Grading the Chicago Bears positional groups after Week 1 victory over the Lions
Some may call it lucky, but a win is a win. The Chicago Bears dodged a bullet in Week 1 and ended up leaving the Motor City with a 27-23 win over the division rival Detroit Lions. After being down 23-6 in the fourth quarter, the Bears (1-0) found a way to pull things together and scored 21 unanswered points to come away with an important divisional win to start off their 2020 campaign.
Chicago kept it close for most of the first half, but things started to unravel right before halftime. Although the Bears did make the comeback, the Lions still had a chance to win the game on their final drive. If it wasn’t for a dropped pass in the end zone by the Lions, we’ll be talking about a totally different story right now.
The Bears were outgained in total yardage (426 to 363) and had a third-down efficiency of only 18 percent. This shows that there is much room for improvement moving forward to Week 2, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Nevertheless, this win is a definite step in the right direction for Chicago and should be a huge confidence booster when getting ready for their next opponent, the New York Giants.
With all of that being said, let’s take a look at the Bears’ Week 1 report card to see where they shined, and what they need to polish up.
Grading the Chicago Bears Quarterback
As he’s done over the last couple of seasons, Mitchell Trubisky put up good numbers against the rival Lions. The four-year veteran ended the contest completing 20 of 36 passes for 242 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Trubisky’s best work came late in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter when he spearheaded the team’s come-from-behind victory. However, all wasn’t peaches and cream for the 26-year-old quarterback.
Trubisky did look off in the first half and in part of the third quarter. Many throws were off target, preventing the offense from extending drives and putting points on the board. The North Carolina product also dodged a bullet when Detroit’s defense dropped an interception in the second quarter.
Grade: C+
How did the Chicago Bears running backs do?
When given the opportunity, Chicago’s running game was able to move the ball on the ground. The Bears’ backfield did most of their damage in the first half. Despite coming into the game listed as questionable with a groin injury, David Montgomery led the charge with 64 yards on 13 carries.
Tarik Cohen added 41 yards with his seven carries on the afternoon and Cordarrelle Patterson even got in the mix, carrying the ball four times for 19 yards. The trio combined for 124 rushing yards, with an average of 5.2 yards per carry.
Grade: B
Who helped improve the Chicago Bears receivers and tight ends grade?
The team’s best receiver, Allen Robinson II, picked up where he left off in 2019. Robinson hauled in five of the nine balls thrown his way for 74 yards, but it was Anthony Miller who led the team in receiving. Miller caught four passes for 76 yards, which included the game-clinching touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Javon Wims had only one reception on the afternoon, but it was a crucial one-yard touchdown grab that kept the momentum going for Chicago. And rookie Darnell Mooney chimed in with three grabs for 38 yards, giving fans a glimpse of what he can contribute this season.
Just like last season, Chicago’s tight ends weren’t a major factor, but newcomer Jimmy Graham did come through with a one-yard touchdown grab early in the fourth quarter that helped spark the Bears’ comeback.
Grade: B
Did the Chicago Bears offensive line come to play?
When the running game was being utilized, the offensive front looked better than it did in 2019 when opening holes. The offensive line was the reason why the Bears rushed for 149 yards as a team, a vast improvement from the 91.1 rushing yards per game they averaged last season.
However, there was the fourth-and-one on Chicago’s first drive of the game where they couldn’t generate enough push on the line of scrimmage to convert a first down. As for pass protection, they surrendered only one sack on the afternoon but did allow Trubisky to be pressured in the pocket at times.
On that allowed sack in the fourth quarter, Charles Leno Jr. made a heads-up play by recovering Trubisky’s fumble which gave the Bears a chance to punt rather than Detroit recovering the ball and giving them good field position.
Grade: B
Did the Chicago Bears defensive line live up to expectations?
The Lions’ offensive front seemed to have their way against the Bears’ defensive line when it came to the running game. Lions running back Adrian Peterson gained 93 yards on 14 carries, which is an average of 6.6 yards per carry.
However, the defensive front came alive when it mattered most. During the Bears’ comeback, Akiem Hicks registered a critical sack that pushed Detroit’s offense back, which resulted in a missed 55-yard field goal attempt by Lions kicker Matt Prater. For the game, Hicks totaled four tackles, while Roy Robertson-Harris and John Jenkins each had two tackles.
Grade: B
Grading the Chicago Bears linebackers
Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith led the team with seven tackles each. Fans didn’t get to see just how potent the Bears’ pass rush can be since Robert Quinn was sidelined with an ankle injury.
Khalil Mack didn’t fill up the stat sheet with sacks, but did record four tackles and did make his presence felt in Detroit’s backfield. Barkevious Mingo was a solid fill-in for Quinn, registering four tackles, as James Vaughters had two tackles, with one going for a loss.
Grade: B
Chicago Bears defensive backs came to play
Sure, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for nearly 300 yards against Chicago on Sunday afternoon, but overall, the Bears’ secondary did a good job at keeping Detroit’s receivers in check. The bright spot in the defensive backfield was probably rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
The second-round draft pick was picked on quite a bit by the Lions’ passing game and was ran over in the second quarter during Detroit’s second scoring drive of the game. However, Johnson held his own by deflecting two crucial passes; one that resulted in a Kyle Fuller interception in the fourth quarter, and another that prevented a game-winning touchdown on the final play of the game.
Johnson also recorded six tackles. Along with Trevathan and Smith, Tashaun Gipson Sr. tied for a game-high seven tackles, while fellow safety Eddie Jackson tallied six tackles of his own.
Grade: B
We even have a grade for the Chicago Bears special teams unit
With Eddy Pineiro on injured reserve, Cairo Santos did exactly what he was supposed to do when called upon. Santos connected on both of his field-goal attempts on the afternoon, as well as on all three of his extra points during the Bears’ fourth-quarter comeback.
Pat O’Donnell landed two of his five punts inside the 20-yard line and averaged 42.6 yards per punt. In the return game, Patterson made a huge impact, averaging 36.7 yards per return on kickoffs, including a 45-yard return to the Bears’ 41-yard line which kick-started Chicago’s fourth-quarter comeback.
Grade: A
How did Matt Nagy and the coaches do on Sunday?
After just one game, it’s hard to see if there has been any major improvement from Matt Nagy and his decision making. We did see a bigger commitment to the ground attack early in the game, which was a welcomed sight to many fans.
However, there was one thing that kept fans scratching their heads. On the first offensive drive of the game, Chicago was faced with a fourth-and-seven, and Nagy opted to go for it instead of attempting a 52-yard field goal. Other than that, the coaching as a whole was good enough to put the team in a position to pull out this dramatic Week 1 victory.
Grade: B