Report Card: Bears Position Grades after loss to 49ers |
There was some good and some bad on Sunday as the Bears lost their third straight, falling to San Francisco. The Bears are now 3-5 after losing to the 49ers 33-22 at home.
So let’s take a look and give out some grades based on the performances by position after the loss against the 49ers. Quarterback C+ Justin Fields got his sixth career NFL start on Sunday and he had his share of struggles, but also made some eye opening plays. The rookie threw one interception and a touchdown on a nice pass to Jesse James. He also had his best rushing game as a pro, tallying over 100 yards and a nice 22 yard scramble for a score. The QB also took four sacks. Definitely some room to grow for Justin Fields. Running backs B- With David Montgomery out and Damien Williams easing his way back from COVID-19, it was Khalil Herbert who carried the workload on Sunday. Herbert racked up 23 carries for 72 yards and caught two passes. Williams had just two touches and accounted for less than ten yards. Ryan Hall also had a carry. The Bears certainly need to keep them involved as much as possible. Wide Receivers D While it should not be blamed on them, the wide receivers were fairly nonexistent on Sunday. Allen Robinson had three catches for 21 yards, and that wasn’t the best the Bears had to offer. Second year wideout Darnell Mooney caught six passes for 64 yards. Marquise Goodwin also had two catches for 32 yards. Need more from the wide outs. Tight Ends B This unit certainly has talent, with Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham handling the tight end duties for this squad, but they’ve been quiet this year. This unit was better on Sunday though, with Kmet catching three passes for 24 yards. Graham was not targeted, but Jesse James caught three passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. I’d like to see more out of this unit as the year progresses. Offensive Line F+ The offensive line was bad, allowing four sacks of quarterback Justin Fields but creating holes in the running game all day long. It could partially be blamed on coaching, but the Bears were out of sorts on the offensive line all game long. Defensive Line F The defensive line was bad, being unable to pressure Jimmy Garopolo or stop the run, allowing well over 100 yards on the ground. Linebackers C Any unit that boasts Khalil Mack deserves some props, but Mack went down with an injury last Sunday and was. For the second time all year this unit did not generate a sack, but Roquan Smith had five tackles. This unit is very good but did not look like it on Sunday. Secondary F This unit was not very good on Sunday. The Bears needed this unit to make a play to change the game and they were not able to deliver. Instead Jaylon Johnson, Eddie Jackson and the secondary allowed big play after big play for the 49ers offense, including an 82 yard screen on 3rd and 20+. This unit must be better. Special Teams A Kicker Cairo Santos delivered three made field goals and a pat. The Punt unit was active, punting the ball twice times, and Jakeem Grant was solid in the return game. Playcalling C The play calling was fine without Matt Nagy on Sunday, as I think the offense was able to use Justin Fields better than he had been used. However, the Bears defense and offensive line were not good at all on Sunday, which makes any game hard to win. Nonetheless, week eight is in the books and the Bears are 3-5. They continue a very tough part of the schedule which includes the Steelers on Monday Night this week.
