Bears vs. Lions: Full Report Card Grades for Chicago
The Chicago Bears shot themselves in the foot one time too many against the Detroit Lions in Week 14, taking a 20-17 road loss.
Rather than score a second consecutive win and complete the sweep of their NFC North foes, the Bears leave the Motor City latching on to as many positives as possible as a trying season moves to a 3-10 mark.
Chicago's young players stepped up once again, hinting at a bright future. But an inexperienced team can't take home a win while committing 11 penalties for 139 yards and only holding onto the ball for 25 minutes, 43 seconds.
Let's take a look at the good and the bad from a game that felt like it could go either way.
Quarterback
1 of 10
On Sunday, Matt Barkley did what he has done for most of this stretch—play mostly good football with some surprising throws into tight coverage.
Some of the credit goes to the Detroit defense for playing a rather interesting soft coverage for most of the game. Either way, Barkley finished 20-of-32 with 212 yards and one touchdown.
While he had some misses, Barkley hit some tight windows in coverage, and his touchdown pass to Cameron Meredith was a beauty.
At worst, Barkley didn't have what it took to win the game. But he also showed the Bears they have something worth holding on to for next season.
Grade: B
Running Back
2 of 10
What else is there to say about Jordan Howard at this point?
The rookie was on fire once again Sunday, slashing and dashing the Lions while his offensive line missed starters such as Kyle Long.
No matter—the Indiana product took 13 carries for 86 yards for a smooth 6.6 yards per carry.
Howard once again rarely went down on first contact and was patient behind a hodgepodge of names. It'd be nice to see him get more involved, but he also caught two passes for 24 yards. It's apparent the coaches don't want him acting as a traditional workhorse each week.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Luckily for Barkley, Meredith and his other targets weren't dropping many passes Sunday.
Drops had been an issue for the past couple of weeks—but not against the Lions. Meredith caught six of his eight targets for 72 yards and the aforementioned score.
Joshua Bellamy continued the trend of struggling with wide-open looks but brought in the toughest of catches, reeling in three for 45 yards. Daniel Brown continued surprising with six catches for 42 yards.
The Bears have a nice base of depth talent here, but without names like Alshon Jeffery or Zach Miller, the passing attack didn't have enough punch to get it done.
Grade: B-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
With Josh Sitton back, the Chicago offensive line put together another mostly strong performance Sunday.
Not that fans should have expected anything different. This unit has put together strong outings each week—not counting the first few games of the season—fighting through lineup shuffles to control the line of scrimmage.
It was the same story Sunday, as the line kept Barkley's jersey mostly clean and helped the offense rush for 92 yards on a 5.4 average. The killers were several notable flags that ruined drives.
Like any other spot, the performance speaks to a bright future while being just hobbled enough to prevent success in the present.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Akiem Hicks show continued Sunday.
Hicks, who is in the middle of his best stretch as a pro, was once again in the backfield at a consistent clip against the Lions, registering six tackles and one sack.
Flanked by Mitch Unrein and others, the play by the line once again opened up enough space for the linebackers to disrupt.
Perhaps the biggest negative on the day was another injury suffered by defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, who limped off with an ankle issue.
Blame for the loss doesn't go on the line, which unlike other units, didn't commit miserable penalties.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
Bears fans got another nice taste of the future at linebacker against the Lions.
Leonard Floyd, for lack of a better phrase, put on another clinic. The hyped rookie was in the backfield all afternoon on Sunday, disrupting plays on the way to finishing with three tackles, one for a loss.
Floyd's biggest problem, which should get shored up in time, was putting himself in a better position to tally sacks. He had several that he left on the field Sunday.
Elsewhere, Pernell McPhee provided some notable pressures, and backups Nick Kwiatkoski (eight total tackles) and John Timu (six) had their moments. Both, though, lost contain on quarterback Matthew Stafford's rushing score in the fourth quarter.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
Many will focus on Cre'Von LeBlanc's interception returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter—and rightfully so.
Overall, though, this wasn't a great day for the Chicago secondary. Tracy Porter, normally a rock for the unit, got beat a few times and wound up leaving the game with an issue.
Don't forget the flags. The Chicago secondary committed several costly penalties that helped the Lions move down the field large chunks at a time.
LeBlanc deserves credit for capitalizing on a terrible pass from Stafford, and Demontre Hurst pulled in a big interception in the end zone. Great plays, but the negatives outweighed the positives, given how much easier the day would have been for the Bears if the secondary hadn't coughed up several major infractions.
Grade: C
Special Teams
8 of 10
Call it a boring day for Chicago's special teams.
That's not a bad thing, either. Connor Barth hit his lone attempt from 38 yards away and didn't miss an extra point. Pat O'Donnell booted two of his four punts inside the 20-yard line.
On returns, Deonte Thompson totaled 44 yards. On kick coverage, the Bears held Andre Roberts in check.
Again, boring. But it's better than a game-ruining play.
Grade: B
Coaching
9 of 10
The coaching follows a similar narrative as special teams.
Head coach John Fox had his guys ready to play and compete on the road against a team they had already defeated once this year.
On offense, the coaches found ways to get Howard the ball at a consistent clip. On defense, coordinator Vic Fangio worked whatever magic he has against Stafford once again, resulting in a big day for his unit.
All things considered, the game came down to silly flags and discipline. This falls on Fox and his coaching staff in a way, but at the same time, it's hard to bash too much, given the number of backups and young players the staff has to utilize each week.
Grade: B
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | A |
| WR/TE | B- |
| OL | C |
| DL | B |
| LB | B |
| Secondary | C |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | B |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
The Bears, depleted by injuries and in the middle of a rebuild while working young players into the lineup, showed up in Detroit and fought hard in an eventual loss.
Sometimes that's all a fan can ask of a team.
Chicago showed great flashes all day. A battered line held up well. Howard was strong again. Barkley made some tight throws. The defensive line and Floyd looked great on the other side of the ball.
This time, though, the Bears didn't have enough in the tank to take out the Lions and complete the season sweep. At some point, silly as it might sound to some, one has to start thinking about draft position as well. In that way, a loss can also be a win—especially if the young talent keeps shining in the loss.
Said young players have to put this loss in the backs of their minds because the Green Bay Packers come to town in Week 15.
Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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