Position Grades after Bears loss to Vikings |
There was some good and bad on Sunday as the Bears have lost their season finale to Minnesota. The Bears were eliminated from playoff contention and finished the season at 6-11 after losing to the Vikings 31-17.
So let’s take a look and give out some grades based on the performances by position: Quarterback C Justin Fields was out so it was Andy Dalton who played QB for the Bears on Sunday. The veteran was 33-of-48 for 325 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing two interceptions. Dalton also gained seven yards on the ground. It was a good effort from Dalton but he was under constant pressure all-game long, forcing some bad throws and turnovers. That might be it for Dalton’s Bears career, but he will certainly have more NFL work. Running backs B David Montgomery finished the day with 20 carries for 72 yards and two catches for 7 yards. Khalil Herbert was solid, he spelled Montgomery with four carries for 11 yards. Damien Williams also was targeted and caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown. However, it was the Bears lack of use of the running game on crucial fourth downs that hurt their chances. Wide Receivers A- The passing game was active. Allen Robinson was back finally and put up two catches for 22 yards in what could be his final game in a Bears uniform. Marquise Goodwin caught two passes for 13 yards. Second year wideout Darnell Mooney caught 12 passes for 126 yards. Damiere Byrd caught five passed for 47 yards and Dazz Newsome caught a pass for 13 yards. The Bears certainly have some playmakers in the wide receiver room. Tight Ends B+ This unit certainly has talent. Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham handled the tight end duties for this squad, and Kmet caught four passes for 48 yards. Graham was targeted a handful of times, and caught two passes for 16 yards. Offensive Line F The offensive line was terrible, allowing seven sacks of quarterback Andy Dalton. This unit was frequently penalized and let the Bears down. Defensive Line B The defensive line was okay. They were solid in the run game and were able to get to quarterback Kirk Cousins. Bilal Nichols, Trevis Gipson and Mario Edwards Jr. all had half-sacks and Angelo Blackson had a sack as well. Linebackers A Any unit that boasts Khalil Mack deserves some props, but Mack has been out for a while. Roquan Smith had six tackles but did not do anything special. The rest of the unit was involved — with Robert Quinn having a half-sack to extend the Bears single-season sack record. Secondary D This unit was not good on Sunday. Eddie Jackson was back and made five tackles. Jaylon Johnson was back too. But it did not help the cause for the secondary — who allowed three second half touchdown through the air — and plays of more than 40-yards. Special Teams B Kicker Cairo Santos made three field goals. The Punt unit was not active, punting the ball once and once inside the 20. The return game was good as well with Khalil Herbert and Dazz Newsome handling the duties. Playcalling F The play calling was awful despite it being Matt Nagy’s final game. The fourth-down play calls were terrible from the Bears, and it led to the Bears squandering numerous good opportunities in Minnesota territory and losing the game. Nonetheless, week 18 is in the books, and the Bears finished the season 6-11. Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace are out, and a new era of Bears football is upon us.
