Buffalo Bills vs. Chicago Bears: Full Report Card Grades for Chicago
Early mistakes and costly turnovers led to the Chicago Bears dropping their season opener against the Buffalo Bills by a final score of 23-20 on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears got off to a hot start on offense, scoring on a four-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown grab by Martellus Bennett from Jay Cutler. But after the opening drive, the offense stalled and did not score another touchdown until the middle of the third quarter.
They racked up 427 total yards of offense, but three turnovers ultimately led to the team's loss.
Despite allowing 360 yards of offense, the Bears defense still gave the offense the opportunity to win the football game, but the offense came up short when it mattered the most.
The Bears will now head into Week 2 with a 0-1 record for the first time since 2009. They showed on Sunday afternoon they still have a lot of work to do on both sides of the football.
Here are our report card grades for each Bears unit following their Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Fresh off of a new contract this offseason and a solid preseason, Jay Cutler reverted back to his old self at times during Sunday's loss to Buffalo.
Despite racking up 349 yards through the air with two touchdowns, Cutler forced a number of throws and was intercepted twice.
On his first interception, Cutler tried to hit Martellus Bennett up the seam after a fake screen but appeared to have released the ball too quickly, resulting in an interception, via Bleacher Report's Matt Bowen:
"Poor execution by Bears on the Cutler INT. Show the Bubble Screen & target the TE seam of bunch.
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) September 7, 2014"
Cutler was able to get himself back into a rhythm, hitting Brandon Marshall in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
With the team driving down the field in the fourth quarter and in a critical situation, Cutler rolled out of the pocket on a 3rd-and-short, threw across his body and was intercepted by defensive lineman Kyle Williams, via Bowen:
"Cutler threw that ball across his body off the back foot. Crucial mistake given the game situation.
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) September 7, 2014"
Despite his struggles, Cutler told the media after the game there is still plenty of time left in the season and that they did some good things on Sunday, via the Chicago Tribune's David Haugh:
"Cutler: "You guys are going to be as negative as possible & we understand that. But we’ve got a lot of games left, did alot of good things."
— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) September 7, 2014"
He was not helped much by the fact that Alshon Jeffery went down with an injury and Brandon Marshall missed some time, but after looking like he had turned the corner in the preseason, Cutler looked a lot like the quarterback who has given fans headaches over the years.
Because of his poor decisions and struggles with his mechanics, Cutler received the worst grade out of all of the offensive position groups.
Grade: D
Running Back
2 of 10
While quarterback Jay Cutler struggled with turnovers, running back Matt Forte proved on Sunday he is still one of the best running backs in the league.
With injuries along the offensive line and to wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, the Bears relied heavily on their workhorse, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:
"With injuries all around, Bears relied on healthy Pro Bowler Matt Forte there. No-brainer.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) September 7, 2014"
Forte carried the football 17 times for 82 yards and caught a game-high eight passes for 87 yards.
He proved to be a reliable target in the passing game, particularly on screens, and consistently gained positive yardage on rushing attempts.
Even though the Bears spent a fourth-round pick on Ka'Deem Carey, he only spelled Forte a handful of times on Sunday and carried the football just once for a four-yard gain.
The Bears utilized Forte split out at wide receiver to create mismatches Sunday afternoon, and they will likely continue to do more of that in the future.
Despite getting the brunt of the load near the end of the game, Forte looked just as fresh in the fourth quarter as he did when the game began.
If it were not for Forte's production on Sunday, the Bears may have lost by a much larger margin.
Grade: A+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Despite hauling in a combined 13 catches for 142 yards, both Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery struggled with injuries Sunday afternoon.
Jeffery limped off of the field in the first half and, despite being listed as probable to return, he did not make it back onto the field, via 670 The Score's Dan Durkin:
"#Bears are reporting that Alshon Jeffery is dealing with a hamstring injury (looks like his right leg) and is probable to return.
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) September 7, 2014"
Jeffery appeared to be getting into a rhythm with Jay Cutler before the injury and finished the game with five catches for 71 yards, including a 44-yard catch in the first quarter.
Marshall came up limping in the fourth quarter and missed a handful of plays with an ankle injury, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com:
"Brandon Marshall limps to the bench after 2nd down pass sails over his head.
— Jeff Dickerson (@ESPNChiBears) September 7, 2014"
Despite the injury, Marshall returned to the field and finished the game with eight catches for 71 yards and one touchdown.
