Chicago Bears Week 15 Stock Report
Following an impressive victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night, the Chicago Bears looked like they were starting to trend in the right direction. However, following back-to-back losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, the team is now a long shot to make the playoffs.
The Bears will look to earn their sixth victory of the season this Sunday when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings.
The two teams squared off back in November, and the Vikings came away with a 23-20 victory at Soldier Field. The Bears and Vikings have met 109 times dating back to 1961, and Minnesota leads the all-time series with a 56-51-2 record.
With a playoff berth essentially out of reach for the Bears, the next few games will be all about assessing the roster moving forward.
“Obviously the playoffs is a thing of the past, so you have to play for pride and find out who really cares,” said tackle Kyle Long on the Carmen and Jurko Show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Monday, via ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson.
In Week 14 against Washington, the Bears struggled in a lot of different areas, but a few players did stand out because of their strong performances.
Whose stock is rising and whose stock is falling as the Bears prepare to take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15?
Stock Up: Lamarr Houston
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It took Lamarr Houston some time to adjust to playing outside linebacker in Chicago's 3-4 defense this season, but the veteran pass-rusher notched his team-leading sixth sack on Sunday against the Redskins.
Houston was one of Chicago's biggest offseason signings in 2014, but he struggled with his production last season—recording just 11 tackles in eight games—before tearing his ACL celebrating his first sack of the year. He missed the final eight games of 2014 and was moved from defensive end to outside linebacker this offseason.
After a slow start to the year, Houston has seen an increase in both his snaps and his production in recent weeks.
According to Pro Football Focus, Houston has played 127 of the team's 214 snaps on defense in the last three games, and he has recorded two sacks and nine quarterback hurries during that time.
In Week 14, the former University of Texas standout played one of his best games of the season. He finished the game with a season-high nine tackles and one sack, and according to Pro Football Focus, his plus-2.6 overall grade was his highest of the year.
Five of Houston's six sacks this season have come in the last six games, and he is starting to look like a player who fits in coordinator Vic Fangio's defense on the outside. He does have a tendency to rush too far up the field at times, but he has a good motor and does a nice job of working back toward the quarterback.
Houston was a disappointment last season and did not play well at the beginning of this year, but he is quickly becoming a major part of Chicago's pass rush on the outside.
Stock Down: Shea McClellin
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Since Shea McClellin was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, the Bears have struggled to find the perfect spot for the former Boise State Bronco.
McClellin began his NFL career as a 4-3 defensive end after spending the majority of his collegiate career as a 3-4 outside linebacker, and he struggled to adjust to playing with his hand in the ground. McClellin was often overpowered by offensive tackles at the line of scrimmage, and he struggled to set the edge against the run.
Following two disappointing seasons at defensive end, Chicago moved McClellin to strong-side linebacker in 2014. He showed some progress and was able to better utilize his skill set playing out of a two-point stance, but he lacked the natural instincts to make plays when needed the most.
The Bears moved him to inside linebacker this offseason in their new 3-4 scheme, and he played well at the start of this season. Following a knee injury he suffered in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs, McClellin missed the team's next three games before returning against the St. Louis Rams in Week 10.
The young inside linebacker has recorded 40 tackles in the last five games, but he has struggled mightily against the pass in recent weeks, including Sunday against Washington.
According to Pro Football Focus, McClellin was targeted five times in the passing game by Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, and he allowed five catches for 32 yards with one touchdown.
McClellin possesses the speed and athleticism to match up with most tight ends and running backs in the passing game, but he struggles to read and diagnose plays off the snap of the ball, often leaving him a step or two behind.
In the coming weeks, McClellin will need to show improvement against both the run and the pass if he wants to stay on the roster in 2016.
Stock Up: Zach Miller
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Last week, the Bears placed tight end Martellus Bennett on injured reserve, and backup tight end Zach Miller once again stepped up in Bennett's absence.
Miller caught five passes against Washington for 85 yards and scored his fifth touchdown of the season. All five of Miller's touchdowns have come in the last six games.
After spending the early part of the season primarily as a blocker, Miller started to become a bigger part of Chicago's passing game in Week 9 against the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football.
He recorded one touchdown against the Chargers and followed that up with five catches for 107 yards with two touchdowns against St. Louis in Week 10.
