Report Card: Bears position grades vs. Titans |
It was a crazy week for the Chicago Bears, and frankly a disappointing one. Another week, another loss. The Bears had their third leg of the gauntlet of their schedule and, unfortunately for the Bears, made it three straight losses.
Let’s give out our position grades for the Bears, who were defeated by Ryan Tannehill and the Titans in a 24-17 loss. Quarterbacks: C Nick Foles was not particularly sharp in this one, but the numbers were okay, and he broke his streak of games in which he threw an interception. Foles finished the day with 335 yards and two touchdowns, but he missed a few crucial third-down throws and couldn’t punch in any points until the 4th quarter. Even against a bad d-line, he was under frequent duress. Foles was particularly bad until the fourth, but the Bears fought back late to make the game look respectable. Brett Favre says he was surprised the Eagles didn't keep Nick Foles as their QB instead of Carson Wentz.
Running backs: D This is more on the offensive line, but David Montgomery tallied just 30 yards on 14 carries. Montgomery was solid for the Bears. Montgomery also caught three passes for 12 yards out of the backfield and left late with a concussion. Patterson only tallied three carries and four catches, nothing too impressive for this group. Ryan Nall had some action late, with four catches and a touchdown out of the backfield. Coach Nagy confirms that David Montgomery is in the NFL's concussion protocol, and Jason Spriggs has been activated off the COVID-19 list.
Wide Receivers: C+ This unit performed admirably enough to earn a C+. Allen Robinson had just a solid game with seven catches for 81 yards. Rookie Darnell Mooney caught five passes for 43 yards and ran some good routes. Anthony Miller continued to be involved with five catches for 59 yards but had a late fumble. This unit should have been solid, but they have room to grow. Most 15+ yard catches vs. single coverage:
Tight Ends: C- This unit, with an overfilled position room, had a quiet day on Sunday. Rookie Cole Kmet and Demetrius Harris both did not catch any passes. Jimmy Graham continued to be a big part of this offense, though, with six catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. Bears TE coach Clancy Barone on Jimmy Graham: "He has a lot more gas in the tank that I think a lot of people recognized."
Offensive Line: F The offensive line did a terrible job protecting against the Titans. The o-line gave up three sacks and could not generate a push in the run game. Some injuries mixed with a bad effort show this unit is the Bears’ weakest one. Defensive Line: C+ The D-line was okay on Sunday. The unit barely pressured Tannehill but came away with two sacks. The line was solid against Derrick Henry, though, so they earn a C+. Linebackers: B+ Khalil Mack was not great for the Bears, only tallying three tackles and breaking his games with a sack streak. Roquan Smith was great with 11 tackles and a sack. Danny Trevathan had six tackles. This unit was okay, again, not the problem. According to PFF, Roquan Smith is second in the NFL in total tackles.
Secondary: C+ The Titans had just one huge play, but it was well defended. Eddie Jackson was heavily involved, but this group did nothing special. Jaylon Johnson was active and nearly had a pick. They desperately needed this group to come away with a takeaway, and they struggled to do that. Special Teams: B Cairo Santos was 1-1 on field goals and made two extra points, nothing spectacular. The return game was solid but not great — so this unit gets a C. Playcalling: D There are absolutely issues with the play calling, which has been obvious for the last four or five weeks. The Bears don’t use the tight ends enough, Cordarelle Patterson is not a running back, Nick Foles has no time, and the list goes on and on and on. This team needs to correct the play calling, and maybe that means have Nagy give up play-calling duties, although he doesn’t seem in a hurry to do so. He mentioned taking a look at that possibility, but I will believe it when I see it. Dan Orlovsky gives his thoughts and concerns on #Bears HC Matt Nagy...What do you think, Chicago? ?? pic.twitter.com/uQlk4vaWno
Nonetheless, this team is 5-4 and looking to make it 6-4 and snap their losing streak on Monday Night against the Vikings.
"I actually thought they should have kept Nick Foles." pic.twitter.com/JuOIvDtmX3
1. D.K. Metcalf - 12
2. Allen Robinson II - 11
T-3. Calvin Ridley/ Stefon Diggs - 10 pic.twitter.com/yhLUFy1vWh
He is also tied for first in pass breakups with four on the year.
Smith is playing some of his best football in just his third season in the league. pic.twitter.com/0SVRCA3z5B
