The Chicago Bears were embarrassed 38-3 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the most lopsided loss in the Matt Nagy era.
The Bears were overmatched from the jump
Many fans were hopeful the Bears could keep the game competitive for the first half or so, but even those low expectations turned out to be too much. The Buccaneers led 35-3 by halftime, and the final score could have been much worse if Tampa Bay didn’t play their backups.
Turnovers proved to be costly
The Chicago Bears came into the game with very little room for error, given their talent disadvantage. The offense needed to play their most complete and sound football of the season; instead, it was the exact opposite. The mistake-riddled offense turned the ball over five times, with all five of them coming from rookie quarterback Justin Fields.
Picking MVPs from games that were so one-sided is pretty tough, but it’s something I’ve become pretty familiar with this year.
The Chicago Bears Week 7 MVPs
Offensive and rookie MVP: Khalil Herbert
Khalil Herbert has continued to shine on the Bears offense, with the first 100-yard rushing game of his career on Sunday. Ever since David Montgomery left the game against the Lions with an injury, Herbert has been showing the Bears that he is more than capable of being the featured back.
Herbert ran well against a stout defense
Putting together strong rushing efforts against marginal defenses is one thing, but rushing for over 5.6 yards per carry on 18 attempts against a run defense as strong as Tampa Bay’s is truly impressive if Herbert can develop more as a route runner and a pass-catcher he has the makings of a franchise back.
Defensive MVP: Roquan Smith
The Bears‘ defense wasn’t as bad as the box score would suggest. The team gave up a lot of points, but they were constantly placed in tough positions due to turnovers. The most notable defensive player that made a positive impact was linebacker Roquan Smith.
Smith is always a candidate for the award given his consistent play and versatility, and that trend continued on Sunday. Smith finished with 13 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass deflection. As always, Smith was all over the field. Making plays behind the line of scrimmage, the run game, and in coverage. Roquan Smith is one of the best linebackers in the league, and Sunday was another reminder of that.
Special Teams MVP: Pat O’Donnell
Pat O’Donnell gets this award by default since there weren’t many other players who had opportunities on special teams. Jakeem Grant had two kick returns for 13 yards, and Cairo Santos had one short field goal. As a result, the only player who could qualify would be the punter. Pat O’Donnell had 40 punts for 160 yards, with a long of 50, and one downed inside the 20.