Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers: Full Report-Card Grades for Chicago
The Chicago Bears desperately needed a win on the road Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers, but they failed to do anything right in all three phases of the game and lost by a score of 55-14.
Aaron Rodgers was nearly untouchable in the first half, throwing for 315 yards with six touchdowns. The Packers went into halftime with a 42-0 lead.
Rodgers did not complete a pass in the second half and was replaced by Matt Flynn.
The 42 points allowed by the Bears in the first half were the most in team history, via the Chicago Sun-Times' Adam Jahns:
"The #Bears' 42 points allowed in the first half is a new high, breaking the long-standing record of the Patriots' 38 points on 10/26/2014.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) November 10, 2014"
On the other side of the football, Chicago struggled mightily to get into any sort of rhythm offensively.
Jay Cutler threw for 145 yards in the first half with one interception and one lost fumble. The team failed to get the football in Matt Forte's hands early, and he finished the first half with just nine carries for 35 yards. Cutler finished the night with 272 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
As much as the team struggled on offense, the defense played arguably its worst game of the season on Sunday night. As a whole, the defense allowed 451 yards of total offense and gave up 50-plus points for the second game in a row.
"Bears have allowed 106 points in their last 2 games (51 vs Patriots, 55 vs Packers)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 10, 2014"
"There's really not anything to say to you guys," linebacker Lance Briggs told the media after the game, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. "We lost. It was ugly. We've got to be men and go to work on Monday."
The Bears will now need to turn their attention toward the Minnesota Vikings, who will travel to Soldier Field this week for an NFC North showdown. Chicago's hopes of making a playoff push are all but gone, but they will need to continue to push themselves each week to get better.
Here are our report-card grades for each Bears unit following their Week 10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Quarterback
1 of 10
It was not his worst performance against the Green Bay Packers, but Jay Cutler once again struggled in Lambeau Field on Sunday night.
Cutler finished the game with a respectable 272 yards passing with one touchdown, but he turned over the football three times, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Green Bay's Casey Hayward.
Cutler has now thrown 22 interceptions and is 1-10 against the Packers as a member of the Chicago Bears, via Sports Illustrated's Peter King:
"Jay Cutler Chi history vs GB: W-L Int 1-10 22 He has never played a game versus Green Bay without throwing a pick.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) November 10, 2014"
Cutler played the majority of the second half before he was replaced by backup Jimmy Clausen. Clausen finished the game with one completion for 11 yards and was sacked once for nine yards.
The Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer pointed out the ineptitude of Chicago's quarterbacks on Sunday night in comparison to Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers:
"Add up Jay Cutler's and Jimmy Clausen's passer ratings and they are still 31.9 behind Aaron Rodgers'.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) November 10, 2014"
This loss does not fall directly on Cutler's shoulders, but he did himself no favors by putting his team in a hole with his early interception in the game.
If nothing else, Jay Cutler proved on Sunday he simply cannot beat the Green Bay Packers.
Grade: D-
Running Back
2 of 10
After Chicago failed to get running back Matt Forte more involved on offense against the New England Patriots in Week 8, the Bears preached all week long about their desire to find balance on offense, via John Mullin of CSNChicago.com.
Forte ran just three times on the team's first three possessions of the game. He finished the game with just 17 carries for 54 yards.
His limited carries were the direct result of the team getting down early, but Marc Trestman failed to stick to his game plan of keeping the offense more balanced.
Forte consistently ran hard throughout the night, even when the team went down big early in the first quarter. Even with the game already out of reach, Forte still hustled down the field on an interception thrown by Jay Cutler late in the third quarter, via 670TheScore.com's Dan Durkin:
"Seems odd that the guy the pass was intended for (Forte) came closer to making the tackle than the guy throwing the int (Cutler).
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) November 10, 2014"
Forte was eventually replaced by Ka'Deem Carey in the fourth quarter. Carey finished with just two carries for 13 yards.
Forte has consistently been one of the team's best performers on offense this season, but unfortunately he was unable to touch the football very often on Sunday night.
Even though the running backs' touches were limited, they ended up being one of the team's highest-graded units from Sunday night.
Grade: C
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Even with the game completely out of reach in the second half, players like Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett continued to fight for every inch.
