Miami Dolphins vs. Chicago Bears: Full Report Card Grades for Chicago
Following a 27-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Bears dropped to 3-4 on the season and 0-3 at Soldier Field this year.
The Bears offense failed to get into a rhythm to start off the game, and it was forced to play catch-up all afternoon. Quarterback Jay Cutler threw for just 190 yards with one touchdown and one interception and was sacked three times, while wide receiver Brandon Marshall hauled in six catches for just 48 yards.
According to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com, yelling could be heard outside of Chicago's locker room at the conclusion of Sunday's game.
"We lost, there should be a lot of frustration," Marshall said after the game, via Wright. "You should hear frustration. We're 3-4. Yeah, this means everything to a lot of guys in this locker room. This means a lot."
Marshall was clearly frustrated with the team's continual mistakes on offense.
"Same mistakes, same mistakes, same mistakes," Marshall said, via Wright. "We've got to protect the football. We've got to protect the football. We've got to execute the game plan. We've got to adjust when things don't go as we saw on the film."
For the third time in four games, the Chicago offense failed to make the proper adjustments in the second half, and the Bears let a winnable game slip away from them.
With its loss on Sunday, Chicago currently sits third in the NFC North division ahead of the 2-5 Minnesota Vikings and behind the 5-2 Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. The Bears will hit the road again this week to take on the New England Patriots and will not return back to Soldier Field until November 16.
Here are our report card grades for each Bears unit following their Week 7 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Quarterback
1 of 10
A week after playing one of his best games of the season, Bad Jay reared his ugly head this Sunday afternoon against the Miami Dolphins.
Jay Cutler finished the first half going 8-of-12 for 50 yards and threw an ill-advised interception. He finished the game with 190 passing yards on 21 completions with one touchdown and one interception.
In addition to Cutler's interception, he also lost a fumble in the second half when he was sacked by Miami's Cameron Wake.
670 The Score's Joe Ostrowski pointed out after the game how poorly Cutler has played in the team's four losses:
"Bears 3 wins: Cutler 7 TD 0 INT Bears 4 losses: Cutler 7 TD 7 INT
— Joe Ostrowski (@JoeO670) October 19, 2014"
While head coach Marc Trestman's play-calling did not help the situation on Sunday afternoon, Cutler routinely threw off his back foot and took chances into double coverage when other receivers were open down the field.
Not that it is much of a surprise, but the up-and-down play of Cutler this season will likely continue to be one of the team's biggest storylines.
Grade: F
Running Back
2 of 10
Matt Forte was once again a bright spot on a Bears offense that struggled for much of Sunday afternoon.
Forte hauled in six passes for 60 yards and one touchdown while rushing the ball 12 times for 49 yards.
Despite his success in the running game heading into Sunday's game, Forte carried the ball just two times in the first half. The team opted to utilize his ability as a rusher early in the second half before having to abandon the running game altogether.
He once again was Jay Cutler's security blanket in the passing game, but he was never able to get into much of a rhythm on the ground since the team spent the majority of the game trailing the Dolphins.
Forte's backup, Ka'Deem Carey, had no carries and was targeted once in the passing game.
Even though the team opted to bail on the running game, Forte again proved himself to be one of the team's most reliable offensive weapons on Sunday afternoon.
Grade: B
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
With quarterback Jay Cutler struggling throughout much of the afternoon, Chicago's wide receivers and tight ends had limited opportunities to make an impact against the Miami Dolphins.
Martellus Bennett led all receivers and tight ends with five catches for 58 yards, but the majority of his receptions came near the end of the game with the team driving toward the end zone in the final minutes.
Bennett had a chance to put some points on the board near the end of the game but failed to haul in the football in the end zone.
"Cutler's throw went right through Bennett's hands in the end zone. Should have been TD.
— Bear Heiser (@BearHeiser) October 19, 2014"
Brandon Marshall finished tied for the most catches on Sunday afternoon with Matt Forte with six. He was targeted 10 times and finished with 48 receiving yards. After the game, Marshall was upset with the team's overall performance this season, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"#Bears WR Brandon Marshall : "3-4 is unacceptable." Said it about a dozen times.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 19, 2014"
Forte, Marshall and Bennett received the majority of Jay Cutler's passes on Sunday afternoon with Alshon Jeffery and Dante Rosario finishing the game with two catches apiece. Jeffery was targeted seven times, mostly in the first quarter, and Cutler appeared to go away from him the further the game went on. Despite hauling in two catches, Rosario had a costly fumble in the fourth quarter.
It did not help that Cutler was getting pressured for much of the afternoon, but all three of Cutler's big targets (Marshall, Jeffery and Bennett) failed to consistently get open against Miami's secondary. With so many talented weapons, it is hard to believe they could not make a bigger impact on Sunday.
