Position Grades after Bears win over Seahawks |
There was some good and bad on Sunday as the Bears have now gotten back in the win column. Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, the Bears are now 5-10 after beating the Seahawks 25-24 in Seattle.
So let's take a look and give out some grades based on the performances by position after the win at Seattle. Quarterback B Justin Fields and Andy Dalton were out, so Nick Foles played QB for the Bears on Sunday. The veteran was 24-of-35 for 250 yards and a touchdown while also throwing the game-winning two-point conversion in the game's closing minute. A good effort from Foles helped the Bears to a win. Running backs B+ David Montgomery was the best Bears offensive weapon on Sunday. He finished the day with 21 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown, plus he had seven catches for 61 yards. Khalil Herbert was solid, and he spelled Montgomery with two carries for 21 yards, a touchdown, and a catch for seven yards. Damien Williams also had a catch. The Bears certainly need to keep them involved as much as possible. Wide Receivers B+ The passing game was active. Allen Robinson was out once again, as well as Jakeem Grant Sr. Marquise Goodwin returned and made two catches for 23 yards. Second-year wideout Darnell Mooney caught five passes for 57 yards. Damiere Byrd caught one pass for 11 yards, and Dazz Newsome also caught a pass for ten yards. Byrd also hauled in the game-clinching two-point conversion. This unit made some plays on Sunday. Tight Ends B- This unit certainly has talent but needs to show it better. Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham handled the tight end duties for this squad, and Kmet caught four passes for 49 yards. Graham was targeted a handful of times and caught two passes for 30 yards and the game-winning touchdown. I'd like to see more of this as the year progresses. Offensive Line D+ The offensive line was iffy, allowing four sacks of quarterback Nice Foles but also struggling to create holes in the running game all day long. This unit was frequently penalized, but they were overall okay on Sunday. Defensive Line C+ The defensive line was okay. They struggled against Rashad Penny in the run game, but Bilal Nichols and Trevis Gipson combined for a sack in Akeim Hicks' absence. Linebackers B+ Any unit that boasts Khalil Mack deserves some props, but Mack is out the rest of the year. Roquan Smith had nine tackles but did not do anything special. The rest of the unit was involved — with Robert Quinn having a sack. Need this unit to continue to step up. Secondary B This unit was good on Sunday. Eddie Jackson was back and made six tackles. Jaylon Johnson was out, so Deon Bush, Kindle Vildor, and Thomas Graham stepped up in the secondary. Despite a first-drive touchdown, Graham did an excellent job against DK Metcalf. Just a few blown coverages for the unit. Special Teams B Kicker Cairo Santos made a field goal and had three extra points. The Punt unit was active, punting the ball three times. The return game was good as well. Playcalling C The play calling was better despite the snowy weather. David Montgomery got his touches, and the Bears were aggressive, especially in the 4th quarter. However, it might be two little two late for the Bears to turn things around offensively, especially without Fields at QB. Nonetheless, week 16 is in the books, and the Bears are 5-10. They continue the season next week against the New York Giants.