Marshall finished the game with eight catches for 112 yards and one touchdown but left the game with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. He says he will be ready to play next Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
After appearing to give up at times against the New England Patriots in Week 8, Marshall continued to fight for extra yards late in the third quarter before his injury. His extra effort did not go unnoticed, via Fox Sports' Joel Klatt:
"Sounds strange down 48-7 but I respect way Brandon Marshall is playing...no celebrating, good effort, not running out of bounds
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) November 10, 2014"
Just as Marshall fought for every yard he could, Bennett made the most out of his two catches, picking up 45 yards receiving while fighting his way through traffic to pick up yards.
Jeffery finished the game with six catches for 63 yards and was still out on the field after quarterback Jay Cutler was relieved by backup Jimmy Clausen.
Receivers Santonio Holmes and Josh Morgan, along with tight end Dante Rosario, all hauled in one catch apiece.
Chicago's receivers struggled to create separation at times early in the ballgame, but their effort in the second half is what helped them grade out as high as they did.
Grade: C
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Line
4 of 10
After losing left guard Matt Slauson for the season following a pectoral injury he suffered against the Patriots in Week 8, the Bears were forced to start yet another different combination along their offensive line.
Michael Ola got the start at left guard before he was forced to move to right tackle after Jordan Mills was lost for the game with a rib injury, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Jordan Mills (ribs) questionable to return. Brian de la Puente goes to left guard, with Ola at right tackle
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) November 10, 2014"
With Ola moved to right tackle, backup center Brian de la Puente took over at the left guard spot.
As a whole, the offensive line struggled all night in pass protection. Jay Cutler was sacked three times for 18 yards, while backup Jimmy Clausen was sacked once for a nine-yard loss.
One of the team's most consistent offensive lineman this season, left tackle Jermon Bushrod struggled at times on Sunday night going up against former teammate Julius Peppers, via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune:
"Jermon Bushrod now uncharacteristically shaky. That's where this season has gone to.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) November 10, 2014"
The unit failed to keep the pocket clean for Cutler for much of the night, and they were also unable to open up running lanes early in the ballgame for Matt Forte.
After being one of the team's most consistent position groups last season, the offensive line has struggled mightily this season.
Grade: F
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Even though the Bears spent big money this offseason on free agents Willie Young, Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston to help improve their pass rush, all three were nonexistent on Sunday night.
Houston was lost for the season following a knee injury suffered against the New England Patriots, so it is hard to fault him for Sunday's game, but both Young and Allen struggled to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers all game long.
The Bears finished the game with no sacks.
Allen led the defensive line with three tackles. No other defensive lineman finished the game with more than one tackle.
Allen was one of the few who was able to get pressure on Rodgers, but he was unable to seal the deal when push came to shove. After starting the season with seven sacks in six games, Young hasn't registered a sack since he finished with two against the Atlanta Falcons back in Week 6.
Defensive tackles Jeremiah Ratliff and Stephen Paea combined for just one total tackle. Ratliff did finish with two quarterback hits, while Paea, Trevor Scott and Cornelius Washington each finished with one apiece.
Despite all of the money spent to improve the defensive line, they continue to struggle week in and week out to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Grade: F
Linebacker
6 of 10
After missing the last couple of games due to injury, Lance Briggs finally got back onto the field Sunday night against the Packers. Briggs failed to make much of an impact, finishing the game with just three tackles, including one tackle for loss.
Jon Bostic also returned to the lineup after dealing with injuries in the previous weeks. He tied with Shea McClellin for most tackles among the team's linebackers with five.
While Briggs and Bostic were both playing average-at-best games, McClellin once again struggled at the strong-side linebacker position.
McClellin has struggled this season against tight ends, giving up touchdowns in back-to-back games to Miami's Charles Clay and New England's Rob Gronkowski, and the Packers took advantage of his struggles on Sunday night.
On Green Bay's second possession of the night, McClellin failed to chip tight end Andrew Quarless at the line scrimmage. Because of McClellin's miscue, Quarless was able to get a free release, and he then beat both McClellin and safety Chris Conte for a touchdown, via John Mullin of CSNChicago.com:
"#Bears Shea McClellin failed to keep up with TE Andrew Quarles and S Chris Conte too slow to close - easy TD
— John Mullin (@CSNMoonMullin) November 10, 2014"
The linebacker unit has struggled all season long, and Sunday night was no exception.
Grade: F
Secondary
7 of 10
The Bears came into Sunday night knowing it was going to be difficult slowing down Green Bay's wide receiver tandem of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb.
