The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Indianapolis Colts, 24-17, ending Matt Eberflus’ perfect preseason streak. It was a game that featured mainly reserves, as most starters were held out.
Pro Football Focus has handed out player grades for those who took a snap in Chicago’s loss against Indianapolis, and we broke them down by offense and defense, analyzing the three highest- and lowest-graded players on each side, as well as some other notable performers.
There were a few surprises — and then some not surprises — in terms of the highest- and lowest-graded players, both on offense and defense. Here’s a look:
Top 5 offense
- OT Larry Borom – 91.1
- QB Tyson Bagent – 86.38
- OT Kellen Diesch – 82.5
- WR Daurice Fountain – 76.1
- OT Robert Haskins – 73.5
Bagent was the star of this second preseason game in his one-plus series of action. That included leading a 17-play, 92-yard scoring drive, where he completed 7-of-8 passes for 61 yards. Bagent earned an impressive 81.4 passing mark and a 69.3 mark in rushing, which included his 2-yard rushing touchdown. Fountain had another strong showing, leading the Bears with five catches for 86 yards. That included an impressive 35-yard touchdown from Nathan Peterman. Fountain earned a 75.5 passing grade. There were three offensive tackles in the top five for Chicago, including Borom, Diesch and Haskins. Borom had an impressive 92.8 run blocking grade and 80.9 pass blocking grade. Diesch was also solid across the board in pass blocking (82.2) and run blocking (81.6). Haskins earned an impressive 80.3 pass blocking mark but wasn’t as good run blocking (69.0).
Bottom 5 offense
- WR Equanimeous St. Brown – 38.2
- QB P.J. Walker – 43.8
- WR Nsimba Webster – 51.9
- TE Lachlan Pitts – 52.2
- FB Robert Burns – 52.3
St. Brown had a rough outing against the Colts, where he had zero catches on his lone target. He was the lowest-graded offensive player for the Bears. St. Brown earned low marks in passing (41.3) and run blocking (59.1). Walker got the start in place of Justin Fields, who was held out of the game. Unfortunately, Walker had another brutal preseason outing. He completed 1-of-4 passes for 6 yards, and both drives he led ended in punts. Walker earned an ugly 44.4 passing mark. Burns had a solid outing with eight carries for 40 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. But he had a costly fumble at the end of the game that brought his stock down. While he had strong marks in passing (71.7) and pass protection (75.2), he was brought down by his run grade (45.3).
Top 5 defense
- DE Terrell Lewis – 91.5
- DE D’Anthony Jones – 79.1
- LB Jack Sanborn – 79.1
- DE Trevis Gipson – 78.4
- CB Kindle Vildor – 76.9
Lewis continues to make his case for a roster spot with another impressive preseason outing. He had a strip sack for the second consecutive game. Lewis led the defense with a 91.5 grade, including an impressive 91.5 pass rush mark, as well as solid tackling (71.2) and run defense (66.1) grades. Gipson, also fighting for a roster spot, had a solid performance. He had three tackles and one QB hit, earning strong marks in pass rush (76.5) and tackling (73.0). Jones had a standout performance with two tackles and one QB hit, earning 82.0 pass rush mark and 73.2 run grade. His one flaw was tackling, where he earned a lowly 38.6. Vildor, who’s fighting for a roster spot, had a solid day with strong marks in coverage (75.0), tackling (75.4) and run defense (73.3).
Bottom 5 defense
- S Adrian Colbert – 29.8
- LB Barrington Wade – 35.4
- CB Jaylon Jones – 39.3
- LB Mykal Walker – 40.2
- LB Davion Taylor – 45.1
The Bears had three linebackers who were among the lowest-graded defensive players. That included new additions Walker (40.2) and Taylor (45.1). Walker led the team with seven tackles and Taylor had five tackles. Walker had an impressive 77.8 tackling mark, but he was marked down in coverage (30.7). Taylor was marked down across board in tackling (27.6), run defense (50.6) and coverage (51.3). Then there’s Jones, who’s competing for a coveted cornerback spot on the roster. He had four tackles, earning a 78.2 tackling grade, but was marked down in coverage (33.9).
Other notables
- QB Nathan Peterman – 73.0
- RB Roschon Johnson – 67.4
- DT Zacch Pickens – 67.0
- CB Tyrique Stevenson – 56.3
While Bagent was the standout quarterback on the night for Chicago, Peterman had a strong outing. Bagent got the second nod in the game, an indication he might’ve already passed Peterman on the depth chart. Peterman responded completing 10-of-18 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown. He had strong marks in passing (66.8) and rushing (73.3). Johnson had another impressive preseason performance, with seven carries for 32 yards and one catch for 11 yards. That included some key plays on that first touchdown drive. Johnson earned solid marks across the board in rushing (64.7), pass protection (70.2) and passing (68.7).
Pickens continues to have a quietly productive preseason, earning a 67.0 grade. He had three tackles, including one for a loss, and one QB hit. Pickens earned strong marks in tackling (69.5) and coverage (64.9), but he was marked down in pass rush (58.0) and run defense (59.7). Meanwhile, Stevenson had a rough outing against the Colts. While his tackling was solid (76.8), he let an interception go right through his hands, which contributed to his 63.1 coverage mark.
