Grading the Bears in Sunday's loss to the Eagles
By John Dietz
Quarterback: B-
It was a tough day to grade Justin Fields, who ran for 95 yards and threw for 152. Fields lost WR Equanimeous St. Brown on the fifth play from scrimmage and was attempting to guide a group that was often out of sync. There were definitely times he missed open receivers and he also held onto the ball too long, allowing the Eagles' talented defensive linemen to collapse the pocket. In the big picture, though, he did a commendable job keeping the Bears in the game.
Running backs: C+
David Montgomery managed 53 yards on 12 carries, grabbed 3 passes for 38 yards and found the end zone twice. He seemed to make the most of what was there - which wasn't a whole lot.
Receivers: F
Other than Byron Pringle's 35-yard TD reception on a broken play, the pass-catchers did next to nothing. Cole Kmet (4 catches, 25 yards) chalked it up to poor preparation and execution. "We had a lot of mental errors, honestly as players," Kmet said. "So we've got to be better about that."
Offensive line: D
Teven Jenkins' injury was a big blow to the line. The big guys struggled to open running lanes and saw Justin Fields get sacked 6 times, 5 in the first half.
Defensive line: C
What an impressive game from Mike Pennel Jr. The ninth-year veteran forced a fumble early in the third quarter, then stuffed RB Miles Sanders on the first play of the Eagles' next possession. The rest of the group continues to struggle mightily, however.
Linebackers: C-
While Jack Sanborn (5 tackles), Nicholas Morrow (11 tackles) and Joe Thomas (6 tackles, 1 sack) had their moments, the Eagles hit the Bears across the middle on numerous slants and crossing patterns. Too often this group wasn't there in time to stop key plays.
Secondary: C
It was a strange game for the defensive backs. Jaylon Johnson (3 passes defended), Deandre Houston-Carson (1 INT) and Kyler Gordon (1 INT) often did a fantastic job locking down the Eagles' dangerous receivers. Too often, however, A.J. Brown (9 catches, 181 yards) and DeVonta Smith (5-126) found openings and picked up massive gains. One has to think that if the Bears could apply more consistent pressure with the D-line, numbers like that would never happen. This group is growing and on the right track.
Special teams: D-
Cairo Santos missed his fifth extra point of the season and the Bears allowed a 58-yard kickoff return to start the second half. About the only bright spot was a 20-yard punt return by Dante Pettis.
Coaching: B-
Believe it or not, I thought the coaching staff did a pretty good job Sunday. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams brought some timely pressure in attempt to keep the Eagles off balance. It didn't always work, but Philly - which averaged 41.0 points in its last three games - scored just 25 points. The offense struggled at times, but much of that had to do with injuries to Equanimeous St. Brown, Teven Jenkins and Chase Claypool.