Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: Full Report Card Grades for Chicago
After an exciting start to the game, the Chicago Bears lost to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon by a score of 38-17, falling to 2-2 on the season.
The offense found a rhythm from the start, scoring on its first possession, but it struggled with inconsistency for the remainder of the game. Two costly interceptions by Jay Cutler in the third quarter helped seal the victory for the Packers.
Head coach Marc Trestman was not pleased with his team's performance on Sunday afternoon.
“Certainly a disappointing loss for us and the guys in the locker room. Home game, divisional opponent,” Trestman said to the media after the game, via Adam Hoge of TheGameChicago.com.
The offense was able to rack up 496 yards of total offense against the Packers, but it was only able to get the football into the end zone twice.
While the offense tried its best to keep the team in the game, the defense struggled all afternoon with trying to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers with Jared Allen out of the lineup with an illness.
“We didn’t get the kind of pass rush we needed today,” Trestman said about his defense to the media, via Hoge. “When [Rodgers] was in the pocket, he was able to have the time to get done what he needed to get done.”
Rodgers was able to get done what he needed to get done, finishing the game with 302 passing yards and four touchdowns.
With the Detroit Lions getting another victory in Week 4, the Bears now sit third in the NFC North standings behind Detroit (3-1) and Green Bay (2-2) with a difficult matchup against the Carolina Panthers looming ahead in Week 5.
Here are our report card grades for each Bears unit following their Week 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Quarterback
1 of 10
After a strong start and solid first half for Jay Cutler, the wheels fell off for him and the offense in the second half.
Cutler finished the first half with 173 passing yards and threw touchdown passes to Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall. He threw for just 83 yards in the second half, including two costly interceptions in the third quarter.
After Chicago's defense was able to hold the Packers to just a field goal on their first possession of the second half, Cutler and the offense were moving the football down the field before Green Bay's Tramon Williams tipped a pass intended for Josh Morgan, and Clay Matthews came away with the interception, via John Mullin of CSNChicago.com:
"#Bears Cutler INT'd by Clay Matthews as CB Tramon Williams jumps route and ball deflects - great read and scouting on D
— John Mullin (@CSNMoonMullin) September 28, 2014"
Cutler likely should not have tried to throw the football in that tight of coverage, but wide receiver Josh Morgan did not do Cutler any favors by not fighting for the football.
After the Packers scored to make it 31-17, Cutler and the offense were once again on the attack before Cutler threw another interception, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"A solid day going by #Bears Jay Cutler has taken an ugly turn. Miscue with Brandon Marshall lead to another INT.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) September 28, 2014"
While both interceptions are not solely Cutler's fault, he once again struggled against the Green Bay Packers.
Because of his poor play in the second half, he graded out as one of the team's worst performers on Sunday.
Grade: D
Running Back
2 of 10
After struggling to find any momentum in the running game the last two weeks, Matt Forte broke out Sunday afternoon against the Green Bay Packers.
Forte finished the game with 122 yards rushing on 22 carries and also hauled in five catches for 49 yards. With his 171 yards from scrimmage against the Packers, Forte has now amassed more than 10,000 yards from scrimmage for his career, via the team's official Twitter account:
"With 171 yds from scrimmage today, RB Matt Forte now has over 10,000 yds from scrimmage in his career. #Bears #GBvsCHI
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 28, 2014"
Not to be outdone by Forte, rookie Ka'Deem Carey ran the football 14 times for 72 yards and helped keep Forte fresh throughout the game, via John Mullin of CSNChicago.com:
"#Bears getting big contribution from rookie RB Carey - keeping Forte fresh and it shows
— John Mullin (@CSNMoonMullin) September 28, 2014"
The team finished with 235 yards on the ground, but that proved to not be enough after second half turnovers cost the team any opportunity to control the clock for the remainder of the game.
Because of how consistent both Forte and Carey were on Sunday afternoon, they came away with the highest grade of any position group on the roster.
Grade: A+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
While wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery often receive the majority of attention from opposing defenses, tight end Martellus Bennett proved just how dangerous he can be in the passing game.
Bennett finished the game with nine catches for 134 yards and nearly finished the first half with a touchdown, but he was ruled short of the goal line after an official review. Following the game, Bennett told the media he believed he scored on the play, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"#Bears TE Martellus Bennett said he scored at the end of first half. Official told him he couldn't see ball on review with Packer in way.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) September 28, 2014"
Even without scoring a touchdown, Bennett had one of the most impressive performances of the afternoon.
In addition to Bennett's strong showing, backup tight end Dante Rosario also made his presence known against the Packers. While Rosario did not record a catch, he played a big role in the running game, acting as Matt Forte's lead blocker on numerous occasions.
