GRADING THE BEARS
QUARTERBACK
A
The only thing Josh McCown didn’t do Sunday was play defense. McCown played more than well enough to win — 36-for-47 for 352 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT for a 102.4 passer rating. His fumble and INT were non-factors.
RUNNING BACKS
C
Matt Forte rushed for 77 yards on 16 carries (4.8 ypc), but his fumble on the Bears’ first play from scrimmage helped put them in a 14-0 hole. Michael Bush lost five yards on seven carries.
RECEIVERS ABrandon
Marshall had 10 catches for 117 yards and a 3-yard TD — but as luck would have it, his third-down drop in the third quarter was costly. Earl Bennett (8-58) and Martellus Bennett (4-62, 1 TD) made big plays.
OFFENSIVE LINE BJosh
McCown was well-protected until the end, when he was sacked in the final minutes, and the Bears gained 424 total yards. Jermon Bushrod struggled at times. Kyle Long lost his cool on one play but regretted it.
DEFENSIVE LINE DA
week after he had 12 tackles and 2 sacks, Julius Peppers had 1 tackle and no sacks. David Bass continued his progression with a sack. But the D-line was manhandled in the run game.
LINEBACKERS DJames
Anderson had a sack and a tackle for loss, but there were far too many breakdowns at this level for a passing grade. Khaseem Greene led the Bears with 6 tackles. Jon Bostic struggled to prevent big plays.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Safeties Major Wright and Chris Conte struggled to make plays. The Rams had only 148 net yards passing, but that was because the Bears were unable to stop the run.
SPECIAL TEAMS CThe
one time special teams had a chance to make a difference, it went awry, as Devin Hester’s punt-return TD was nullified by a mysterious holding penalty. Tavon Austin had only two returns without any damage.
COACHING
D
The Bears looked like a team coached by an offensive coordinator. They had 10 penalties and fell behind 14-0 and 21-7. The biggest decision — going for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1 — backfired.