Grading the Bears in Week 10's loss to the Lions
By John Dietz
Quarterback: B-
Once again, Justin Fields proved how dangerous he can be with his legs, piling up a whopping 147 yards on 13 carries. He set the Bears record for longest TD run at 61 yards last week and bettered that effort with a 67-yarder against the Lions. His pick-6 in the third quarter, however, allowed the Lions to tie the game, and he was unable to lead a last-minute drive for a possible winning FG attempt. So the running? It's nice and flashy and all. But Fields still has a long way to go to reach his full potential.
Running backs: B+
The overall numbers weren't eye-popping for Khalil Herbert (10 rushes, 57 yards) and David Montgomery (9-37), but wow did they plow ahead for extra yards time and time again. Their determination was impressive.
Receivers: C
It was a huge day for Cole Kmet (4-74, 2 TDs) and a decent one for Darnell Mooney (4-57), but nobody was able to get open on the Bears' final drive. It's a recurring theme that needs to be fixed.
Offensive line: B
The O-line, which was missing an injured Teven Jenkins, did a decent job. Braxton Jones was hit with 2 holding penalties on Bears' first two drives, however. The first one negated a first down and made it second-and-14 from the Lions' 19. What looked to be a touchdown drive turned into a field goal.
Defensive line: D+
Dominique Robinson stepped up and led D-linemen with 6 tackles. Still, this group is having a very difficult time getting pressure on quarterbacks.
Linebackers: B
Lake Zurich product Jack Sanborn notched the first 2 sacks of his NFL career and finished with a game-high 12 tackles. Joe Thomas looked good early by swatting away 2 pass attempts, and Nicholas Morrow had 3 tackles for loss.
Secondary: D-
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown hauled in 10 passes for 119 yards, but it was Tom Kennedy's 44-yard fourth-quarter reception that really killed the Bears. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams dialed up a blitz as Detroit faced third-and-8 from their own 42, yet Lions QB Jared Goff faced almost no pressure and threw a perfect strike to Kennedy, who had gotten past CB Jaylon Johnson. Two plays later, Jamaal Williams scored on a 1-yard TD run to give Detroit a 31-30 lead.
Special teams: C
The normally reliable Cairo Santos missed an extra point and it ended up being the difference. He also had a kickoff sail out of bounds, which allowed Detroit to start at the 40-yard line. On the plus side, Khalil Herbert had a 50-yard kickoff return in first quarter and Dante Pettis returned 3 punts for 44 yards.
Coaching: D+
Luke Getsy calls a fantastic game for 57-58 minutes, then can't figure out how to make his offense clock in the two-minute drill. The Bears' offensive coordinator needs to take a hard look at why.