Stock up, Stock down after Bears loss to Packers |
Chicago’s game against the Green Bay Packers provided more positive takeaways than the previous three games. However, that seems to be overshadowed a little, given they lost on a blocked 46-yard field goal. The Bears have now lost to the Packers 11 times in a row, the longest streak in the history of these teams playing against each other.
Cairo Santos - Stock Down There is a lot of criticism being directed towards head coach Matt Eberflus for not getting closer to making the field goal easier for kicker Cairo Santos. While these criticisms are valid, the heat coming down on Eberflus is partially misdirected. This blocked field goal is also on Santos. In the league today, kickers are making 50-plus-yard field goals like they are from 30 or 35 yards. However, Santos is not one of those kickers. When he has to kick long field goals, his trajectory is low. This would not be a long field goal for many kickers, but it was for Santos. His lack of leg strength compared to other kickers in the league is concerning for Chicago going forward. The Bears will need a kicker with a more powerful leg going forward to prevent losses like this. Thomas Brown - Stock Up Personally, I was skeptical of how quickly the change in offensive coordinator would make a difference for the Bears and their offensive productivity. Brown calling the plays made an immediate difference. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams used his legs more as he ran for 70 yards. He evaded pressure, appeared more confident, and connected with his skilled wide receivers. Unlike former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, Brown made a purposeful effort to get the ball to wide receiver DJ Moore to help the offense get going. The Bears had a good mixture of running backs, D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson, which was also incredibly beneficial. This change of offensive coordinator was absolutely necessary and paid off immediately. Defensive Line - Stock Down Through the first ten games of the season, Chicago only has 25 sacks. That is incredibly concerning. Defensive lineman Gervon Dexter started the season hot with four sacks through the first five games; he has not recorded a sack since but still leads the Bears in sacks. Edge rusher Montez Sweat has 3.5 sacks but has failed to record a sack since Chicago’s hail mary loss to Sweat’s former team, the Washington Commanders. Stopping the run has continually been a problem. With the Bears set to play Aaron Jones (Minnesota Vikings), David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions), and Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers) in the next five games, it does not show any signs of getting better. Caleb Williams - Stock Up Despite the loss, this is the game Chicago fans were looking for from Williams. His 74.2 percent completion percentage against the Packers was his highest completion percentage since Chicago’s win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London back in October. It was also his highest number of pass attempts (31), with a completion percentage of over 70 percent so far this season. When the Bears needed plays, Williams made them on the ground with 70 rushing yards and through the air with 231 passing yards. The rushing yards were a season-high for him. He is more than capable of leading this team to victory and was incredibly close to getting his first game-winning drive of his career against Green Bay. Rome Odunze - Stock Up Chicago’s rookie receiver was quietly the leading receiver for the Bears through the first nine games. After their loss to the Packers, he remained the leading receiver but was a little less quiet. Odunze was crucial for the Bears getting into field goal range on the final drive with his 16-yard catch on third and 19 and his 21-yard catch on fourth and three. Williams appears to have developed some chemistry with Odunze as he led the team in targets in this game with ten targets. With Keenan Allen not secured for the future, it is important for the Bears in the long-term to see Odunze stepping up and proving why he was worthy of being drafted with the No. 9 overall pick.
