Chicago Bears Week 17 Stock Report
After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-21 in Week 16, the Chicago Bears improved to 6-9 on the 2015 NFL season.
Chicago struggled out of the gate to start the year, but after beating the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night, the team was in the middle of the NFC playoff hunt. The Bears lost three straight games after beating the Packers and were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs after losing to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15.
To close out the season, the Bears will take on the 6-9 Detroit Lions this Sunday at Soldier Field.
Chicago lost to the Lions in Week 6 at Ford Field, but the Bears lead the all-time series with a 96-70-5 record.
The 2015 season has been a disappointing one for the Bears, but a few players saw their stock rise heading into the final game of the season last Sunday against the Buccaneers.
Whose stock is rising and whose stock is falling as the Bears prepare to end the season against the Detroit Lions this Sunday?
Stock Up: Kyle Long
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Kyle Long has played well at right tackle throughout the majority of this season, but he struggled in back-to-back games against the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings.
On Sunday against the Buccaneers, the third-year offensive lineman played well in both the passing and running game.
According to Pro Football Focus, Long finished the game as Chicago's highest-rated offensive player with a plus-4.9 overall grade. He was called for one penalty, but he did not allow a sack, a quarterback hit or a quarterback hurry.
Long showed off his athleticism and ability to move in space in pass protection, and he was dominant at the line of scrimmage in the running game.
WGNRadio.com's Adam Hoge was impressed by the former first-round pick's performance on Sunday.
"That game from Kyle Long should quiet any thoughts about moving him back to guard. He was dominant, especially in the run game," tweeted Hoge.
There is a chance the Bears could add a right tackle in free agency so Long can move back to his natural position at right guard, but despite his ups and downs, Long has been impressive at times on the outside at tackle in 2015.
He still needs to improve his hand usage and footwork, but a whole offseason spent working with offensive line coach Dave Magazu should help Long improve at right tackle.
Stock Down: Eddie Royal
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After the Bears traded wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets in March, they signed Eddie Royal to a three-year, $15 million deal to help fill Marshall's void in the passing game.
The former Denver Bronco and San Diego Charger started Chicago's first four games and hauled in 18 catches for 120 yards with one touchdown, but he missed the team's Week 5 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs with an ankle injury.
Royal returned in Week 6 against the Lions and recorded five catches for 49 yards, but he was held to just three catches for two yards against the Vikings in Week 8. He missed the team's next five games with a knee injury before registering one catch for 15 yards in Week 14 against the Redskins.
Following a five-catch performance against the Vikings in Week 15, Royal backed that up with another five-catch performance in Week 16 against Tampa Bay, but he gained just 21 yards on his five catches and dropped a touchdown in the end zone.
After the game, head coach John Fox pointed out that Royal was feeling under the weather.
"Bears coach John Fox said that WR Eddie Royal was really sick today. He dropped a touchdown pass from Jay Cutler today. Great throw," tweeted the Chicago Sun-Times' Adam Jahns.
Royal struggled to create separation off the line of scrimmage throughout the afternoon, and 14 of his 21 receiving yards came on one catch.
The veteran receiver was expected to be a big weapon for quarterback Jay Cutler this season, but he has been a disappointment for the Bears in 2015.
Stock Up: Harold Jones-Quartey
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After veteran strong safety Antrel Rolle went down with an injury early in the season, undrafted rookie Harold Jones-Quartey started two games for the Bears against the Chiefs and the Lions before he was replaced by veteran Chris Prosinski.
On Sunday against Tampa Bay, the former Findlay standout started his third contest of the season and played the best game of his young NFL career.
Jones-Quartey finished the afternoon with four tackles, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded out as Chicago's best defender with a plus-3.3 overall grade.
The young safety's first career interception came in the red zone, and he later said he knew that play was coming from the Buccaneers.
“We had some pressure on the quarterback, he threw it off his back foot,” Jones-Quartey said, per Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com. “Coaches pointed that play out on film, we saw it all week. I knew what was coming. We had a good pass rush and we made a play.”
Jones-Quartey played aggressively against both the pass and the run, and he looked like a player who was comfortable in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's system. He was in the right place at the right time throughout the game, and a strong performance in Week 17 could help him secure a roster spot for 2016.
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Stock Down: Tracy Porter
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After taking over for Alan Ball as the starter at cornerback opposite of Kyle Fuller in Week 4 against the Oakland Raiders, veteran defensive back Tracy Porter became one of Chicago's most consistent contributors on defense.
He has recorded 29 tackles, one forced fumble, one interception and 11 passes defended this season, but he struggled on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
The veteran cornerback was targeted six times in the passing game by Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, and he gave up four catches for 91 yards with one touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus.
The longest completion Porter gave up was a 50-yard toss to backup running back Charles Sims. As the ball hung up in the air, the veteran cornerback failed to break up the pass and then took a poor angle and was unable to come up with a tackle on the sidelines.
Porter has helped stabilize the cornerback position for Chicago throughout the year, but Sunday was one of his worst performances of the season. In addition to giving up the touchdown to Sims, he let Bucs receiver Mike Evans get behind him on a deep throw, but the former Texas A&M standout dropped the pass.
Consistency has been one of Porter's greatest assets this season, but he has struggled with that part of his game the last two weeks.
The Bears signed Porter to a one-year deal in the offseason, and while there is still a chance he returns to the team next season, another poor performance in Week 17 could force the team to look at different options this offseason.
Stock Up: Ka'Deem Carey
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After spending the majority of his rookie season in 2014 on the bench, second-year running back Ka'Deem Carey has been given a chance to showcase his talents in recent weeks.
He carried the football just seven times for 16 yards against Tampa Bay—his first carries since Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers—but he scored one touchdown on the ground and hauled in his first career touchdown catch.
Both of Carey's touchdowns came with him playing fullback in the team's goal-line set along with rookie running back Jeremy Langford, and the Bears were able to catch the Bucs off guard Sunday afternoon.
Carey is a strong, bruising back who plays well between the tackles, and he proved in Week 16 he can be a reliable contributor down along the goal line.
Starting running back Matt Forte is set to become a free agent this offseason, and while the Bears could bring him back on a team-friendly deal, it would not be a surprise if he tests the free-agent market in 2016.
Langford is a given to make the roster in 2016 after the team used a fourth-round pick on him this past May, and before Carey's emergence in recent weeks, he appeared to be a long shot to make the roster next season after being inactive on game days early in the season.
Carey has only ran the football 42 times for 149 yards this season, but he has been a reliable contributor on offense and a willing participant on special teams.
The former Arizona Wildcat showed off his versatility on Sunday against the Buccaneers, and he will get one last chance to prove himself to Chicago's coaching staff and front office in Week 17 against the Lions.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.
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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