Sunday didn’t go according to plan for the Bears. Not only did Caleb Williams suffer a hamstring injury, but Chicago ended up losing 9-3 to the Vikings in a low-scoring affair that was the complete opposite from the high-scoring shootout against the Panthers last week.
The rainy conditions made it difficult for either team to stretch the field vertically, meaning that trench play was at a maximum. In the end, the Bears just didn’t have an answer for the Vikings’ blitz-heavy approach, and a few major
blunders in key moments saw them lose for the first time this season.
Each week, I’ll be reviewing how each of Chicago’s eligible performers graded by Pro Football Network’s Impact Scoring model. Here’s what Week 2 looked like.
Offense
- Caleb Williams: 69.9 (25th of 30 QBs)
- Kyle Monangai: 73.7 (19th of 41 RBs)
- D’Andre Swift: 71.0 (29th of 41 RBs)
- Kalif Raymond: 74.2 (23rd of 61 WRs)
- Rome Odunze: 69.0 (45th of 61 WRs)
- Luther Burden III: 65.7 (60th of 61 WRs)
- Colston Loveland: 66.9 (24th of 24 TEs)
- Braxton Jones: 79.5 (16th of 65 OTs)
- Joe Thuney: 72.9 (36th of 55 OGs)
- Garrett Bradbury: 71.1 (24th of 31 Cs)
- Jonah Jackson: 84.5 (4th of 55 OGs)
- Darnell Wright: 87.3 (1st of 65 OTs)
It’s a clear downgrade from the Bears’ Week 1 performance in terms of the analytics, which matches up with the box score and the actual score. The passing attack was particularly rough, and though poor separation from the team’s weapons didn’t make life easy for Caleb Williams, the quarterback’s own play certainly could’ve been better, too.
In all, the Bears ranked No. 27 in the NFL in PFN Offense Impact Scoring in Week 2 after leading the league in the metric in Week 1. There’s obvious inconsistency from week to week here, but a few trends are worth noting. Darnell Wright and Jonah Jackson have graded as elite in each of the last two games, and Braxton Jones has been an average-to-above-average starting tackle in both games. Joe Thuney, Garrett Bradbury, and Luther Burden III remain underwhelming analytically.
Defense
- Montez Sweat: 52.9 (95th of 105 EDGEs)
- James Lynch: 63.3 (56th of 105 EDGEs)
- Kentavius Street: 58.0 (66th of 79 DTs)
- Neville Gallimore: 58.0 (67th of 79 DTs)
- Grady Jarrett: 60.4 (58th of 79 DTs)
- Jordan van den Berg: 56.3 (74th of 79 DTs)
- Austin Booker: 71.4 (44th of 105 EDGEs)
- Dayo Odeyingbo: 77.7 (23rd of 105 EDGEs)
- Devin Bush: 84.0 (6th of 67 LBs)
- D’Marco Jackson: 68.5 (57th of 67 LBs)
- T.J. Edwards: 59.9 (67th of 67 LBs)
- Malik Muhammad: 75.7 (26th of 86 CBs)
- Jaylon Johnson: 64.5 (81st of 86 CBs)
- Tyrique Stevenson: 60.4 (86th of 86 CBs)
- Dillon Thieneman: 75.1 (21st of 71 SAFs)
- Cam Lewis: 70.5 (48th of 71 SAFs)
As one could anticipate given the fact that the Bears only allowed 9 points on Sunday, they had a handful of top performers in Impact Scoring in Week 2. In particular, Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad stood out the most to me when I watched them on the All-22. Both rookies have shown a high level of urgency and quick processing at their respective defensive back positions. Though Devin Bush struggled with taking on blocks in the run game, he did look good as a blitzer and in coverage, save for his dropped interception.
But the Bears struggled significantly in the defensive trenches, and that showed on tape. They generated very little pressure up the middle, which made things tougher for a defensive end room that’s built much more for clean-up duties alongside interior pressure rather than quick pass-rushing wins. Dayo Odeyingbo had what was, in my mind, his best performance as a Bear, but the defensive line was generally lackluster. We’re getting close to panic status after two disappointing performances from both Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson on the back end.
Special teams (for the sickos)
- Cairo Santos: 79.9 (10th of 25 Ks)
- Tory Taylor: 84.3 (6th of 28 Ps)
Despite having one of his two field goal attempts blocked, Cairo Santos isn’t penalized for Sam Roush’s blown blocking assignment. He made a field goal from 50 yards out, which gave the Bears the only points they scored all afternoon. Tory Taylor finished seventh in net average with 46.0 yards per punt, and his +29 net yards over expected ranked fourth among NFL punters in Week 2.
