Chicago Bears Week 11 Stock Report
The Chicago Bears improved to 4-5 on the season after defeating the St. Louis Rams 37-13 in Week 10, and they will look to improve to .500 this Sunday when they take on the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field.
The Bears and Broncos have met 14 times dating back to 1971, and the all-time series is tied 7-7. The two teams last squared off in 2011 with Denver coming away with a 13-10 victory in overtime. The Broncos currently sit with a 7-2 record, but they will be without starting quarterback Peyton Manning when they head to Chicago this Sunday, according to ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold.
Chicago gained 397 yards of total offense in Week 10 against St. Louis, and the defense held the Rams to just one touchdown and 285 yards of total offense. The offense found a rhythm early and never let up, while the defense came into its own following an opening-drive touchdown by the Rams.
Whose stock is rising and whose stock is falling as the Bears head into their Week 11 showdown with the Denver Broncos?
Stock Up: Matt Slauson
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Injuries have decimated Chicago's offensive line this season, but Matt Slauson has been the glue that has held the unit together.
Following a season-ending injury to starting center Will Montgomery earlier this season, Slauson slid over to the center position for the first time in his career against the Oakland Raiders. Rookie Hroniss Grasu started the next two games at center but injured his neck in practice before Chicago's Week 8 clash with the Minnesota Vikings.
Slauson has been the starter at center since Week 8, and he proved on Sunday why he is an integral part of Chicago's offensive line.
On a screen pass from quarterback Jay Cutler to running back Jeremy Langford in the first half, Slauson was able to get to the second level to open up a lane for the rookie to work his way up the field. Slauson explained the play after the game, per the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs:
"Jeremy did an excellent job setting me up because on my release I wasn’t quite sure where to go. Because there was like nobody on that side of the field so I am looking around trying to find someone to block, and I turned and I saw 22 (Johnson) coming across. I start taking angle and I am like, ‘Man, this guy is way faster than me. If I miss at all, I am in trouble here.’ And Jeremy slowed up just enough to put him on me and I just dropped at him.
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Langford did a great job of slowing down to allow Slauson to get into position, and the veteran lineman put cornerback Trumaine Johnson on his back and sprung Langford for an 83-yard touchdown.
"Of course, we never talk about the center," tweeted the Chicago Sun-Times' Patrick Finley. "But converted [guard] Matt Slauson was killer, again. Great, athletic block on screen."
According to Pro Football Focus, Slauson gave up his first sack of the season and allowed two quarterback hits on Sunday, but he has proven in recent weeks he is the team's most versatile offensive lineman.
Stock Down: Marc Mariani
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Signed by the Bears last November to help bring stability to the return game, veteran return man Marc Mariani has been a disappointment this season.
In nine games this year, Mariani has returned 18 punts for 129 yards and 15 kickoffs for 371 yards. His average of 7.2 yards per punt return is 21st in the NFL, while his average of 24.7 yards per kick return is 11th.
The Bears struggled early on in 2014 without Devin Hester as their primary return man, and Mariani helped stabilize the return game because of his sure-handedness. He was not spectacular last season, but he was reliable.
The former Pro Bowl return man has struggled to hold onto the football in recent weeks, and he has mishandled a punt in each of the last three games. On Sunday against St. Louis, he fumbled a punt return, and the Rams were able to recover the football on Chicago's 17-yard line.
Mariani returned two kickoffs against the Rams, but he failed to bring the football out past the 15-yard line.
"A returner should be either a sure-hands guy or a sudden, explosive guy. Ideally both, but has to be one. Mariani is neither," tweeted WSCR radio host Dan Bernstein during the game.
Mariani went to the Pro Bowl following the 2010 season after finishing the year with one punt return touchdown and one kick return touchdown. He was an explosive runner who displayed great vision and awareness, but he has struggled with consistency this season.
The former University of Montana standout has some value to the Bears as a slot receiver on offense with Eddie Royal struggling with a knee injury, but his days as Chicago's primary return man may be numbered.
Stock Up: Ka'Deem Carey
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Langford has received much of the praise in the running game the last two weeks because of his explosive plays, but second-year man Ka'Deem Carey is quietly becoming a reliable option in the running game.