While Bennett was racking up yards in the passing game, both Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall struggled to gain yards through the air.
Both receivers finished the game with touchdown receptions, but Jeffery finished with just four catches for 39 yards, while Marshall finished with two catches for 19 yards.
Following the game, Marshall declined to speak to the media, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:
"Bears WR Brandon Marshall declined to speak to reporters.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) September 28, 2014"
Marshall's decision to not talk to the media may have been because of an interception that Jay Cutler threw in his direction in the third quarter. Following the game, Cutler shared the blame for the miscommunication on the play with Marshall, via the Chicago Tribune's David Haugh:
"Cutler, for his part, called it a miscommunication "on my part and his part,'' sharing blame equally with Marshall for second pick.
— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) September 28, 2014"
The Packers proved on Sunday that it is possible to slow down both Marshall and Jeffery, but in the end, a guy like Bennett can still wreak havoc against opposing defenses.
While Marshall and Jeffery didn't have the biggest impact on the game, Bennett's strong performance helped give the wide receivers and tight ends one of the best grades on offense.
Grade: A
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
After struggling to find any sort of rhythm in the running game over the past two weeks, Chicago's running game finally found some life on Sunday afternoon behind the impressive play of the Bears' offensive line.
The Bears racked up 235 yards on the ground, and the right side of the offensive line did some nice things on Sunday afternoon, evident by these tweets from 670TheScore.com's Dan Durkin and ChicagoFootball.com's Kevin Fishbain:
"Trap block by Kyle Long, Forte pressed right through the void Long left on the playside B-gap. Soft interior on #Packers defense. #Bears
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) September 28, 2014"
"Nice hole formed by Martellus and Mills for Forte's longest run of the season (17 yards).
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 28, 2014"
While it excelled in the running game, the offensive line also did a nice job of protecting Jay Cutler all afternoon, allowing just one sack against the Packers.
The only real miscue from the unit was two poor snaps from center Brian de la Puente, but both were recovered by Jay Cutler and went for positive yardage.
Despite the offense scoring just 17 points, the offensive line proved on Sunday it has the ability to dominate in both pass protection and run blocking.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Chicago Bears were dealt a big blow prior to the game with Jared Allen being listed among the team's inactives. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported before the game that Allen was being held out due to pneumonia:
"Jared Allen is out today bc pneumonia. Weight dropped all the way to 237. Had another chest xray this AM. Still wanted to play
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) September 28, 2014"
Without Allen on the field, the Bears struggled all afternoon to get any pressure on Aaron Rodgers. Ego Ferguson finished the game with the team's lone sack, but that was because Rodgers was forced out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.
After an impressive start to the 2014 season, Willie Young struggled against the Packers when asked to be an every-down defensive end. He was unable to create much pressure against Rodgers, but he did finish the game with four tackles, including one tackle for loss.
With Allen out of the lineup, it was assumed that Young and Lamarr Houston would carry the load for the defensive line on Sunday afternoon. Despite being the prized free-agent signing for Chicago this offseason, Houston's name did not show up in the box score, via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com:
"Lamarr Houston is not in the box score.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 28, 2014"
While the unit struggled to get pressure on Rodgers, it was able to slow down Eddie Lacy and the running game.
Lacy finished the game with just 48 yards on 17 carries.
The defensive line's ability to slow down the running game for the second week in a row was encouraging, but its inability to get any pressure on Rodgers throughout the entire game is what caused it to receive one of the lowest grades of any unit from Sunday.
Grade: D-
Linebacker
6 of 10
A week after being one of the team's stronger units against the New York Jets, Chicago's linebackers struggled at times on Sunday afternoon against the Packers.
Starters Lance Briggs, D.J. Williams and Jon Bostic combined for just nine tackles on the afternoon.
Briggs showed flashes at times, particularly on a crucial third-down stop against Green Bay's Eddie Lacy, but Williams was flagged for unnecessary roughness after the play:
"Lance Briggs comes up with a huge play to stop Lacy on 3rd down, but DJ Williams flagged for unecessary roughness to give GB a 1st.
— Bears Talk (@CSNBears) September 28, 2014"
After playing arguably the best game of his NFL career against the New York in Week 3, Bostic did not make as big of an impact on Sunday against the Packers like he did against the Jets.
All three linebackers played well enough against the run against Green Bay, but the Packers offense was just too much for this defense on Sunday afternoon.
Grade: C-
Secondary
7 of 10
After slowing down Colin Kaepernick in Week 2 and Geno Smith in Week 3, Chicago's secondary struggled mightily against Green Bay's passing attack.
