day. He's been sacked a total of 13 times through three games. Not to mention, the run game has been nonexistent through three games.

Stud: LB Tremaine Edmunds

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds had an impressive outing on defense, totaling five tackles, two pass breakups and one interception. That pick off quarterback Anthony Richardson came on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, where the second-year QB tossed an ill advised pass, after being pressured by linebacker Jack Sanborn, to an area of the end zone with several defenders and Edmunds was in the right place in the right time to come away with the pick. It marked Edmunds' 10th career interception.

Dud: RB D'Andre Swift

The run game as a whole struggled (more on that below), but Swift has not found success at all this season. Those struggles continued against the worst run defense in the NFL, where Swift totaled just 20 yards on 13 carries for an average of 1.5 yards per carry. When looking at this Bears running back group, Swift might be the fourth best running back on this team behind Roschon Johnson, Khalil Herbert and Travis Homer.

Stud: DE Montez Sweat

Defensive end Montez Sweat was one of the standout performers on defense, where he was once again a quarterback menace. Sweat totaled four tackles, including two tackles for loss, one QB hit and his first sack of the season. In fact, it should've been a strip sack of Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson -- which was recovered by defensive tackle Andrew Billings -- but the referees ruled that his forward progress was halted despite never blowing the play dead.

Dud: HC Matt Eberflus

Matt Eberflus is officially on the hot seat. In his third season, Eberflus has showed he hasn't learned anything as he continues to make the same mistakes that have plagued him during his first two seasons. Eberflus has proven to be a great defensive coordinator, but he continues to show that he doesn't have what it takes to be a head coach in this league. Eberflus continues to struggle with game management, including burning timeouts that aren't available when they're needed most at the end of the half or the end of games. He had a number of big mistakes in this game, including electing not to try the onside kick and wasting a timeout before the Colts scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Dud: Bears rushing attack

While Chicago found their passing game against the Colts, the run game continues to be a massive concern. The Colts came into the game as the worst run defense in the league, allowing an average 237.0 yards per game. But the Bears couldn't even crack 100 yards. Chicago totaled 63 rushing yards, averaging 2.3 yards per carry. As previously mentioned, Swift continues to struggle as the team's lead back, averaging just 1.5 yards per carry. Roschon Johnson (eight carries, 30 yards) was a partial bright spot, as he found more success than Swift, although it still wasn't impressive enough against the worst run defense in the NFL.

Dud: Bears run defense

Chicago did a good job of containing Joe Mixon and the Texans rushing attack in Week 2, but they struggled to stop Jonathan Taylor from taking over this game and ultimately halting any potential comeback. While the Bears took care of business against Anthony Richardson, they couldn't do the same against Taylor. Chicago allowed 150 rushing yards, which included Taylor rushing for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor was able to clinch the game for the Colts in the fourth quarter with some tough runs, including on the final drive.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Colts: Studs and duds from Chicago's Week 3 loss