Bear Digest

Bears Report Card Against Patriots: They Made It Look Effortless

Grading the Bears: There were players giving good efforts, like T.J. Edwards and DeAndre Carter, but by and large the rest of the team seems to have left its soul in Washington D.C.

Gene Chamberlain

D'Andre Swift tries to scratch out a yard after being stacked up behind the line against New England.
D'Andre Swift tries to scratch out a yard after being stacked up behind the line against New England. / David Banks-Imagn Images
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The last time the Bears failed to score touchdowns in consecutive games came in 2004, two decades ago.

This was the offense of one Terry Shea. The Bears did not fire Shea until after the season ended.

When the season was nearly over, Shea was asked at a Halas Hall press conference to grade his team. He gave his offense a "B."

Talk about oblivious.

Fast forward to today and the Bears offense has gone consecutive games without a TD, and has five field goals to show for those ames. The optimist would point out at least they didn't get shut out.

They have 27 points for three games, as they had 15 coming out of the bye against Washington. See how dangerous they can truly be if given time to prepare.

What grade would this Bears offense get so far for this season?

This grade will not be given by the offensive coordinator. Self-grading isn't allowed.

Since we're using grading and school metaphors, when the game ended Sunday quarterback Caleb Williams said he learned valuable lessons from the debacle.

If nine sacks and 120 yards passing is what teaches, let's it was graduation day.

Here are grades that matter and you can imagine how they look.

Passing: F

The passing fails. A modern NFL team can't have 69 net yards passing, 120 total passing yards and 51 yards in sacks and expect to be within 21 points. Williams was off the mark with plenty of passes. There were drops and passes hat inexplicably sailed through hands without being touched. Pass blocking was a rumor and Williams couldn't set up properly to throw by the end of the third quarter. The fact they were only two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions behind at the end testifies to how inept the Patriots are. In a given week, fans have been upset and talking about how the passing game didn't get the ball to Cole Kmet enough, or to Keenan Allen enough or to DJ Moore enough or to Rome Odunze enough. Sunday's game solved all of that because it's hard to complain about how one specific guy isn't getting involved enough when no one is.

Running: D-

There have been plenty of times in the past when a 73-yard rushing day from the Bears with a 3.7 average per carry constituted failure. Compared to the Bears' passing game, the running attack was Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris. Of course, the running attack can't be compared their own passing attack. Instead, there are other standards for running games. D'Andre Swift had no runs longer than 9 yards against a porous run defense. Caleb Williams' 10-yard scramble accounted for their best run. Roschon Johnson got to touch the ball once in the running attack and it was a play we'd all do well not to think about -- a draw play where four Patriots were waiting with a few more waiting in line in case there were leftovers.

Pass Defense: C

Their one shining moment came when T.J. Edwards intercepted Drake Maye early. The 35.7 conversion rate New England had on third down was close to season's average for the Bears defense. What they didn't really have after the first quarter was a pass rush harassing Maye into mistakes and an acceptable ability to cover tight end Austin Hooper or slot receiver Demario Douglas. The 184 yards passing and 79.4 passer rating allowed would  be sufficient for most defenses but the Bears defense must account for the fact it must drag its own offense's dead weight. They have no room for error.

Run Defense: D

The 144 yards rushing allowed let the Patriots shorten the game and for that we can all be thankful. New England seemed bent on its own failure by not running straight up the middle with Rhamondre Stevenson when he was plowing for 5 or 6 yards each time. The Bears stopped him a few times for 3 yards and then the Patriots would abandon the run. Zacch Pickens and Gervon Dexter in Year 2 do not make anyone forget Justin Jones and Andrew Billings last year as the defensive tackle duo.

Special Teams: B-

Nothing much to report here beyond a nice punt return, the best of the year for the Bears. A 38-yarder down the sideline as DeAndre Carter finally showed what he could provide if given a chance. Carter even had a 35-yard kick return, their best since the season-opener when he had a 67-yarder.  New England punter Bryce Baringer was the actual special teams star of the game with a 75-yard punt to the end zone and a net 57-yard average.

Coaching: F-

The rare F- is reserved for atrocities. Shane Waldron's offense is one.

On Monday morning during his early morning-after radio spot, Matt Eberflus was asked on ESPN AM-1000 if they were addressing the offensive coordinator issue going forward. "We're in the middle of that process right now," Eberflus said. It should be a simple process. Almost the entire team looks like they left their hearts in the end zone where Noah Brown caught that Hail Mary pass. They let one play ruin their season, and the coaching staff deserves the blame for not getting their attention off of that one play.

Overall: F

That's "F" as in flat. Or fiasco. Or flop. Or failure. There are a lot of appropriate words that begin with F. Insert your favorite here.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.