The Chicago Bears (2-3) suffered a 29-22 defeat by the Minnesota Vikings (4-1) on Sunday, but this loss felt different than the others.
It was actually fun to watch this scrappy Bears team fight back before another fumble cost them a shot at victory. There’s no such thing as a good loss, but this was an encouraging one. It was the growth of quarterback Justin Fields that made this loss more bearable, where he looked comfortable, confident and decisive for the first time this season.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Bears in this loss.
Offense: C+
You know what, Bears football is fun when quarterback Justin Fields is playing well. While losing is never satisfying, this defeat was made easier by the fact that Fields took a step forward in his development after a first quarter of action where he looked broken. Fields had his best game of the season against a solid Vikings defense, completing 15-of-21 passes (71%) for 208 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and a 118.8 passer rating. He added eight carries for 47 yards, not including a 52-yard rushing touchdown that was negated by a questionable illegal block penalty.
One thing that helped was the offensive line did a solid job in pass protection, only relinquishing two sacks on Fields. But they gave Fields a clean pocket, where he looked comfortable and would deliver throws (when he wasn’t using his legs to break off some big plays).
The first half wasn’t encouraging, and it looked like more of the same. The Bears offense committed some stupid penalties, there was a fumbled snap courtesy of center Sam Mustipher and receiver Dante Pettis dropped a couple of third-down catches. But receiver Darnell Mooney provided a spark for the offense with a highlight reel, one-handed 39-yard reception from Fields, which led to a David Montgomery nine-yard touchdown run.
Things were much better in the second half, where Fields used his arm and legs to make plays. The Bears got their two biggest playmakers, in Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet, involved in the passing game. Mooney had two receptions for 52 yards while Kmet had four catches for 45 yards. Even rookie receiver Velus Jones Jr. finally got on offense, where his first NFL reception was a nine-yard touchdown.
Defense: C-
It was an ominous start for Chicago’s defense, where Minnesota’s high-powered offense could do whatever they wanted against the Bears for three consecutive drives. Which wasn’t helped by the absence of top cornerback Jaylon Johnson. The Vikings scored touchdowns on each of those series, where quarterback Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson were setting franchise records as it looked like could hang 40-plus on Chicago.
But things changed at the end of the first half and in the second half, where the Bears defense made the necessary adjustments to hold Minnesota to without points on four straight series. Unfortunately, Chicago reverted to its early-game form on the Vikings’ final series, a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to give them a 29-22 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish (thanks to a fumble).
Despite the loss, there were some encouraging things on defense. Cornerback Kyler Gordon put together his best outing of his rookie season, where he totaled 10 tackles and showed good instincts in pass coverage. It’s definitely a performance for him to grow from. The run defense also did fine, only allowing 117 rushing yards (including holding Dalvin Cook just shy of 100 yards), which is progress for the Bears. Kindle Vildor notched his first NFL interception, which led to a Chicago field goal. But the Bears only managed one sack on Cousins, and the concerns about the pass rush continue.
Special teams: A
It was another solid day at the office for Chicago’s special teams, who brought some momentum to the team when they needed it. After the Bears scored a touchdown on their opening possession, Chicago blocked a 51-yard Greg Joseph field goal, with some help from rookies Dominique Robinson and Kyler Gordon. It came on the same drive where the Bears attempted an onside kick to try and keep the momentum with them after their scoring drive, but the Vikings were able to recover.
Cairo Santos connected on all three field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder. Trenton Gill only punted twice, including a 60-yard bomb. The only thing keeping Chicago’s special teams from that A+ was the fact that they didn’t recover the onside kick.
Coaching: B-
You’ve got to give it up for head coach Matt Eberflus, who embraced his bold side in this game against the Vikings. Heading into Sunday’s game, the Bears were the only team who had yet to convert a fourth down. To be fair, they only attempted one — the Justin Fields touchdown run from shotgun against the Packers. Eberflus elected to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Minnesota 37-yard line, where Fields picked up the first down with his legs. It set up a Chicago field goal in the third quarter.
Then there was the biggest surprise: Eberflus elected to go for an onside kick after the Bears scored a touchdown on their opening possession of the first half. And it nearly worked. While Chicago wasn’t able to recover it, the decision showed Eberflus’ confidence in his players. The Bears defense came up with a big stop to force a 51-yard Greg Joseph field goal, which was blocked by Dominique Robinson.
It was a rough first half for both offense and defense. But Chicago remains a second-half team, as evidenced by the adjustments made by the coaches on all sides.