With both receivers on the sideline at one point in the fourth quarter, the Bears had to use Josh Morgan, Micheal Spurlock and Santonio Holmes in their three-receiver sets.
Holmes has little experience in the offense but did finish the game with two catches for 21 yards, while Spurlock and Morgan each had one reception.
When Jeffery and Marshall went down with their injuries, Martellus Bennett stepped up in their absence.
The tight end finished the game with eight catches for 70 yards, including a touchdown on the team's opening drive.
He did a nice job of finding space in the middle of the field all afternoon and was the second-most targeted receiver in the passing game with Cutler looking his way 10 times.
Backup tight end Dante Rosario did a nice job of freeing up running lanes for Matt Forte in limited snaps and hauled in one pass for 12 yards.
Despite the injuries to Marshall and Jeffery, the wide receivers and tight ends all played a solid game Sunday afternoon.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Bears offensive line took a big hit in the first half when injuries forced guard Matt Slauson and center Roberto to miss the remainder of the game. Both are expected to have MRIs on Monday, via Jeremy Stoltz of BearReport.com:
"#Bears WR Alshon Jeffery has hamstring injury. C Roberto Garza and G Matt Slauson will have MRIs on ankle injuries tomorrow.
— Jeremy Stoltz (@BearReport) September 7, 2014"
With Slauson and Garza sidelined, reserves Michael Ola and Brian de la Puente took over at left guard and center, via Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Michael Ola for Matt Slauson and Brian de la Punte for Roberto Garza to start the second half for the #Bears.
— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) September 7, 2014"
They filled in admirably for Slauson and Garza, and both made plays in the running game, evident by these tweets from 670 The Score's Dan Durkin and ChicagoFootball.com's Arthur Arkush:
"Nice trap block by Ola to clear the way for Forte up the middle. #Bears
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) September 7, 2014"
"Good block in space by de la Puente, fresh off the bench, to spring Forte for that first down on dump-off. #Bears
— Arthur Arkush (@ArthurArkush) September 7, 2014"
As a whole, the offensive line allowed just two sacks to a defensive line that finished second in the league with 57 sacks in 2013.
Right tackle Jordan Mills struggled early against Mario Williams but improved once the team brought over an extra tight end in pass protection.
The injuries to Slauson and Garza may be a concern moving forward, but if they are forced to start Ola and de la Puente against San Francisco, they should feel good about their chances of keeping Cutler upright next Sunday.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Bears made an effort to improve their defensive line this offseason by signing defensive ends Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young, but they struggled to get much pressure on Buffalo quarterback E.J. Manuel all afternoon.
Young played the best game out of the three, finishing with four tackles and the team's lone sack.
Allen, regarded as one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL, struggled much of the afternoon against Buffalo's Cordy Glenn.
He finished the game with just one tackle.
Defensive tackles Jeremiah Ratliff, Stephen Paea and Will Sutton all showed flashes against the run, but Buffalo ultimately finished the game with 193 yards rushing on 33 attempts.
Following the game, Allen acknowledged that the team's inability to stop the run led to their inability to get pressure on the quarterback, via TheGameChicago.com's Jordan Bernfield:
"Allen: "You do not win unless you stop the run. You don't get chances to rush the quarterback unless you stop the run." #Bears
— Jordan Bernfield (@JordanBernfield) September 7, 2014"
Because of their struggles against the run, their inability to get after the quarterback and the lack of production from their big-name free-agent signings, the defensive line finished Sunday with a below-average grade.
Grade: D
Linebacker
6 of 10
When an offense runs the football more than 30 times in one ballgame, it is likely the opposing team's linebackers will have plenty of opportunities to add tackles to the stat sheet.
Buffalo ran the football 33 times on Sunday afternoon, but according to 670 The Score's Matt Spiegel, starting linebackers Lance Briggs, D.J. Williams and Shea McClellin combined for just three tackles, with Jon Bostic totaling three for the game:
"http://t.co/MXwd7X7R18 has 3 tackles credited to Bostic. 2 for Briggs. 1 for Shea McClellin. 0 for D.J. Williams. Incredible. Pathetic.
— Matt Spiegel (@MattSpiegel670) September 7, 2014"
Briggs looked very slow on occasion, often struggling to get to the edge to slow down the play, and he guessed wrong on a long Anthony Dixon run before the end of the first half, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:
"LB Briggs ran wide with the QB, expecting a keeper, completely vacated the middle. Dixon gained 35 yards after Conte's missed tackle
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) September 7, 2014"
The team tried to utilize McClellin's abilities as a pass-rusher, but he struggled to get past Buffalo's running backs, via TheGameChicago.com's Adam Hoge:
"McClellin isn’t going to be of much use as an extra rusher if RBs can pick him up easily.
