Chicago Bears: Week 13 offensive and defensive MVPs
By Evan Bruner
Offensive MVP: David Montgomery
After a strong start to the season, Montgomery had struggled to get back on track once he returned from his injury in November. He wasn’t breaking as many tackles, and the Bears rushing attack wasn’t as potent. Any questions about Montgomery’s current health should be put to rest after his do-it-all performance against the Cardinals. He finished the game with 141 yards from scrimmage, a rushing touchdown, and was the lone bright spot from an offense that was otherwise frustrating.
The Bears receiving core is depleted as ever, and it’s forced the offense to rely on Montgomery heavily in both the pass and run game. Montgomery did his part on Sunday, but having one player account for over 40% of the team’s yards from scrimmage isn’t a recipe for success. Whether it’s Andy Dalton or Justin Fields at the helm next week, the Bears are going to need other pass-catchers to step up.
The “Andy Dalton gives the Bears the best chance to win” narrative was pretty short-lived. He barely beat the woeful Lions and was horrific against the Cardinals. Not only does Dalton not have the talent Fields does, but he also has proven to be just as mistake-prone. Veteran leadership doesn’t mean anything if you’re turning the ball over four times in a game.