The Chicago Bears (1-1) suffered a brutal 27-10 defeat to the Green Bay Packers (1-1), which raised a lot of questions for the Bears heading into the remainder of the season.
After an impressive first offensive series and the defense getting after Aaron Rodgers, the Bears held a 7-3 lead after the first quarter. Unfortunately, Chicago was outscored 24-3 in the final three quarters of action, where it was a messy affair across the board.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Bears in this loss.
Offense: D-
Let me start this by saying the only reason the offense didn’t receive an F is because of running back David Montgomery, who was dominant in the backfield for Chicago. Montgomery had 122 rushing yards on 15 carries for a 8.1 average per carry. He also added two receptions for 14 yards. It’s clear he’s going to be a big part of any success this offense has this season.
Now, let’s get to the F-worthy offense. It was a brutal showing for quarterback Justin Fields, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and the offense as a whole. For whatever reason, the Bears appears hesitant to let Fields throw the ball. He only attempted 11 passes with seven completions for 70 yards on the night against the Packers. Getsy remained over-committed to the run, even when they were down multiple scores. The entire operation looked geared toward playing in a monsoon, only that was last week’s circumstances. The fact that receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet were once again invisible is alarming.
We’ll always have that first offensive drive.
Defense: D
Let’s start with the good once again. Defensive end Trevis Gipson certainly appears to be picking up right where he left off last season. Gipson had two first-half sacks of Aaron Rodgers, and there’s a lot to love about what he brings to this pass rush.
Now to the grueling reality of just how bad the Bears defense was on Sunday night. Missed tackles were a huge issue for this team, and the Packers took full advantage. There were concerns about the run defense heading into this game, and they were justified in Chicago allowing 203 yards on the ground. The Bears had no answer for Aaron Jones, who carved them up for 132 yards on 15 carries (averaging 8.8 yards per carry) and one touchdown. AJ Dillon added 61 yards on 18 carries (3.4 average). Through two weeks, this Bears defense has allowed 379 rushing yards.
While the secondary had an encouraging outing in the season opener, they had a brutal showing against Green Bay. Missed tackles were once again an issue, and it was an especially brutal night for rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon. Rodgers had fun picking on Gordon throughout the night, where the rookie allowed 10 catches on 13 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown. While one game won’t define Gordon, it was a brutal outing and other teams will look to exploit him. Despite notching 11 tackles, linebacker Roquan Smith has yet to look special this season.
Special teams: B
Not that anyone is focused on special teams after that beating, but it was easily the best unit on the night. While kicker Cairo Santos had a rough outing in last week’s monsoon — missing two extra points — he rebounded against the Packers as he connected on a 44-yard field goal and extra point. Rookie punter Trenton Gill averaged 49.5 yards on four punts, including a long of 57 yards. Rookie kick returner Trestan Ebner had a solid outing with four returns for 98 yards (24.5 average).
Coaching: D
So, the good? Head coach Matt Eberflus used the challenge flag on the most controversial call of the game after Fields was ruled short of the goal line on fourth-and-inches. The bad? The fact that Fields was in shotgun some five yards behind the goal line when he could’ve just pushed himself forward a few inches.
I think it’s safe to say the honeymoon is over for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who had a poor showing against his former team. Which is a shame considering the promise that came with an impressive first offensive series, where the Bears pounded the football, utilized Fields’ skillset and used some trickery on Fields’ touchdown run. Getsy got away from running the ball after that impressive first series with Montgomery, and things quickly got out of hand by halftime. Then when the Bears were coming from behind, Getsy was hesitant to let Fields throw the ball. Fields attempted just 11 passes with seven completions for 70 yards and an interception. Chicago ran the ball 27 times compared to 11 passes.
