Stock up, Stock down after Bears-Rams review |
CHICAGO—After getting their second win of the season against the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday, there is some renewed hope, especially after the Bears offense was able to get things going on the ground.
Running back D’Andre Swift and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams finally connected with receiver DJ Moore in the end zone. Caleb Williams - Stock Up To me, Williams’ stock went up before the game even started. Before the game, he and Moore, as well as tight ends Cole Kmet and Marcedes Lewis, met with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to discuss the playcalling. For a rookie to take that initiative and have the confidence to do that speaks greatly to his character and his leadership on this Bears offense. That proved critical as the offense seemed to be operating better against Los Angeles than it had through the first three games. For the first time since the season opener, the offense did not have any turnovers. His stock is definitely up. Offensive Line - Stock Down While the run game certainly improved, the stock for the offensive line is still down. They gave up three sacks against the Rams, bringing the season total to 16 through the first four games. That is the third most out of any team in the league thus far. With Teven Jenkins injured and his availability for next week against the Carolina Panthers on Sun. Oct. 6 (Noon / FOX) in question, there is some concern about the line going into that game as Jenkins has been one of the best offensive linemen on the Bears so far this season with a Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 64.5 this season. D’Andre Swift - Stock Up Chicago fans finally saw why the Bears pay Swift $8 million annually. Against Los Angeles, he put up 93 rushing yards, including a 36-yard rushing touchdown. He also led the team in receiving with seven receptions for 72 yards. While Swift’s stock is up, the biggest question for him is whether he will maintain this productivity or go back to putting up the dismal numbers he had through the first few weeks. Luckily, Carolina has one of the worst defenses on the ground and in the air through the first few weeks, which should allow Swift to gain some momentum and have another strong campaign. Keenan Allen - Stock Down Keenan Allen’s stock being down is not really a reflection of Allen’s ability as much as his availability. The win against Los Angeles was the first time he could play for the Bears since the season opener against the Tennessee Titans. While he was targeted 11 times against Tennessee, he only was targeted three times against the Rams. He caught all three of those targets for 19 yards. He is clearly not the No. 1 receiver on the team and arguably, he is not the No. 2 receiver either after rookie Rome Odunze had a breakout performance against the Indianapolis Colts. His stock will surely go up as he develops more chemistry with Williams, but for now, his stock is down a little bit. Matt Eberflus - Stock Up As a defensive play-caller and head coach, his stock is up. After the first three games of the season, Eberflus once again found himself on the hot seat, and rumors swirled that he could get fired if things did not turn around. The Rams game proved that Eberflus and Chicago can fix the mistakes they were making early in the year. Defensively, he had a well-timed safety blitz that resulted in safety Jaquan Brisker’s first safety of the season. He also brought pressure on Matthew Stafford at the right time, such as at the end of the game, which resulted in Brisker’s game-sealing interception. His stock is definitely up after that Chicago victory.
