It was another big win for the Chicago Bears at Ford Field, as they took down the Detroit Lions 23-16 on Thursday afternoon.
The win is the Bears’ fifth straight, and it further extends their lead in the NFC North as they look to make the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade.
Without further adieu, here are today’s grades for the Bears’ victory:
Offense: B
Without Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears had to rely on Chase Daniel in a big way, and he delivered, throwing for 230 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
That part of the offense was largely solid, as Daniel showed some great touch on his throws through chunks of the game (although he did miss a couple of chances with Tarik Cohen and Anthony Miller), but the run game, on the other hand, was lackluster, rushing for just 38 yards in the contest.
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It seems pretty obvious at this point that establishing the run is not going to be the Bears’ M.O. in any of their remaining games, but the question will need to be asked moving forward about what, if any, role Jordan Howard really has on the team’s offense.
Defense: B
The Bears’ vaunted pass rush was largely held in check by the Lions’ strategy of quickly-executed throws by Matthew Stafford and hand-offs to LeGarrette Blount, but they finally found their way in the fourth quarter, with quick pressure forcing a pick-six from Stafford to Eddie Jackson and physical defending by Kyle Fuller leading to another interception in the end zone to seal the victory.
The big star of the game on defense was certainly Roquan Smith, as he registered 11 total tackles and had a sack for the Bears. His blitz up the B-gap in the fourth quarter led to Stafford unloading the ball right into Jackson’s hands, and it was just one of many plays made by the rookie linebacker.
Special Teams: A-
Pat O’Donnell put three punts inside of the 20-yard line during the game, and Cody Parkey made his field goal and two extra point attempts in the contest.
Parkey was a captain for Thursday’s game, and rightfully so, as he continued to show serious mettle after big-time struggles against the Lions less than two weeks ago. It was another great bit of redemption by him, and it was key for the Bears as they won again.
