Grading the Bears: Week 2
By John Dietz
jdietz@dailyherald.com
Quarterback: CJustin Fields threw just 11 passes in Sunday's loss to the Packers in Green Bay, so it's not easy to grade his performance. His three biggest plays came while using his feet in the red zone. He scored on one rush, nearly scored on a second (his knee going down just before his right hand hit the pylon), and nearly scored again on a QB keeper on fourth-and-short in the fourth quarter. Bottom line: Fields' receivers need to get open for him to have any chance of success.
Running backs: BDavid Montgomery ran like a man possessed in the second half, amassing 89 yards on 10 carries. The effort nearly got the Bears back in the game and it's a good sign moving forward.
Wide receivers: D-OK, so we've determined that Equanimeous St. Brown is one heckuva blocking wideout. But the Bears need far more out of him, Darnell Mooney (1 catch, minus-4 yards) and TE Cole Kmet (no catches in two games!). Time for these guys to figure out how to get open.
Offensive line: CAfter a brutal first half, the O-line opened up some nice holes in the run game. But how much of that was because the Packers were sitting back expecting pass? This unit needs to be ready from the jump next week against Houston.
Defensive line: C+There were a few big plays (Trevis Gipson had 2 sacks and Robert Quinn 1), but Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon racked up 85 yards on 17 first-half carries. Much of that falls on the D-line.
Linebackers: DNicholas Morrow and Roquan Smith had 11 tackles each, yet very few of them helped build momentum. Jones and Dillon had far too much success at the second level of the Bears' D.
Secondary: CKyler Gordon had a somewhat rough night, but Aaron Rodgers only completed 13 passes to wide receivers. All in all, not a terrible day.
Special teams: BCairo Santos booted a 44-yard field goal and Trenton Gill had a 44.5 net average on 4 punts. One bad decision came when Ihmir Smith-Marsette took a kickoff out of the end zone late in the second quarter and only returned it to the 15-yard line.
Coaching: D+Credit Luke Getsy for calling a flea-flicker after a first-quarter timeout and then going hurry-up. The sequence led to a Justin Fields 3-yard TD run and gave the Bears a 7-3 lead. As for the decision to run Fields out of the shotgun on fourth-and-inches? We'll have to wait for an explanation on that one because that call left many of us stumped.