Carey was Chicago's No. 2 running back last season behind starter Matt Forte, but he was used sparingly on offense. He had to fight with Jacquizz Rodgers, Langford and Senorise Perry for a spot on the roster during training camp this offseason, and he made the team's 53-man roster after an injury ended Perry's season.
He has only been active in five games this season, but he got his first career start on Monday Night Football in Week 9 against the San Diego Chargers. Langford was Chicago's primary weapon on offense that night, but Carey did carry the football seven times for 28 yards.
The former Arizona Wildcat ran hard between the tackles against San Diego, and his strong performance in Week 9 opened up more opportunities for him in Week 10 against St. Louis. He carried the football 14 times for 56 yards against the Rams, and his performance impressed Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei.
"Love to see the passion and confidence in Ka’Deem Carey’s runs. No problem with him getting carries," tweeted Pompei.
Carey did fumble late in the fourth quarter on Sunday, but he said his confidence is growing in coordinator Adam Gase's offense.
“It’s skyrocketing right now,” Carey said of his confidence, per ChicagoFootball.com's Kevin Fishbain. “Shoot, me and Langford going out there making plays, big plays, doing whatever the team needs from us. Being workhorses like Forte would say. Just taking care of business.”
Carey lacks the explosiveness and speed that Langford possesses, but he is a hard-nosed runner who has a knack for being able to pick up tough yards between the tackles.
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Stock Up: Zach Miller
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Tight end Zach Miller made an impressive one-handed catch on Monday Night Football against the Chargers, and he backed that up on Sunday by catching five passes for 107 yards with two touchdowns.
The bulk of Miller's yards in Week 10 came on an 87-yard catch-and-run on Chicago's second play from scrimmage on offense in the first quarter. Cutler hit Miller in the flat, and the veteran tight end was able to bypass a tackle attempt from linebacker Akeem Ayers before working his way up the field for the touchdown.
"It's a great feeling," Miller said after the game, per the Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell. "We've got a great team, a lot of weapons. Other people are going to be covered. They've got to throw it to someone. You've just got to make the play when it comes your way."
According to Pro Football Focus, Miller played 189 total snaps in the team's first eight games before playing 52 snaps on Sunday against St. Louis. He was used primarily as a fullback/H-back hybrid early in the season, but Gase has been using him more as a receiver the last two games.
Miller struggled with injuries between 2011 and 2014, and his touchdown against San Diego was his first since 2011, when he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Injuries kept him off the field for three seasons, but he said he never gave up hope.
"I never wanted to give up," he said, per Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman. "I never believed that it was over."
Former Pro Bowler Martellus Bennett is still the team's No. 1 tight end, but Miller has proven the last two weeks that he can also be a reliable option in the passing game. He does not possess the same skill set as Bennett, but he does have good hands and is a crisp route-runner.
Stock Up: Shea McClellin
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Inside linebacker Shea McClellin missed three games due to a knee injury, but the former first-round pick returned to the field against the Rams on Sunday.
McClellin struggled in his rookie year as a 4-3 defensive end in 2012, and life did not get much easier for him in his second season. He moved from defensive end to strong-side linebacker last season, and while he showed progress, he still struggled to live up to expectations.
The former Boise State Bronco appeared to be a perfect fit in Vic Fangio's 3-4 defense at outside linebacker, but the veteran coordinator opted to move McClellin to inside linebacker this offseason.
McClellin played well in the team's first four games before injuring his knee in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The defense struggled to make adjustments before the snap in his absence, and he made his presence known in his return to the lineup on Sunday.
He finished Sunday's game with eight tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Even though McClellin spent the majority of his collegiate career playing outside linebacker at Boise State, he said he feels comfortable playing inside linebacker.
“That’s where I played in high school,” he said, per Fishbain. “So I think that’s where I get my instincts, is from that. I’m glad [Fangio] made that decision. I think it’s worked out good.”
The young linebacker struggled as a pass-rusher in his first two seasons and looked to be in over his head at times last year, but he appears to be playing with confidence this season. He has played well against the run, and Pro Football Focus currently lists him as the 12th-best inside linebacker in the NFL with a plus-2.3 overall grade.
McClellin still needs to improve in pass coverage, but he proved on Sunday he can be a long-term solution for the Bears at inside linebacker because of his ability against the run.
Statistical information 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.
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