Chicago Bears Week 8 Stock Report

The Chicago Bears dropped to 2-4 on the season following their loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 6, but they will look to bounce back after their Week 7 bye.

Following back-to-back comeback victories over the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, the Bears could not do enough on both offense and defense to stave off the Lions in Week 6. Head coach John Fox is still learning about his team, and he admitted the Bears need to build confidence.

"If you don't believe in yourself, how is anyone else going to believe in you?" Fox said, per the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer. "So there's an element to coaching that up. We have 53 guys and it takes a minute to feel them all out on what makes them tick."

The Bears will take on the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field in Week 8, and it will be the 108th meeting between the two teams since 1961. The Vikings lead the all-time series with a 55-51-2 record, but the Bears have won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.

Some players showed progress in Week 6, but others took a step back in their development. Whose stock is rising and whose stock is falling as the Bears head into their Sunday matchup with the Vikings?

Stock Up: Christian Jones

John Froschauer/Associated Press

After starting inside linebacker Shea McClellin went down with a knee injury against the Chiefs in Week 5, fellow starter Christian Jones was asked to make the calls on the field for Chicago's defense.

"You have to be ready when somebody goes down, and it kind of caught me off guard a little bit," Jones said, per Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.

The Bears have not said whether McClellin will be able to play in Week 8 against the Vikings, but Fox is confident in Jones' ability.

“When we looked at tape when we first got here, he was a guy I thought had nice size, nice length, good athleticism and coming in and learning our system, I've seen him progress," Fox said, per ChicagoFootball.com's Nate Atkins. "We'll be leaning on him a little bit more if Shea McClellin can't go as far as a signal-caller with the headset and those kind of fun things."

In McClellin's absence, Jones recorded a season-high nine tackles, and according to Pro Football Focus, he finished the game with a plus-2.2 overall grade. He has been solid against the run this season, but teams have found success by attacking him in the passing game.

Against the Lions, according to Pro Football Focus, Jones was targeted four times in the passing game by quarterback Matthew Stafford, but he allowed just one completion for 13 yards and was credited with one pass deflection.

He has the size (6'3", 248 lbs) to match up with tight ends and the speed to cover running backs, but he still needs to improve his technique in pass coverage. 

Linebackers coach Glenn Pires thinks Jones has all the tools to be a productive inside linebacker, but the former Florida State Seminole needs to play faster.

“[His size] is his asset. That is a positive thing for him. Now he’s got to be more assertive and go faster, which I think everybody wants to,” Pires said, per ChicagoFootball.com's Kevin Fishbain. “It isn’t just him. I think that now he’s in a position where it’s his second year, he’s got to play faster, and he’s got to play much more physical.”

Jones appeared to play faster and more physical against the Lions, and Chicago's defense has a chance to improve if he continues to play like he did in Week 6.

Stock Down: Kyle Fuller

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Cornerback Kyle Fuller has had an up-and-down season in Chicago, and he did not play well against the Lions in Week 6.

After back-to-back solid performances against the Raiders and Chiefs, Fuller regressed in pass coverage at Ford Field. According to Pro Football Focus, Fuller was targeted nine times in the passing game, and he allowed eight catches for 60 yards with two touchdowns.

He allowed a touchdown to Detroit tight end Timothy Wright in the back of the end zone when he failed to turn his head to locate the football, but Fox did not throw his young cornerback under the bus for the miscue.

“That late in the down, you know, I think sometimes guys get caught where they’re not really having vision,” Fox said, per the Chicago Sun-Times' Patrick Finley. “It’s not really the fault of anybody so you know he didn’t have vision on the ball in that instance and the guy made a heck of a throw and the receiver did a good job of finding it.”

Fuller has struggled to jam receivers off the line of scrimmage this season, and his lack of physicality has allowed opposing wide receivers to create separation down the field.

He has played well against the run at times this season, but he has looked like a liability in pass coverage.

Fuller was a first-round pick back in 2014 and has the tools to become a good NFL cornerback, but he is struggling with his technique, physicality and confidence right now. If he can string together a couple of solid games in the coming weeks, he may be able to bounce back, but if he continues to struggle, the Bears may have to look for another young cornerback to build around for the future.

Stock Up: Alshon Jeffery

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery missed most of training camp and all of the preseason with a calf injury, but he started in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.

Jeffery recorded five catches for 78 yards, but he aggravated a hamstring injury and missed the team's next four games. 