Miller has great size (6'5", 240 lbs) for the position and also possesses above-average speed. He runs crisp routes, has strong hands and is not afraid to fight for yards after the catch. On Sunday against Washington, Miller did a nice job of creating separation off the snap of the ball, and he was a safety valve for quarterback Jay Cutler when pass protection broke down around him.
Head coach John Fox praised Miller on Monday for what he has been able to accomplish this season.
"I'm probably as proud of his accomplishments as anyone on the football team," Fox said, per the team's official Twitter account.
Even though he is currently playing on a one-year contract, Miller admitted he is not worried about the future right now.
“I think if I worry about that future, I’m not really focused on what I’m doing now—on a day-to-day basis or a weekly basis,” said Miller, per ChicagoFootball.com's Arthur Arkush.
Miller has stepped up big in recent weeks, and with Bennett out for the rest of the year, the veteran tight end will have a chance to earn a spot on the roster for next season in the final three games of 2015.
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Stock Down: Starting Tackles
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Starting right tackle Kyle Long and starting left tackle Charles Leno have both been pleasant surprises at their new positions this season, but both struggled on Sunday against Washington.
Leno spent most of the offseason at right tackle, but after struggling to secure the starting job in training camp and the preseason, he began the season as the team's reserve swing tackle. An injury to Jermon Bushrod in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks forced Leno into service at left tackle, and he has been the team's starter at the position ever since.
He has held his own on the left side throughout the season, but on Sunday against the Redskins, he played one of his worst games of the year. According to Pro Football Focus, he did not allow a sack, but he did give up a season-high seven quarterback hurries.
Leno has the athleticism to match up with elite pass-rushers on the outside, but he struggles with his technique at times. Against Washington, he failed to engage with edge-rushers off the snap and was often beat to the inside. He has the potential to be a solid option at left tackle in the future, but he needs to learn how to better utilize his athleticism.
On the other side of the line, Long also played one of his worst games of the year.
Long moved to right tackle just before the start of the season, and after struggling in Week 1 against Packers outside linebacker Julius Peppers, the former Pro Bowl guard started to show signs of progress in the following weeks.
On Sunday against Washington, Long gave up just his fourth sack of the season, but it was his first sack allowed since Week 3 against Seattle, according to Pro Football Focus. He struggled with outside linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy all afternoon, and he was disappointed in his performance after the game.
“A lot of things I did today that I wasn’t happy with,” said Long, per Arkush. “I honestly feel like I cost us the game today in the first half. No matter how good our team played in the second half, I feel I put ourselves in enough of a hole to put us behind the eight ball.”
He gave up a sack to Murphy that resulted in a Cutler fumble, and Long admitted he struggled with his hand usage against Murphy.
"I left my hands out there too long. That’s what it looks like to get caught with your pants down," he said, per Arkush.
Long is undoubtedly the most talented offensive lineman on Chicago's roster, but he struggled all afternoon with his technique. He is still a player Chicago will build around for the future, but he proved on Sunday even Pro Bowl players can have off days.
Stock Down: Kyle Fuller
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Cornerback Kyle Fuller started off slow this season but showed signs of progress in recent weeks before struggling against the Redskins on Sunday.
Fuller played a lot of off-coverage against Washington's receivers, and according to Pro Football Focus, he allowed four catches on five targets for 66 yards. He struggled when giving up a cushion in the passing game, and he also struggled to set the edge against the run.
On Cousins' touchdown run in the first quarter, Fuller crashed down hard while Cousins was running the zone read. Fuller's aggressiveness caused Cousins to pull the ball in instead of handing it off to the running back, and he ran into the end zone untouched for the touchdown.
The former Virginia Tech standout struggled to tackle Redskins tight end Jordan Reed in the middle of the field in the first half, but the young cornerback made up for his poor play by hauling in an interception in the third quarter.
Fuller failed to play aggressively at the line of scrimmage all afternoon, and that gave Washington's receivers the chance to get open down the field.
Despite Fuller's struggles on Sunday, Pro Football Focus pointed out how effective the young cornerback has been in recent weeks.
"Since the Bears' Week 7 bye, Kyle Fuller has the seventh-highest coverage grade among cornerbacks and is allowing a 39.1 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks," tweeted PFF's official Twitter account.
Fuller has quietly developed into a reliable cornerback this season, but his play on Sunday proved he is still a work in progress.
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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