According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago's secondary was historically bad Sunday afternoon:
"Aaron Rodgers' 151.2 passer rating is the second highest of anyone EVER vs #Bears (min 15 atts). Niners' John Brodie was 152.1 in '65
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 28, 2014"
Following a stellar start to Kyle Fuller's rookie season, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had no problem attacking the NFL's interceptions leader.
Fuller was beat on a touchdown pass in the end zone to Jordy Nelson before getting beat by Randall Cobb late in the second half for a big gain, via 670TheScore.com's Dan Durkin:
"What a cut by Randall Cobb, left Kyle Fuller grasping at air. Get well game for #Packers offense.
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) September 28, 2014"
To go along with Fuller's up-and-down afternoon, nickelback Isaiah Frey struggled mightily against the Packers' slot receivers, particularly Randall Cobb, via Bleacher Report's Matt Bowen:
"Bears went Cover 1...Cobb beat Frey. No jam + opened the gate (opened hips) at snap. That allowed Cobb to separate.
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) September 28, 2014"
Tim Jennings finished with the only pass deflection of the game for Chicago and was quick to compliment Aaron Rodgers after the game, via Finley:
"Tim Jennings: "He was on fire. That’s Aaron Rodgers."
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 28, 2014"
With the cornerbacks struggling to keep up with Green Bay's receivers, Chicago's safeties were often caught out of position for much of the afternoon.
Strong safety Ryan Mundy finished with a team-high eight tackles on the afternoon, while free safety Chris Conte finished with three.
The cornerbacks and safeties were left out to dry for much of the afternoon because of the defensive line's inability to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers. Despite that lack of pressure, the secondary failed to even slightly disrupt Green Bay's receivers for much of the afternoon, which resulted in it receiving one of the lowest grades of the game.
Grade: D
Special Teams
8 of 10
For only the second time in NFL history, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers completed a full game without either team punting the football.
"The Packers and Bears just completed an entire game without a punt for the second time in NFL regular season history (1992 - Bills vs 49ers)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 28, 2014"
As a whole, Chicago's special teams unit played an average football game.
Kicker Robbie Gould nailed his lone field-goal attempt on the afternoon, while kick returner Rashad Ross returned two kicks for a total of 43 yards.
Grade: B
Coaching
9 of 10
After an impressive start to the football game, Marc Trestman made a questionable decision near the end of the first half which allowed precious time to run off the clock, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:
"Trestman opted not to call time out before that third down. Costs the Bears about 20 seconds here.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) September 28, 2014"
Chicago played it safe by running the football with Matt Forte before attempting to get the football in the end zone before time expired. Martellus Bennett was ruled short of the goal line, and Chicago headed into halftime with a squandered opportunity.
Following the game, Trestman told the media the team had the right play called at the end of the first half and credited Green Bay for making the stop, via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com:
"Trestman said play call at end the half was 4 verticals, credits Packers for stop at 1. "We had the play we wanted, we just came up short."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 28, 2014"
While the clock management and play selections from Marc Trestman were questionable at best, defensive coordinator Mel Tucker had no answers for Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's offense.
Without Jared Allen in the lineup, Tucker's defense struggled to put pressure on Rodgers, via 670 The Score's Matt Spiegel:
"Without Allen to make plays and/or draw attention to free others up, Mel Tucker has not been able to scheme pressure at all.
— Matt Spiegel (@MattSpiegel670) September 28, 2014"
Tucker has been highly criticized since his arrival last offseason, and 670 The Score's Laurence Holmes thinks there needs to be a serious discussion about Tucker's future:
"I'm guessing we ned to continue to have a conversation about Mel Tucker. #Bears
— Laurence Holmes (@LaurenceWHolmes) September 28, 2014"
Trestman's clock-management woes, combined with Tucker's inability to draw up pressure against Rodgers, resulted in the coaching staff receiving its worst grade of the 2014 season.
Grade: F
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | D |
| RB | A+ |
| WR/TE | A |
| OL | A |
| DL | D- |
| LB | C- |
| Secondary | D |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | F |
| Cumulative Grade | D |
Despite an impressive first half from Chicago's offense, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers proved once again they are too much for the Bears to handle.
On the bright side, Matt Forte proved he is still one of the league's most complete running backs, while Martellus Bennett showed he can carry the load in the passing game.
The Bears will now hit the road again in Week 5 to take on the 2-2 Carolina Panthers.
Carolina lost to the Baltimore Ravens 38-10 and will be looking to bounce back against Chicago's porous defense.
It is still very early in the season, but if the Bears want to remain in the playoff hunt inside the tough NFC North division, they'll need a much better showing in Week 5 than they had on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
Record/statistical information provided via email from the Chicago Bears or ESPN.com.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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