Grade: C-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
A week after playing a fairly solid game against the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago's offensive line struggled against Miami's vaunted defensive front four.
Left tackle Jermon Bushrod returned to the lineup after missing the last two weeks, but the offensive line still gave up three sacks and a lot of pressure Sunday afternoon.
The team ran the football just 12 times against the Dolphins, and right guard Kyle Long was not happy with the team's game plan, via David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Kyle Long just told CBS that #bears have to run the ball more often.
— David Just (@davidjustCST) October 19, 2014"
Long was also not happy with the fans booing the offense, via Adam Hoge of TheGameChicago.com:
"Kyle Long said the booing from fans at home is “unacceptable. Especially when there's not a lot of noise being made on 3rd down.” #Bears
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) October 19, 2014"
Right tackle Jordan Mills continued to struggle at right tackle on Sunday afternoon, particularly against defensive end Cameron Wake.
"Too easy for Cameron Wake, Mills absorbed the blow instead of delivering one, let him get to his pads and use a rip to free himself. #Bears
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) October 19, 2014"
Mills has looked like a liability in the past two games at right tackle, and it might be time for a change. Rookie Michael Ola filled in admirably for Mills at right tackle in the preseason and has made starts at both left tackle and left guard this season. He would be the most likely option to replace Mills.
It is not the only reason why the offense stumbled against the Dolphins, but the offensive line did a poor job of keeping the pressure away from Jay Cutler for much of the afternoon.
Grade: D
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Chicago's defensive line failed to get much of anything going against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, but Jeremiah Ratliff was the defense's lone bright spot.
After missing time earlier this year with a concussion, Ratliff was back on the playing field last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons and looked like a Pro Bowler against the Dolphins in Week 7.
Ratliff finished the game with 3.5 sacks, all of which came in the first half, and he noted after the game that the defensive line needs to be more consistent.
"We have to be consistent," Ratliff said, via Adam Hoge of TheGameChicago.com. "We can’t be flash players.”
Other than defensive end Jared Allen picking up a half a sack, the defensive line's impact was average at best against Miami.
Ratliff led the team in tackles with seven, while Willie Young finished with five, and Allen finished with four. Young also tipped a Ryan Tannehill pass. But the football hit linebacker D.J. Williams in the helmet, and Williams was unable to haul in the interception.
While Ratliff and Allen were able to get after Tannehill early in the game, the entire defensive line struggled against the read-option. Running back Lamar Miller led the way with 61 yards on 18 carries, while Tannehill carved up the defensive line with 48 yards on six carries.
Because of its inability to slow down Tannehill and Miller in the running game, the defensive line received a below-average grade despite sacking Tannehill four times.
Grade: C-
Linebacker
6 of 10
A week after starting Christian Jones, Darryl Sharpton and Khaseem Greene at the three linebacker positions against Atlanta, the Bears returned starters Shea McClellin and D.J. Williams to the lineup on Sunday afternoon.
McClellin was unable to get himself back into Bears fans' good graces early in the game, biting hard on a play fake and tripping when trying to get back in coverage against tight end Charles Clay on Miami's first touchdown drive.
"#Bears LB Shea McClellin, back for first time since Week 2, fell down in coverage, allowing #Dolphins easy TD pass to TE Charles Clay.
— Bob LeGere (@BobLeGere) October 19, 2014"
After showing some flashes before injuring his hand earlier this season, McClellin often looked confused and overmatched against the Dolphins.
Weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs missed his second straight start, forcing second-year man Khaseem Greene back into a starting role. After a solid performance against the Falcons a week ago, Greene struggled at times against Miami, evident by these tweets from 670TheScore.com's Dan Durkin and TheGameChicago.com's Adam Hoge:
"Tough start to the game for Khaseem Greene. Poor technique both in man (eyes in backfield) and zone (back to QB). #Bears
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) October 19, 2014"
"Just remember, #Bears fans, many of you asked for Khaseem Greene to play for Lance Briggs this week. Yes, you really did that.
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) October 19, 2014"
Veterans D.J. Williams and Darryl Sharpton split duties at middle linebacker between the team's base and nickel packages. Sharpton led all Chicago linebackers with six tackles.
The linebackers struggled against the run and had an even harder time in pass coverage, most notably against tight end Charles Clay. While they didn't play their worst game of the season, they certainly did not play their best.
Grade: D
Secondary
7 of 10
One of the league's best young cornerbacks this season, Kyle Fuller struggled at times on Sunday afternoon against the Miami Dolphins before exiting the game with a hip injury, via CSN Chicago's John Mullin.