The secondary limited the duo to just 10 total catches, but Nelson and Cobb combined for 224 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Nelson had the better night of the two, hauling in six catches for 152 yards with two touchdowns. He repeatedly beat former Pro Bowl cornerback Tim Jennings all night, via John Mullin of CSNChicago.com:
"#Bears CB Tim Jennings rarely even close enough to challenge Jordy Nelson
— John Mullin (@CSNMoonMullin) November 10, 2014"
The worst play of the night for the secondary came in the form of a deep 40-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Nelson in the first half. Jennings allowed Nelson to release to the outside, assuming he had safety help over top, but strong safety Ryan Mundy was not on the same page as Jennings, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:
"Breakdown between Jennings and Mundy results in Nelson being wide open for a 40-yard TD. The ineptitude is stunning. Total failure.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) November 10, 2014"
That wasn't the only miscue of the night for Jennings. He also committed a pass-interference penalty against Nelson that resulted in a 1st-and-goal early in the first half, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com:
"Rodgers throws a deep ball to Jordy Nelson, pass incomplete, but Tim Jennings called for pass interference.
— Jeff Dickerson (@ESPNChiBears) November 10, 2014"
Rookie Kyle Fuller made a couple of solid plays but had a quiet night for the most part.
Mundy led the team with 11 tackles. He played well against the run, but he was continually exposed in pass coverage.
The defensive line did not help the secondary much on Sunday night with their inability to put pressure on Rodgers, but the secondary had far too many errors against a team that will make you pay for your mistakes.
Grade: F
Special Teams
8 of 10
Chicago's special teams unit had a little bit of good and a whole lot of bad on Sunday night.
Kick returner Chris Williams returned his first career kickoff for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 10 returns for 288 yards. While on the surface the numbers look solid, if you take away the 101-yard return, Williams averaged just 20.7 yards on his first nine returns.
Rookie Pat O'Donnell punted four times on Sunday night for 171 yards, but he had one of his punts blocked early in the game.
While the football was blocked, it does not go down in the record books as block because Jarrett Boykin hit the football before O'Donnell did, via Adam Hoge of TheGameChicago.com:
"The blocked punt is now considered a fumble because O’Donnell never actually kicked the ball.
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) November 10, 2014"
The coverage unit held kick returner DuJuan Harris to 20 yards on one kick return and Randall Cobb to 16 yards on two punt returns, but a poor penalty by Teddy Williams and O'Donnell's miscue outweigh the unit's positives from Sunday night.
Grade: C-
Coaching
9 of 10
The Bears have now lost five of their last six games, and head coach Marc Trestman's seat is getting hotter and hotter.
"I'm disappointed in what happened tonight," Trestman said after the game, via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com. "We broke down in all three phases."
Trestman once again called a bad game offensively and failed to get his running game going early in the ballgame.
"What's transpired the last three weeks is extremely disturbing," Trestman said after the game, via Adam Hoge of TheGameChicago.com.
In addition to Trestman's poor play-calling, Chicago's defense was historically bad against the Packers Sunday night, via Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:
"#Bears just 2nd team in NFL history to allow 50+ points in consecutive games. The only other team to do it: 1923 Rochester Jeffersons.
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) November 10, 2014"
Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker simply had no answers for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense all night long. Tucker's poor game plan led Bleacher Report's Matt Miller to question if Tucker will even be with the team after Sunday night:
"I don't know how Mel Tucker has a job tomorrow.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) November 10, 2014"
In the end, Trestman and Tucker were outmatched and out-coached for the sixth time in nine games this season.
Grade: F
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | D- |
| RB | C |
| WR/TE | C |
| OL | F |
| DL | F |
| LB | F |
| Secondary | F |
| Special Teams | C- |
| Coaching | F |
| Cumulative Grade | F |
After losing to the Packers on Sunday Night Football and falling to 3-6 on the season, the Chicago Bears now find themselves basically out of the playoff hunt. While they could shock the NFL world and win the next seven games and put themselves in the playoff chase, it seems unlikely that this team will win more than a handful of games this season.
Because of the team's poor showing as a whole on Sunday night, it would not come as a surprise if one of the Bears coaches are let go this week in an attempt to improve the team as a whole.
Waiting in the wings to take on the Bears this Sunday at Soldier Field will be the 4-5 Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have had their ups and downs this season, but quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and running backs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata have the potential to wreak havoc against Chicago's porous defense.
If Chicago wants to save itself the embarrassment of losing four games in a row, they will need to take care of the Vikings at home this coming Sunday.
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.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
