The Chicago Bears (2-4) suffered a brutal 12-7 defeat by the Washington Commanders (2-4) on Thursday night, and it was every bit as demoralizing as the final score indicates.
The offense had three opportunities to score in the red zone, and they came away with zero points. Quarterback Justin Fields had a rough night, which included an uneven performance and coming under duress throughout the game. Chicago’s defense put up a valiant effort, and rookie Velus Jones muffed his second punt in three games.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Bears in this loss.
Offense: D
It was brutal from start to finish for Chicago’s offense. For the second time in three games, the Bears’ red zone offense was atrocious. They went 0-for-3 inside the red zone, coming away with zero points. Never mind the fact that they were inside the 5-yard line on all three opportunities. Each of those possessions ended as follows: interception, turnover on downs and another turnover on downs. Scoring seven points is unacceptable, especially against a really bad Commanders team.
Justin Fields appeared to take another step back (unless you ask Matt Eberflus) in a game where he was under constant duress to the tune of five sacks and 18 pressures. The offensive line remains the biggest liability on offense, but the receiving corp is a close second. While Fields himself missed some throws — including a wide open Ryan Griffin in the end zone — he didn’t receive help from his receivers when putting the ball where it needed to be. But we’ll always have that that 40-yard bomb to Dante Pettis, which reminded us that Fields is a talented quarterback in a tough situation.
That final drive was especially excruciating as the Bears had four opportunities to punch it in from the 5-yard line. Fields gained one yard on a rush; Fields had a pass intended for Darnell Mooney tipped; Pettis couldn’t come down with a catch in the end zone; and Mooney bobbled a pass and landed just an inch outside the end zone. Dare I ask: Can it get much worse than that?
Defense: B+
It was an entirely different story for the Bears defense, which put together its best outing of the season. Chicago held Washington to just six points heading into the final eight minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the defense was put in a compromising situation after a Velus Jones muffed punt put the Commanders on Chicago’s 6-yard line. Two plays later, Washington had taken a 12-7 lead. But the fact that this defense allowed just 12 points was encouraging.
But the defense wasn’t without its faults. Despite keeping the Commanders in check for most of the game, they did allow 57- and 65-yard drives that ended in field goals. It’s really nitpicking, I know. After all, they held Carson Wentz to under 100 passing yards, didn’t allow a Commanders rusher to eclipse 60 yards and they actually blitzed (with good things happening as a result, looking at you Jaquan Brisker and Roquan Smith).
Special Teams: D-
For the second time in three games, rookie Velus Jones Jr. muffed a punt that halted an opportunity to win. With the Bears up 7-6 in the fourth quarter, Jones fumbled a punt with eight minutes left. It was recovered by Washington, setting them up on Chicago’s 6-yard line. Two plays later, the Commanders scored what was ultimately the game-winning touchdown. After the game, head coach Matt Eberflus indicated change could be coming in the return game. We caught a glimpse of as much when fellow rookie Trestan Ebner replaced Jones on the ensuing kickoff return.
Coaching: C-
Luke Getsy had a solid showing in last week’s loss to the Vikings, where we saw the passing game open up a little bit. Unfortunately, it was a complete 180 on Thursday night against a bad Commanders team, where he gave his quarterback no help. The fact that the offense couldn’t convert in the red zone is on them, but Getsy’s play calling still remains questionable. But it also felt like Getsy was trying to force the players to fit his scheme, which is something his predecessor was known for. Case in point: Forcing Fields to stay in the pocket when the offensive line was struggling to protect him. Fields was sacked five times and pressured 18 times, but Getsy still tried to keep him in the pocket rather than get him on the move to alleviate some pressure.
