Bears vs. Colts: Full Report Card Grades for Chicago
During Sunday's 29-23 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Chicago Bears posted flashy numbers everywhere except where it matters most—the box score.
The Bears, as expected, were able to run up plenty of yards and numbers on a struggling Indianapolis defense. Also as expected, what has been a miserable pass rush pinned its ears back and beat the tar out of Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck.
But when it mattered most, Chicago crumbled.
Chicago refused to make a change at kicker and paid the price Sunday. Chicago fumbled away a late comeback bid. On an extra comeback bid, the offense ignored its best two players on the field.
Or in other words, the musings of a 1-4 team. There are plenty of positives about the future to mention within, but as one can probably expect, the grades for each unit won't stand in awe at flashy numbers when the Bears lost to an exploitable team.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Chicago backup quarterback Brian Hoyer once again put on a strong performance, throwing for 397 yards and two scores.
It's an impressive stat line and one that sounds like it belongs to an offense that shredded its way to victory, not one that fell apart late and only tallied 23 points.
Hoyer was decisive, accurate and smooth under pressure all day, but his limiting factor reared its head when it mattered most: He's a rhythm quarterback who can't stretch the field deep.
This happened often, as did odd decision-making. He targeted Cameron Meredith 12 times and Eddie Royal nine, but he only gave Alshon Jeffery six looks all day. He also missed a wide-open Jeffery with the game on the line.
It's hard to throw too much blame at Hoyer, who has been shoved into a rough situation and is doing what he can. But there are clear areas for improvement if the Bears hope to win another game soon.
Grade: B
Running Back
2 of 10
How about Jordan Howard?
Fresh off carrying the Bears to a win last week, the rookie posted another strong performance Sunday against the Colts. He managed a strong 7.4 per-carry average, turning 16 attempts into 118 yards.
Through the air, Howard caught all three of his targets for 45 yards, taking one of those 21 yards to the end zone.
Call it another example of Chicago's luck at drafting running backs. Howard is a star in the making who runs like a veteran and doesn't come off the field. The job won't be his alone when Jeremy Langford returns, but he's half of what should be a strong committee for years.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Meredith might be the biggest takeaway from Sunday's loss.
Chicago entered with plenty of questions surrounding the wide receiver position. With Kevin White on injured reserve and Eddie Royal hobbled, many wanted to know who, if anyone, would step up for the Bears.
It was all about Meredith, the former college quarterback. He received a team-high 12 targets, of which he caught nine for 130 yards and a score. Yes, he had a costly late fumble, but performing as one of the best players on the field out of the blue and giving strong hints at the future tends to outweigh one mistake.
Elsewhere, Jeffery caught five balls for 77 yards and justifiably stormed off the field after the game. Royal suited up and caught seven of his nine targets for 43 yards, and tight end Zach Miller was his usual self, catching seven passes for 73 yards.
As it turns out, Chicago's passing game is just fine. In fact, it can be even better if the coaching staff and quarterback decide to better work in the No. 1 wideout.
Grade: B+
Offensive Line
4 of 10
Remember when the offensive line was the thing everyone seemed to point a finger at as the culprit for Chicago's problems?
Good times.
The Chicago line struggled to start the season, tossing in Cody Whitehair at center and working in new signee Josh Sitton.
Now? It's a strength. Hoyer didn't suffer a sack all day and had plenty of time to throw on most dropbacks, and the running lanes were wide.
Granted, right tackle Bobby Massie got steamrolled a few times. If he continues to have problems, expect to hear about the team trying to upgrade in the offseason. But that's a long ways away, and the more this unit plays together, the better it looks.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Jonathan Bullard and Akiem Hicks led the way for the Chicago defensive line Sunday, with the former tallying one sack as a highlight.
As expected, Chicago held a strong point of attack for most of the game, leaving room for others to fly around and make plays. Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck wound up taking five sacks, though running back Frank Gore had an easy time rushing 14 times for 75 yards, which translates to a 5.4 per-carry average.
