Offense: B
The Chicago Bears’ offense was a beacon of light in the first half of their game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, racking up yards both on the ground and through the air and generally having their way with a defense that didn’t seem to be up to the task of stopping them.
Unfortunately for Chicago, that free ride came to an end in the third quarter as they turned the ball over twice and lost the game. Jay Cutler’s first interception was not a good throw by the quarterback, ending up in the hands of Clay Matthews after being deflected on its way to Josh Morgan. The other interception came on a miscommunication with Brandon Marshall, as the receiver ran a post route on a play where he was supposed to run a comeback route.
Outside of those gaffes, the Bears’ offense was largely good, and therefore gets a higher grade than the other two phases. The run game was especially satisfying, and the Bears have to hope that kind of play continues.
Defense: D+
The Bears’ run defense was really good against the Packers Sunday, but their pass defense was entirely atrocious. Mel Tucker would frankly be better off burning the game film than letting his team watch it, lest the bad habits become increasingly ingrained in their brains as they prepare to face the Carolina Panthers next week.
Whether it was safeties slow to cover over the top, or corners losing one-on-one battles, or the anemic pass rush that enabled Aaron Rodgers to sling the ball all over the field, the Bears failed in just about every area imaginable on Sunday afternoon, and it cost them the game.
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Special Teams: B-
The third phase hasn’t exactly been a beacon of hope for the Bears so far this season, but they looked better at times. Their kick return game could still use some work, but Willie Young’s blocked field goal in the fourth quarter was definitely a sign that things are moving in the right direction.
Discipline still needs to be cleaned up with this group, however. Jon Bostic’s penalty for holding on a field goal attempt cost the Bears an extra four points, and Rashad Ross’s continued insistence on bringing the ball out of the end zone and getting tackled short of the 20-yard line has got to be eliminated from his repertoire.
