The Chicago Bears (2-2) were defeated 20-12 by the New York Giants (3-1), where it was an all-around brutal showing by the offense, defense, special teams and coaching staff.
Buy Bears TicketsThis was the kind of loss where you really start to believe the Bears are the worst team in the NFL. After all, they were outplayed and out-coached by an underwhelming Giants team, where nothing seemed to work. While no one expected Chicago to be contenders this season, there are causes for concern about whether this coaching staff can develop young talent.
We’re taking a look at the studs (yes, there were a few) and duds from the Bears’ Week 4 loss against the Giants:
STUD: WR Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney was the only receiver who caught a pass from Justin Fields in this game, and it wasn’t because he was the only target. Mooney more than tripled his production from the first three games in this outing against the Giants. Before this game, Mooney had 27 receiving yards. Mooney totaled 94 yards on four catches (five targets). He was the only receiver that Fields could depend on in this game.
DUD: OC Luke Getsy
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had another atrocious outing, this time against the Giants. His play calling continues to come under immense scrutiny, where his conservative approach has been a detriment to this entire offense. There are so many things that Getsy handled wrong, but let’s focus on the most important. With the Bears trailing eight with less than five minutes, Getsy called three runs and one pass before Chicago punted near midfield. Granted, that punt call is on Matt Eberflus, but the sequence leading up to it was another show of conservative play calling by Getsy, who has failed miserably this season.
STUD: K Michael Badgley
With Cairo Santos out for personal reasons, the Bears signed Michael Badgley on Saturday, and he suited up in Sunday’s game against the Giants. Badgley was the only source of offense for Chicago, accounting for all 12 points on four field goals, including a long of 40 yards. Badgley was dependable in his Bears debut.
DUD: Bears offensive line
The Bears offensive line struggled throughout Sunday’s game against the Giants, where they had no answer for the pressure New York brought on Justin Fields. Fields was sacked a total of six times, including five in the first half alone. While they were so-so in run blocking, it was pass protection that was once again abysmal. It’s a reminder that Ryan Poles has a lot of work to do in the trenches heading into next offseason.
STUD: S Eddie Jackson
Safety Eddie Jackson was the bright spot on an otherwise underwhelming Bears defense, and he’s back to being a takeaway machine for Chicago. Jackson recorded his third interception in four games this season when he picked off Giants backup QB Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the Bears offense went three-and-out right after and the streak of Chicago going 12-0 when Jackson has an interception was halted.
DUD: CB Kyler Gordon
Kyler Gordon has had a terrible start to his rookie season, and his performance against the Giants was another brutal outing for the Bears’ top draft selection. Look no further than one series in the third quarter, where Gordon accounted for 46 penalty yards. On three straight plays, Gordon allowed an illegal contact penalty, allowed a 19-yard gain by Daniel Jones and was flagged for pass interference.
DUD: WR Velus Jones Jr.
After missing the first three games, rookie wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. made his NFL debut against the Giants. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the best outing. The highlight was surely his 19-yard punt return in the second half, where he showcased his speed and vision. But it was his final play that showed his inexperience. With the Bears trailing eight points with just over two minutes remaining, Jones muffed a punt, which was recovered by the Giants, all but sealing the win for New York.
