Bear Digest

Bears Report Card for Win Over Jaguars: A Jolly Good Showing

Grading the Bears: The trip to London and beating Jacksonville proved no problem, despite the adversity of secondary injuries and using a tight end as long snapper.

Gene Chamberlain

Cole Kmet proved he not only could catch two TD passes in a game but also could long-snap in a pinch.
Cole Kmet proved he not only could catch two TD passes in a game but also could long-snap in a pinch. / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images
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Even non-believers must be starting to have doubts now.

With four more touchdown passes Sunday, Caleb Williams has three more than Jayden Daniels.

Sure, it was only the Jacksonville Jaguars. That's what the Colts thought in Week 5 and this time Jacksonville had a few key players back including tight end Evan Engram.

Williams performed in the spotlight of an international game and brought Keenan Allen into the Bears' touchdown parade for the first time.

They scored five touchdowns now in two straight games for the first time since before Mike Ditka was even Da Coach or Da Tight End (1956).

It's hard to doubt the Bears defense at this point, especially after they shut down another offense with more than half their starting secondary and their top sub gone.

After Williams' last three games, it would appear soon the same can be said for their offense.

"I mean, people can be excited as they want to be," tight end Cole Kmet told reporters in London. "I think what I can say about Caleb, he's taken steps every game. And I think that's been evident.

"And, you know, I'm sure he'll tell you he'll probably want that one throwback (pick) that he had to DJ. But I thought besides, that did some really amazing stuff."

Shane Waldron dialed up one play after another and most seemed to work as they scored five touchdowns in six possessions after their customary slow start.

The Bears' grades reflect the kind of unbridled optimism three straight wins over struggling defenses reflect, but three straight wins nonetheless.

A win of this type, a third straight, makes for plenty of optimism to build when there is two weeks before the next game.

Passing: A

The execution of the one interception might have been Williams' only flaw. He had DJ Moore open and underthrew the ball as he tried to float it in, and admitted it later. Four TD passes and a 124.4 passer rating and don't forget Williams' rushing. He scrambled for big yards, as well. The three sacks allowed were nothing to be concerned about considering how long Williams was holding the ball to get it downfield farther. Another day finding multiple receivers, including six with at least two receptions. Keenan Allen's emergence can only make for more open spaces for the other receivers moving forward.

BEARS WINNERS AND LOSERS IN LONDON VICTORY OVER JAGUARS

BEARS WAKE UP AND GET KEENAN ALLEN INVOLVED IN THE ATTACK

BEARS CALL OUT THE RESERVES AND LOVE THEIR RESULTS

CALEB WILLIAMS AND BEARS FINISH IN LONDON WITH A FURY

Rushing: A

D'Andre Swift flirted with 100 yards again, and although he didn't get there he did average 5.4 yards a carry after he had been struggling to get to 4.0 yards in recent games. The run blocking grew more and more consistent as the game wore on, particularly in outside zone. Again Roschon Johnson provided a few tough inside runs when they needed them. The only negative about a season-high 152 net yards rushing was how they had to rely on 56 from Williams to get to it. His 56 yards rushing included a few RPO runs but also scrambling and it proved huge in keeping alive drives earlier in the game.

Pass Defense: A-

The only flaw materialized when they let up slightly after assuming a 21-3 lead in the third quarter and this quickly shut down. The pass defense was responsible for both takeaways on pass plays, an interception by Josh Blackwell and fumble recovery by Elijah Hicks on T.J. Edwards' forced fumble. They also shut down Trevor Lawrence's scrambling after getting hurt by it early.

Run Defense: A+

Their best performance against the run to date at 68 total yards allowed and it was an opponent capable of doing damage on the ground with two backs, Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne. They allowed no rushes longer than 13 yards, which had been a problem. Bigsby came in averaging 8.0 an attempt and 8.0 was his long run.

Special Teams: B-

It's hard to give them too bad of a grade considering they had to deal with one of the toughest situations to face special teams—the loss of a long snapper. Cole Kmet did a better job catching two TD passes than he did snapping it but he really only had one entirely bad long snap. A few were marginal. What they were happy about was he didn't have to long-snap for a punt because they never punted after the second possession. However, they did miss the chip shot field goal as a result of one high snap. All said, they did give up a 41-yard kick return to Bigsby and a 34-yard average to him for three returns.

Coaching: A+

It started with Eberflus' plan for keeping things together at the hotel and practices just like at Halas Hall by going over on Monday. Apparently they're just going to have to assume Waldron can't get it together for the first possessions but closes strong and leave it at that. Once he had them playing at a faster pace they were fine. Give a nod of the cap to the best cornerbacks coach in the league, Jon Hoke, and safeties coach Andre Curtis for having the backup group ready to go after they lost Jaquan Brisker, Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith beforehand, and then Kyler Gordon during the game. The secondary barely looked worse for wear once the Jaguars had their lone touchdown.

Overall: A

The party seems to be over for now. The easy teams are done except for one game later against New England, because Washington and Arizona both look better than expected in the offseason. At 4-2, the Bears are who many thought they were at this point, even though Williams sudden surge over three games might not have been expected. It's the coming games where they need to prove they're something more than a .500 type team that can beat up on struggling teams.

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.