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) September 7, 2014"
Williams failed to tally a mark on the stat sheet, and Bostic was average at best when on the field.
After failing to address it this offseason, the linebacker position looks like it will once again be a troubled area in 2014.
Grade: D
Secondary
7 of 10
After missing much of the offseason due to shoulder surgery and only seeing limited snaps in the preseason, free safety Chris Conte temporarily got back into the fans' good graces after intercepting E.J. Manuel in the third quarter, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Chris Conte, who said he didn't expect fan support, gets a TON after his interception. Runs off field like an excited kid
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 7, 2014"
The new-found love for Conte only lasted until overtime, when he failed to take down Buffalo running back Fred Jackson on a run that set up the game-winning field goal.
"GIF: Fred Jackson puts Bears DB on his back with two strong stiff-arms in OT http://t.co/xG5bXjsqHy pic.twitter.com/eSin4gC2oh
— Bleacher Report NFL (@BR_NFL) September 7, 2014"
Conte admitted after the game that by the time Jackson got to him, his only option was to try to break the ball loose, via Finley:
"Conte said he tried to force fumble on final Jackson run. #Bills had "a field goal no matter what" otherwise
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 7, 2014"
Much of the blame will likely focus on Conte, but safety Ryan Mundy and cornerbacks Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings and Kyle Fuller did not do much better in trying to slow down the Bills through the air or on the ground.
Jennings struggled against Robert Woods in the passing game but did step up against the run early in the ballgame. Tillman finished the game with four tackles, and Fuller finished with five.
As a whole, the secondary did a nice job of eliminating any big pass plays, but they will be defined by the final play, or lack thereof, by Conte against Jackson.
Grade: C+
Special Teams
8 of 10
After struggling throughout much of the preseason, Chicago's special teams unit had a solid afternoon Sunday against Buffalo, via Bleacher Report's Bear Heiser:
"Special teams haven't been an issue so far for the #Bears.
— Bear Heiser (@BearHeiser) September 7, 2014"
Pat O'Donnell punted four times for 40 yards, pinning one kick inside of the 20.
The punt coverage unit allowed just two punt returns for 14 yards, and the kickoff coverage unit held the Bills to 40 total yards on two returns.
Robbie Gould made both of his kick attempts, while recently signed long snapper Jeremy Cain had no issues with his snaps.
A major concern heading into the regular season, special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis had his unit ready to play Sunday.
Grade: A
Coaching
9 of 10
After the loss on Sunday, head coach Marc Trestman said the responsibility for the loss begins with him, via Chicago Bears Radio Network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:
"Trestman: "It’s all about team. All three phases are involved in this game. We’ve got to accept responsibility and that starts with me."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) September 7, 2014"
Offensively, Trestman called a nice game and went with his hot hand, Matt Forte, when the team needed him most late in the game, but turnovers ultimately led to the offense's struggles.
On the other side of the football, defensive coordinator Mel Tucker started off the game by showing a lot of different looks with his defense, including dropping defensive end Willie Young in coverage, via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com:
"The Bears brought Tillman in on the blitz there, had Willie Young drop back in coverage. Different look.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 7, 2014"
Tucker also caused some confusion in the second half by showing different blitz looks, via TheGameChicago.com's Adam Hoge:
"Mel Tucker causing a lot of confusion by showing different blitz looks. Conte showed B-gap pressure and Bills called timeout.
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) September 7, 2014"
The defense struggled the most against misdirection plays and the zone-read, and Tucker is going to need to continue emphasizing the fundamentals with his defense as the season progresses.
Grade: C
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | D |
| RB | A+ |
| WR/TE | B |
| OL | B |
| DL | D |
| LB | D |
| Secondary | C+ |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | C |
| Cumulative Grade | C |
Overall, the Chicago Bears did enough on defense to win the football game, but three turnovers on offense proved costly.
While the secondary and defensive line showed flashes of their improvement at times on Sunday, the linebacker corps looks like it will once again be a major concern in 2014.
After allowing 193 yards on the ground Sunday, the defense will face another tough running team next week in the San Francisco 49ers.
If the Bears want to prove they are still a playoff contender, they'll need to slow down the run and eliminate their mistakes against the 49ers next week on Sunday Night Football.
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.
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