Bears Positional Grades after loss to Vikings |
There was some good and bad on Sunday afternoon as the Bears lost their third game of the season. The Bears are now 2-3 after losing to the Vikings 29-22 in Minnesota.
So let’s take a look and give out some grades based on the performances by position after the loss to the Vikings: Quarterback B+ Justin Fields may have turned in the best game of his young career, definitely the season yesterday. Fields was accurate, completing 15-of-21 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Fields ran eight times for 47 yards and made some nice throws down the stretch, including a near 50-yard touchdown run that was called back due to a penalty. Needless to say, though, Field’s growth was on display Sunday afternoon. Running backs C David Montgomery was back from injury but only was able to muster up 20 yards on the ground on 12 carries. Montgomery also caught four passes for 62 yards and found the end zone on a short run, so his outing was solid. Khalil Herbert had just 4 carries for 11 yards. The Bears will hope to keep the running game involved as the season continues. Wide Receivers C The passing game was fairly active and third-year wideout Darnell Mooney caught two passes for 52 yards, including a tremendous catch. Equanamius St. Brown caught two passes for 24-yards. Velus Jones Jr. caught his first career pass, and it went for a touchdown. And Ihmir Smith Marsette caught a pass for 15 yards but fumbled it away in crunch time. The Bears certainly have some playmakers they will look to get the ball to more. Tight Ends D This unit has talent with Cole Kmet, Ryan Griffin, and Trevon Wesco, but they have not been involved. Cole Kmet led the Bears with four catches for 45 yards, his third time showing up on the box score all season. Offensive Line D+ The offensive line was okay, allowing two sacks of quarterback Justin Fields, and allowing pressure on him all day. They need to do a better job of keeping Fields upright. They usually make up for it in the run game, but they struggled to open holes for Montgomery and Herbert. Defensive Line F The defensive line wasn’t great. Allowing over 100 yards rushing and not pressuring Kirk Cousins effectively, sacking him just once. The d-line has to do a better job at putting pressure on their opponents and stopping the run. Linebackers C+ Roquan Smith had just eight tackles and was everywhere for the Bears — but Robert Quinn was far too quiet. Need more out of this unit. Secondary C+ This unit was nothing special on Sunday. The Bears allowed a ton of yards to Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins, almost through for 300 yards — the only thing that kept this unit afloat was a Kindle Vindor interception. Special Teams C Kicker Cairo Santos was back and made three field goals which was great, and an extra point. Trenton Gill nailed none of his two punts inside the 20 — but Velus Jones Jr. did nothing special on his returns, either. Playcalling C The playcalling was improved in Matt Eberflus fifth career game with the Bears. The Bears seemed to trust Justin Fields more, and it was nice to see him perform. We’ll see how the Bears respond in week 6. Next on the schedule is the Washington Commanders on Thursday night.
