Stock up, Stock down after Bears loss to Vikings |
CHICAGO—The stock in the Chicago Bears is quite low overall. After losing 30-12 to the Minnesota Vikings this past Monday, Chicago has now lost eight straight games. This loss also marked their second straight loss by at least three possessions.
Thomas Brown - Stock Down He has two games under his belt as a head coach, which has been awful. The offense has been painful to watch, particularly in the first half as the Bears have not scored any points in the first half since Brown became the interim head coach. Defensively, Chicago has been struggling, especially against the run. His decision to go for it on fourth and one on the game's opening drive when the Bears were deep in their own territory resembled Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions. However, Brown is not Campbell, and the Bears are not nearly at the level of the Lions. That aggressiveness did not make sense, especially at that point in the game. Hopefully, it will serve as a learning point for Brown in the season's final three games. Tyrique Stevenson - Stock Down Personally, I have some aggression toward cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. His end zone antics against the Washington Commanders started this losing streak in the first place. He said he learned his lesson. However, Monday against the Vikings showed that he had not learned his lesson. Minnesota elected to go for it on fourth and three from the Chicago 23-yard line. The Bears were able to put some pressure on quarterback Sam Darnold. So, he was trying to make something happen when he heaved the ball toward the direction of elite receiver Justin Jefferson, and Stevenson intercepted the pass. After the interception, with the Bears already down 10–0, Stevenson proceeded to troll the Vikings fans by mocking their “SKOL” chant. Typically, interceptions are a good thing. But on this play, he cost the Bears seven yards of field position in a game where Chicago’s offense needed all the help they could get. Getting the interception was not for the team's benefit but rather for the benefit of his numbers. That was a selfish play, and it was not someone apparently who had learned from the Hail Mary debacle. Caleb Williams - Stock Up The numbers against Minnesota were quite poor this time, with a 58.1 percent completion percentage, 191 passing yards, one touchdown, and a lost fumble. However, the fumble was not his fault, as rookie Kiran Amegadjie struggled all night, including on that play. The protection is not great, and the running back is not doing Williams any favors. What Williams is not doing is trying to force plays, which rookie quarterbacks often do. Williams has avoided the big mistakes, as he has not thrown an interception since week six against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He certainly has the talent to be the quarterback of the future for the Bears, but he needs a good offensive line and the right coaching staff around him. Keenan Allen - Stock Up It took some time for Allen to find his place in the Chicago offense. However, his chemistry with Williams has grown, as Allen has four touchdowns in the last four games. He was targeted 28 times in the Bears’ two games against Minnesota and has at least 70 receiving yards in three of the previous four games. Allen is finally starting to make an impact on this offense, which may be important given that he will be a free agent after this season. D’Andre Swift - Stock Down I never agreed with this signing. Through the first 14 games of this season, I'm afraid I still have to disagree with this signing. Swift finished Monday’s game against the Vikings with 79 rushing yards and an average of 4.2 yards per carry. That is a decent game, but a respectable performance like that is rare from Swift. He is not cut out to be Chicago’s starting running back; the Bears may want to consider trading him away in the offseason.
