GRADING THE BEARS
QUARTERBACK
C- After two impressive games, Mitch Trubisky (26-for-50, 333 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 69.8) wasn’t quite ready for prime time against a disciplined defense like the Patriots’. Another ill-advised pass to Bradley Sowell (!) was nearly picked off in the end zone. His legs were his best weapon — six rushes for 81 yards and a touchdown. RUNNING BACKS
C The Bears still are struggling to find a rhythm with their running game. Jordan Howard (12 carries, 39 yards) and Tarik Cohen (6-14) combined for 53 yards on 18 carries (3.0 avg.), though Howard scored on a two-yard run. Cohen was effective in the passing game with 8 catches for 69 yards and a TD.
RECEIVERS
B- Allen Robinson played despite a groin injury and was ineffective with one catch for 4 yards and a drop. Taylor Gabriel (3-26, 16-yard DPI) was stymied by the Patriots’ defense. TE Trey Burton (9-126) caught an 11-yard TD pass. Kevin White (2-64) caught his first two passes of the season but came up a yard short of being a hero. OFFENSIVE LINE
C
Like every other facet of the team, the O-line was good at times but paid for its mistakes against an opportunistic defense. Trubisky was sacked only twice in 50-plus drop-backs. Tackle Charles Leno Jr. was beaten twice for sacks, though one was not really his fault. Center Cody Whitehair had a strong game. DEFENSIVE LINE
C-
Rookie Bilal Nichols (4 tackles) was a big factor early, forcing a Sony Michel fumble and recovering it, stopping Michel for no gain and putting a big rush on Tom Brady. Akiem Hicks (2 tackles) was quiet. Roy Robertson-Harris had a pressure on Brady’s INT. Eddie Goldman had a TFL. LINEBACKERS
C-
Khalil Mack played despite a sprained ankle but was ineffective with one tackle and no impact plays, though he did pressure Brady into an incompletion. Danny Trevathan led the Bears with 10 tackles. Leonard Floyd (3 tackles) was beaten for a 5-yard TD pass to RB James White but had no penalties. Roquan Smith (4 tackles) was credited with a sack. SECONDARY
C
Bears allowed just one big play, but it hurt. Prince Amukamara and Eddie Jackson missed tackles on Josh Gordon’s 55-yard reception that set up a TD. Adrian Amos had a pass break-up that led to Kyle Fuller’s INT. Fuller also had a PD on a third-and-2 play that led to a punt. Amukamara stopped Julian Edelman for a 1-yard loss to force a punt.
SPECIAL TEAMS
D
Cody Parkey kicked a 46-yard FG, and Nick Kwiatkoski forced a fumble by Cordarrelle Patterson on a KO return that set up a TD. But it was all downhill from there. Patterson had a 95yard KO return for a TD, and Dont’a Hightower blocked a punt that Kyle Van Noy returned for a TD.
COACHING
C- The Bears were flat at the start and beaten in all three phases of the game, with two special-teams errors particularly harmful. But they still came within a yard of sending the game to OT, which has to count for something. Fourth-and-4 call — a 17-yard pass to Burton to the Patriots’ 13 — led to a TD.