GRADING THE BEARS
QUARTERBACK
CNick Foles (23-for-39, 198 yards, one TD, one INT, 70.2 rating) looked a little too much like Bad Mitch, with inconsistency, inaccuracy and a whatwas-he-thinking INT. Foles’ longest completion was 23 yards. His 5.1 yards per attempt represented a step back for a veteran who is supposed to be improving.
RUNNING BACKS
CDavid Montgomery’s overall numbers were unimpressive (19 carries, 58 yards), but he was better in the second half, when the Bears’ offense got into a better rhythm (12 carries, 45 yards). Montgomery also had four receptions for 39 yards. Cordarrelle Patterson (one carry for one yard, one catch for eight yards) all but disappeared.
RECEIVERS
C+Rookie TE Cole Kmet scored his first NFL TD with a nine-yard reception, but that was a rare highlight. Allen Robinson (five catches, 53 yards) had a 23-yard catch for a third-down conversion on a fourth-quarter FG drive. Darnell Mooney had three catches for 36 yards.
OFFENSIVE LINE
CDidn’t break out against a vulnerable defense. The Bears rushed for 62 yards on 25 carries, though they were better in the second half. On the third try from the 1-yard line, Cody Whitehair got enough push to give Foles room to score on a sneak for a 20-6 lead.
DEFENSIVE LINE
B+Bilal Nichols set the tone with a sack of Teddy Bridgewater on the second play from scrimmage that nearly was a safety. Akiem Hicks recovered a fumble and had a tackle for loss, though he also had an encroachment penalty on fourth-and-two. Mario Edwards had two pressures and a sack on one series.
LINEBACKERS
B+Khalil Mack (sack, two tackles for loss) wasn’t as dominant as he was against the Buccaneers, but he didn’t have to be. Roquan Smith (12 tackles, one TFL) had a big stop on Trenton Cannon for a four-yard loss in the fourth quarter. Danny Trevathan had 10 tackles. Barkevious Mingo and James Vaughters shared a sack.
SECONDARY
BSafety Tashaun Gipson had an interception off a deflection by cornerback Jaylon Johnson on the third play from scrimmage. Safety Eddie Jackson had a forced fumble and had a pick-six nullified by a pass-interference call on cornerback Kyle Fuller, who otherwise played well. Safety DeAndre Houston-Carson’s INT with 1:28 left sealed the victory.
SPECIAL TEAMS
AKicker Cairo Santos was 3-for-3 on FGs, including a career-best 55-yarder on the final play of the first half for a 13-6 lead. Sherrick McManis downed a punt at the 3-yard line — one of three punts Pat O’Donnell put inside the 20. McManis later left with an apparent aggravation of his hamstring injury.
COACHING
C+The Bears used an early timeout on third-and-goal, had a delay-of-game penalty before the next snap, then scored a TD on the play after that. That’s how Matt Nagy’s day went. A flea-flicker didn’t fool anyone, and a third-down pass late stopped the clock. But Nagy is the coach of a 5-1 team.