Report Card: Bears Position Grades after loss to Bucs |
It was a rocky showing on Sunday as the Bears fell below .500, getting blown out by Tampa Bay. The Bears are now 3-4 after losing to the Buccaneers 38-3 on the road.
So let’s take a look and give out some grades based on the performances by position after the loss against the Bucs. Quarterback D Justin Fields got his fifth career NFL start on Sunday, and he had his share of struggles. While it can be partially blamed on the poor offensive line, Fields had his worst game as a pro. The rookie threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles while only accounting for 184 yards through the air and 38 on the ground. The QB also took four sacks—definitely some room to grow for Justin Fields. Running backs A With David Montgomery out and Damien Williams easing his way back from COVID-19, Khalil Herbert carried the workload on Sunday. Herbert racked up 18 carries for 100 yards and caught five passes for 33 yards. Williams had just four touches and accounted for less than ten yards. Ryan Hall also caught a pass. The Bears certainly need to keep them involved as much as possible. Wide Receivers D While it should not be blamed on them, the wide receivers were fairly nonexistent on Sunday. Allen Robinson had two catches for 16 yards, which wasn’t the best the Bears had to offer. Second-year wideout Darnell Mooney caught two passes for 39 yards. Marquise Goodwin also had two catches for 16 yards, and Damiere Byrd had one catch for 10 yards. They need more from the wideouts. Tight Ends C This unit certainly has talent, with Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham handling the tight end duties for this squad, but they’ve been quiet this year. This unit was better on Sunday, though, with Kmet catching five passes for 43 yards. Graham was not targeted, but Jesse James caught three passes for 20 yards, and Jesper Horsted was targeted. I’d like to see more out of this unit as the year progresses. Offensive Line F+ The offensive line was bad, allowing four sacks of quarterback Justin Fields but creating holes in the running game all day long. It could partially be blamed on coaching, but the Bears were out of sorts on the offensive line all game long. Defensive Line F The defensive line was bad, unable to pressure Tom Brady or stop the run, allowing well over 100 yards on the ground. Linebackers C Any unit that boasts Khalil Mack deserves some props, but Mack went down with an injury on Sunday. This unit did not generate a sack for the first time all year, but Roquan Smith had 13 tackles. This unit is very good but did not look like it on Sunday. Secondary F This unit was not very good on Sunday. The Bears needed this unit to make a play to change the game, and they could not deliver. Instead, Jaylon Johnson, Eddie Jackson, and the secondary allowed big play after big play for the Bucs offense. This unit must be better. Special Teams C Kicker Cairo Santos delivered a made field goal. The Punt unit was active, punting the ball four times, one inside the twenty. Playcalling F The play calling was back to terrible on Sunday. Whether it was personal decisions or making the call off the play sheet, the Bears were unprepared for the Buccaneers on Sunday — maybe this game could lead to a coaching change. Nonetheless, week seven is in the books, and the Bears are 3-4. They continue a very tough part of the schedule which includes the 49ers this week.
