Bears vs. Giants: Full Report Card Grades for Chicago
On paper, the Chicago Bears gave up 16 straight points and lost to the New York Giants 22-16 on a late Jay Cutler interception.
If only it was so simple.
The Bears entered the game down three notable players and lost even more over the course of a grueling, windy affair.
From the first snap, onlookers could tell this was a different team than the one that got blown away on the road the week prior. But injuries and a few slight mistakes doomed the effort, especially after a collapse out of the halftime tunnel.
With the team's record now sitting at 2-8, let's break down full game grades for the Bears after one of the team's better losing performances this season.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Jay Cutler looked incredible to start the game, leading the Bears to scores on his offense's first three drives.
Long story short, Cutler looked like a completely different player compared to the guy who stunk it up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the week prior.
Cutler was poised, extending plays with his feet and making good decisions. He finished with 252 yards and a score, as well as the late interception.
To his credit, Cutler had to deal with his offensive line getting progressively worse throughout the game due to injury. He stood tall and isn't the scapegoat for this loss because of a late pick.
Grade: B
Running Back
2 of 10
This might come as a surprise—Jordan Howard put on a show against the Giants.
New York entered this game ranked seventh against the rush, and it didn't much matter. Howard sliced and diced his way through the defense on the way to 77 rushing yards on a 4.5 per-carry average.
Howard should have had a touchdown, too, but came out after a big gain and watched as Jeremy Langford hawked the touchdown. Otherwise, Langford rushed six times for eight yards.
The Bears have still won both games where Howard has 20 or more carries. Not receiving that number on a consistent basis isn't exactly his fault.
Grade: B
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
This is a good summary of the game for the Bears—tight end Zach Miller had a monster first half until he suffered an injury and didn't return.
Miller, playing only one half, led the team with three catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Without Alshon Jeffery, the offense moved to Cameron Meredith and Marquess Wilson. Both received four targets, with the former catching all four for 49 yards and the latter catching one for 35.
With the line hobbled and Miller hurt, Cutler looked to Howard eight times short. Expect more of the same if Miller has to miss time.
Grade: C
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Entering the game down guard Kyle Long and tackle Bobby Massie, the Chicago offensive line put up a strong fight in the first half.
In the first half.
It all fell apart out of the tunnel to start the second half. Guard Josh Sitton left with an injury and didn't return. The protection for Cutler that had held up surprisingly well fell apart, and the line wound up surrendering four sacks.
It's hard to find too much fault in a line that entered down two starters and lost another. Before the Sitton injury, the unit's play almost looked like the usual starting five.
At the least, Sunday hinted that Chicago has better depth in the trenches than expected. But depth can't always step into a starting role and win games.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Down Mitch Unrein and Eddie Goldman, the Chicago defensive line put up a better fight than most would have expected.
While New York rushed for 102 yards and a score, it did so on a 3.5 per-carry average. Akiem Hicks had another strong game, and rookie Jonathan Bullard got more experience playing in a borderline every-down capacity.
Against the pass, the line didn't get much of a push, and the entire defense failed to force a sack.
A ho-hum day overall, which could have been much worse, given the circumstances.
Grade: C
Linebacker
6 of 10
Fans have heard this one before—Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman put up monster numbers.
Trevathan had 11 total tackles. Freeman had 10. Rookie Leonard Floyd had another good day, applying consistent pressure and regularly appearing in the backfield.
The biggest story of the day, though, was Floyd exiting with an injury. Doctors took him out on a stretcher after a neck injury—a terrible turn of events for a rookie who had turned into a downright force over the past few weeks.
Lacking an ability to turn pressure into sacks sums up Chicago's day quite well.
Grade: C
Secondary
7 of 10
Going into Week 11, it wouldn't have been too unreasonable to expect the Chicago secondary to have a miserable game.
The secondary has been a rotating door of names this year after Tracy Porter. But the veteran's unit held up well against the Giants, holding Eli Manning to a 21-of-36 effort, and Odell Beckham Jr. only caught five passes for 46 yards.
Here is the best takeaway—unlike most weeks, Porter didn't cover the top receiver, Beckham, on every play. This means Sunday was a great learning experience for younger players, which is a good sign, given how well the unit played outside of a pair of iffy drives.
Grade: B
Special Teams
8 of 10
Connor Barth didn't exactly outperform former Bears kicker Robbie Gould Sunday.
Both men missed field goals in the gusting winds, with Barth making one of two attempts on both field goals and extra points.
Punter Pat O'Donnell? He used the winds to his advantage, at one point booting a 67-yard bomb that landed inside the 20-yard line.
On a positive note, Deonte Thompson redeemed himself for mistakes in previous games, averaging 29 yards per kick return over four attempts.
Grade: C
Coaching
9 of 10
Talk about a turnaround.
Bears head coach John Fox and his staff were the biggest problem in the Week 10 loss to Tampa Bay. The offensive approach didn't make sense, and the stellar defense still made the most of each situation.
Sunday, Fox had things back on track. The offensive attack favored Howard and the running game, the routes were crisp and correct, given the situation, and the defense was rarely out of position, given the down and distance.
It just didn't pan out.
Injuries do that to a coaching staff. Some may not want to gift Fox the injury excuse, but there's no stopping it here. Fox had his guys ready to play and in a position to succeed. The injury bug had other plans.
Grade: B
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | B |
| WR/TE | C |
| OL | C |
| DL | C |
| LB | C |
| Secondary | B |
| Special Teams | C |
| Coaching | B |
| Cumulative Grade | C |
It is hard to grade a team down so many notable players. One could knock Cutler for an iffy day, but playing behind three backups without Jeffery and Miller isn't easy. One could blame the struggles in the defensive trenches, but the team was down a pair of starters.
Moral victories stink. But here's the takeaway—the Bears played hard in a winnable game and didn't have the talent to pull it off in the end. So it goes when the injury bug just won't leave a franchise alone.
Chicago has had a handful of losses that fans had every right to be mad about. Whether the team didn't show up to play or the coaches goofed in a major way, they do exist. This just isn't one of them, with the serious injuries making it all the more difficult to swallow.
Alas, the Bears are 2-8 and don't look like a team ready to stop fighting. They next host the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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