He started in Week 6 against the Lions, and he caught eight passes for 147 yards with one touchdown. Jeffery did a nice job of creating separation off the line of scrimmage because of his strength and solid route-running ability, and he forced the Lions to double cover him at times, freeing up opportunities for his teammates to make plays on the other side of the field.

Jeffery did a great job of attacking the football in the air, and teammate Eddie Royal was impressed with Jeffery's ability.

“It’s almost just, let him get out there and throw it up to him and see what happens, because the majority of the time he’s going to come down with it,” Royal said, per Finley. “He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen with making a play on the ball when it’s in the air. He did that a number of times for us (Sunday), and we were missing that, and it’s great to have him back.”

Quarterback Jay Cutler was forced to rely on unproven receivers like Marquess Wilson, Cameron Meredith and Joshua Bellamy when Jeffery was out because of his injury, but a healthy Jeffery gives Cutler the ability to push the football down the field.

Since Jeffery was able to play the majority of the team's loss to the Lions and Chicago was on a bye last week, it is likely he will once again be in the starting lineup this Sunday when the Bears take on the Vikings.

Chicago's offense was able to find a rhythm at times without its No. 1 wide receiver, but the offense looked like it was hitting on all cylinders with a healthy Jeffery in Week 6. If the former second-round pick can play in Week 8, the Bears stand a good shot of earning their third win of the season.

Stock Down: Sherrick McManis

Jose Juarez/Associated Press

Sherrick McManis had a strong training camp and preseason, and the former Northwestern Wildcat entered the 2015 season as the team's top nickelback.

He recorded a season-high seven tackles against the Lions in Week 6, but he struggled all afternoon against Detroit's Lance Moore. 

According to Pro Football Focus, McManis gave up five catches for 102 yards with one touchdown in Week 6, and Stafford registered a 158.3 quarterback rating when throwing in McManis' direction. Moore collected all three passes thrown his way when he was covered by McManis for 88 yards and one touchdown.

McManis has been a strong contributor on special teams for the Bears since joining the team in 2012, but he has struggled this season as a major contributor on defense.

"Sherrick McManis has no business being on the field for anything but special teams!" tweeted ChicagoFootball.com's Hub Arkush in Week 6.

The veteran defensive back is a solid tackler who plays well against the run and has the ability to play physically at the line of scrimmage, but he has looked overmatched this season when he has gone up against quick receivers out of the slot.

The Bears have not said whether McManis is in danger of losing the nickelback job, but the team lacks options at the position.

Veteran cornerback Alan Ball has missed time this season due to an injury, and Tracy Porter has been used primarily on the outside in Ball's absence even though he is a better fit on the inside. The Bears could potentially give undrafted rookie Bryce Callahan snaps at nickelback, but the former University of Rice standout has not appeared in a game since Week 2.

McManis is an above-average special teams contributor, but he needs to show improvement in order to remain the team's top nickelback.

Stock Up: Jonathan Anderson

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Jonathan Anderson went undrafted out of TCU this past May, but the rookie inside linebacker got his first NFL start in Week 6 against Detroit.

Anderson and LaRoy Reynolds split time at inside linebacker in place of the injured McClellin, and while Anderson had his share of rookie struggles in his first NFL game, he came away with a couple of big plays.

Anderson intercepted a ball that flew out of Golden Tate's hands in the end zone, but the play was later reversed with Tate being awarded a touchdown. Later in the game, Anderson came away with his first NFL interception.

He finished the game with three tackles and one interception, and he had a sack wiped away on a Bears penalty. After the game, Fox talked about Anderson's performance.

"I thought [Anderson's debut] was pretty good," Fox said, per Campbell. "[He's] an explosive, fast young player at the linebacker position."

Anderson looked a bit out of control at times, particularly when asked to read and diagnose plays in the running game, but he showed off his above-average closing speed on the sack that was wiped away.

The young linebacker's confidence and ability to read and react to plays in front of him will improve the more he plays, but there is no guarantee he will start this week against the Vikings. If McClellin is healthy, he will return as Chicago's starter at inside linebacker, but if he cannot play, Anderson will likely be back on the field when the team is in its nickel package. 

Anderson needs to learn how to harness his aggressiveness, but the few splash plays he made against Detroit in Week 6 proved he has an ability to be a playmaker in Vic Fangio's defense.

Statistical information and measurables courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.

Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Follow @MattEurich.