It's hard to knock a unit missing Eddie Goldman in the middle too much. But the line is just as complicit as the defense as a whole in coughing up 29 points. Better trench control could have stifled a Colts offense that was able to march up and down the field when it mattered.
Grade: C
Linebacker
6 of 10
Blame falls on the linebacking corps as well.
Jerrell Freeman had a big game against his former team, recording seven total tackles and a quarterback hit. Danny Trevathan returned from injury and gave it his all, recording six total tackles while sporting a gigantic cast on one hand.
Best of all was Willie Young, who tallied three sacks on the day while rotating in with players such as Leonard Floyd and Pernell McPhee watching from the sidelines.
But this falls under the same umbrella as everything else—flashy numbers in a loss. Young has always been a quality rotational player who will put up numbers against a bad offense. Freeman and Trevathan will always be around the football.
These known facts came to fruition, but in the end, the negatives were complicit in a unit that couldn't get stops at the most important times.
Grade: C
Secondary
7 of 10
First, a critical preface—Bryce Callahan is an absolute stud, a name Bears fans should get to know because it looks like he'll be around for a long time.
That's out of the way, at least.
Chicago's secondary stunk it up Sunday. Luck had no issue whatsoever throwing for 322 yards and a pair of scores, even while taking five sacks. T.Y. Hilton caught 10 passes for 171 yards and a score, with his and Dwayne Allen's scores coming on almost comical miscommunications.
Why? The secondary was constantly out of position with guys such as Chris Prosinski and Cre'Von LeBlanc on the field. Nobody played a noteworthy game outside of Callahan.
Again, it is hard to blame the players outright. Some of these guys shouldn't be on the field, and injuries haven't helped. But the secondary was the biggest culprit in allowing Luck to march up and down the field like he was playing Madden on rookie mode.
Grade: D
Special Teams
8 of 10
Sunday was another rough day for Chicago specials teams.
The return teams didn't have Royal back there, presumably not to risk what was already a slight injury despite him playing with the offensive unit.
Punter Pat O'Donnell didn't pin a kick inside the 20-yard line. Fan favorite (kidding) Connor Barth missed one of his four kicks, which doesn't sound terrible until one realizes the score should have been tied late.
Barth will get much of the attention this week, as he should, and he'll likely have to take part in a job competition if the coaching staff has seen enough and brings in someone else. Hindsight won't change Sunday's outcome.
Grade: D
Coaching
9 of 10
Readers will notice a theme throughout—the blame game needs to fall on the coaching.
Look at the difference between last week's win against the Detroit Lions compared to Sunday. Against the Colts, the defense looked flat and out of place often. The team didn't seem energized at all despite the fact a win Sunday would mean a 2-3 record before a date with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On offense, the coaching staff could have got Jeffery more involved. On defense, the unit could have showed up in the early goings, looking like a team with its back against the wall.
Overall, the coaches haven't moved to make an upgrade at kicker and didn't have the players excited following a tailored game plan against a bad opponent. It was a disaster that falls right on head coach John Fox and others, no matter what some of the flashy stats say.
Grade: D
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | A |
| WR/TE | B+ |
| OL | A |
| DL | C |
| LB | C |
| Secondary | D |
| Special Teams | D |
| Coaching | D |
| Cumulative Grade | C |
This isn't what Bears fans will want to hear, but the playoffs aren't in question for the Bears after Sunday's loss.
If Chicago had gotten back to .500 after two games against AFC South competition, it could have been a conversation worth having.
But the season now is about the future. Jay Cutler might not see the field again, but the roster has some intriguing building blocks and high-upside players. Think Callahan, Goldman, Meredith, Howard, White, Bullard and Adrian Amos.
There is talent on this team, but it's not surrounded by enough to win games like Sunday's, where a beatable opponent should have gifted the Bears a comfortable win. So it goes for a staff trying to make do while making over a roster built terribly for years.
Next up for the Bears is the Jaguars, a contest that, like Sunday, seems like a 50-50 affair. Also like Sunday, though, fans will want to tune in to catch glimpses of the future because it's there. If the roster can get healthier and massage weaknesses, a win might coincide with glimpses of better campaigns in the years to come.
Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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