As The Spiegel and Mannelly Show's Matt Spiegel noted, on Miami's first touchdown of the game, it appeared to CBS commentator Trent Green that Fuller was playing man-to-man coverage while his teammates were in zone. Fuller did not realize he had help over top, leaving tight end Charles Clay wide open in the end zone.
In addition to the possible gaffe in coverage, Fuller was also flagged with a holding penalty.
Veteran Tim Jennings had another quiet game on Sunday, finishing with six tackles and one pass deflection. He was also beat for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone by Miami's Mike Wallace.
Strong safety Ryan Mundy and free safety Brock Vereen both finished with five tackles each. Mundy was seen getting into a heated argument with defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff in the second half, but Mundy cleared the air after the game, via TheGameChicago.com's Adam Hoge:
"Ryan Mundy & Jeremiah Ratliff exchanged words after the third #Dolphins touchdown. Mundy: "Little frustration, but we ironed it out.” #Bears
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) October 19, 2014"
Demontre Hurst played nickelback and finished with five tackles, while veteran Sherrick McManis filled in for Fuller after he suffered his hip injury and finished with three tackles.
After a solid performance against Atlanta last week, Hurst struggled mightily on Sunday afternoon, prompting this tweet from ChicagoFootball.com's Hub Arkush:
"Halloween still two weeks away. Demontre Hurst may be dressed as a nickel but he's doing an awful impersonation.
— Hub Arkush (@Hub_Arkush) October 19, 2014"
While not the worst game it played this season, the secondary struggled at inopportune times on Sunday afternoon against an average-at-best receiving corps for the Dolphins.
Grade: D
Special Teams
8 of 10
After being one of the team's weakest units all season, Chicago's special teams held their own on Sunday afternoon.
The unit was not flagged for any penalties, return man Chris Williams understood his limitations and rookie Pat O'Donnell had a solid day punting the football.
Williams returned just two kicks on Sunday afternoon for 75 yards, including a long of 50 yards.
Sadly for Chicago, O'Donnell may have been the best player on the field against the Dolphins on Sunday.
"Hey guys, Pat O'Donnell punted the ball well today. So, there's that.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) October 19, 2014"
O'Donnell punted three times for 159 yards, averaged 53 yards per punt and pinned the Dolphins inside the 20-yard line twice.
While it might seem odd to give the special teams this high of a grade when they did not do anything spectacular, this was the first time this season special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis' unit played mistake-free football for an entire game.
Grade: A
Coaching
9 of 10
After redeeming himself last week against the Atlanta Falcons following two poorly coached games against the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, head coach Marc Trestman may have had his worst day as a head coach against the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
Despite having one of the league's best running backs in Matt Forte, Trestman called just two running plays in the first half, and Forte finished with just 12 carries on the afternoon.
The offense sputtered throughout much of the game, while the defense struggled to find the solution to slowing down Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill finished with 277 yards passing with two touchdowns and ran the football six times for 48 yards.
After the game, former Bears linebacker Blake Costanzo called out Trestman on Twitter:
"Trestmen has made the bears soft. I took pride in wearing that jersey. Ditka,Urlacher,Briggs. Unreal man. No respect
— Blake Costanzo (@BlakeCostanzo51) October 19, 2014"
According to these tweets from BearReport.com's Jeremy Stoltz and NBC Chicago's Peggy Kusinski, it appears Trestman may be starting to lose control of his locker room:
"Ugly scene in #bears locker room right after game. Lots of yelling, players pulled out of room
— Jeremy Stoltz (@BearReport) October 19, 2014"
"Loud yelling heard from outside #Bears locker room "when you play with heart!... It's suppose to hurt" .. Then "you just kick the ball"
— Peggy Kusinski (@peggykusinski) October 19, 2014"
Trestman, along with defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, failed for the third time in four weeks to make proper halftime adjustments, and both were a big reason why the Bears lost on Sunday afternoon.
Grade: F
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | F |
| RB | B |
| WR/TE | C- |
| OL | D |
| DL | C- |
| LB | D |
| Secondary | D |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | F |
| Cumulative Grade | D+ |
After a surprising win over the Atlanta Falcons last week, Chicago dropped to 3-4 on the season following its 27-14 loss on Sunday to the Miami Dolphins.
With the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions both winning on Sunday, the Bears will have to continue to keep pace in the standings until they get into the heart of their divisional schedule later next month. They are set to go back on the road for the next two games before finishing off the season playing five of their last seven games at home.
The Bears will now head to Foxborough, Massachusetts, in Week 8 to take on the New England Patriots. The Patriots currently sit with a 5-2 record and lead the AFC East division. If the Bears cannot come away with a victory against the Patriots, it appears unlikely they will make a push toward the playoffs this season.
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 and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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