Quarter-Season Report Card Grades for Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have new hope heading into the quarter-season period.
A look back at the 1-3 start isn't going to be an overly positive experience for obvious reasons, but by most accounts, the Bears were a better-than-expected performer, especially given the biggest hurdle.
Said hurdle is now out of the way after the Bears confirmed Monday that rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will take over as the starter in place of Mike Glennon. ESPN's Adam Schefter and Dan Graziano first reported the development.
With Glennon out of the picture, it isn't as wince-inducing to look back on the one-win start and assign grades while also taking away some key lessons and viewing them in a positive light on the chance a younger player like Trubisky can breathe new life into the team.
Here's a look at report card grades for the Bears after four games.
Passing Offense
1 of 7
The tone of the intro and the outright benching of Glennon from a normally conservative head coach like John Fox say it all.
Glennon was a disaster from the opening snap, and his four-game tally as starter rests at a 66.4 completion percentage with 833 yards and four touchdowns against five interceptions.
To be fair, Glennon didn't have a ton to work with. He'll take criticism for playing it safe, but wideout Cameron Meredith and even upstart Kevin White went down for the season, leaving him with the worst wideout corps in the NFL. The offensive line in front of him had serious problems staying healthy as well.
New addition Kendall Wright leads the team in receiving with 14 catches on 18 targets, good for 154 yards and one touchdown—not exactly what many thought might come of his reunion with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
The blame for one of the league's worst passing attacks also falls on the coaches. Weapons like Wright went mostly ignored, and talented new tight ends like free-agent add Dion Sims and rookie Adam Shaheen have combined for six targets.
Given the compounding issues, an impossible, unwilling-to-push-the-ball-down-the-field player like Glennon simply isn't the man for the job.
Grade: F
Rushing Offense
2 of 7
This one is predictable—but it comes with a twist.
Jordan Howard, one of last year's top breakout players, looked timid over the first couple of weeks of the season as he worked his way back from a shoulder injury. In the interim, explosive rookie Tarik Cohen captured the imagination of the NFL with his versatile, shifty play.
Through the first four games of his career, Cohen has averaged six yards per carry thanks to 30 attempts for 181 yards. He also sits second on the team in receiving with 24 catches on 29 looks, good for 150 yards and a touchdown.
Howard? He's starting to look like his usual self again with 252 yards and four touchdowns on a 4.0 per-carry average.
Keep in mind, too, that the Bears rushing attack has had to make the bulk of its headway so far this year behind an injured offensive line. If the mobile Trubisky can push the ball down the field and keep defenses honest, Howard and Cohen should have even more room to operate.
Grade: A
Pass Defense
3 of 7
Zero interceptions.
It's maybe one of the first numbers that stands out when looking over the Bears as a whole through four games. The new-look secondary, despite a solid pass rush up front, simply hasn't made enough plays.
The apparent plan has started to fall through a bit as well. Marcus Cooper has been a decent upgrade but made a major gaffe with the now-infamous early celebration on a return of a blocked kick. Prince Amukamara has looked good on the boundary but keeps fighting an ankle issue.
Speaking of injuries, the Bears lost safety Quintin Demps for the year; he gave up a major play in Week 1 to lose the game. Rookie Eddie Jackson, at least, has looked great, but he still needs time to develop before making some of the plays he made in college.
Did anyone mention all four names detailed above are new arrivals?
One can see why the ho-hum defense hasn't capitalized on strong play up front. Then again, it has been a trial by fire against Matt Ryan, Jameis Winston, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. If the offense can put more points on the board, the defense could improve.
Grade: C
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Rush Defense
4 of 7
Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks are doing everything they can up front.
But it's hard to keep opposing ground games in check when one of the better inside linebacker tandems in the NFL implodes. Jerrell Freeman went down for the year with an injury, and Danny Trevathan got hit with a two-game ban for an illegal hit.
Playing Devonta Freeman and Le'Veon Bell over the course of two games doesn't help.
It's a so-so resume for the run defense as well. Only one team has rushed for north of an average of four against the unit so far, but each team encountered has scored a rushing touchdown on the unit.
Still, Trevathan will return in time, and Eddie Goldman has managed to stay relatively healthy so far. The schedule also softens in this regard, so paired with a potential boost from the offense as well, the Bears could have the arrow pointing up soon.
Grade: C
Special Teams
5 of 7
Signing a bust like Roberto Aguayo sort of set the tone for the Bears special teams this year.
The heat check right now? Connor Barth has made two of his four attempts, failing to hit both attempts from the 40-49 yard range. Punter Pat O'Donnell has hit eight of his 17 attempts inside the 20-yard line, at least, but a stagnant offense hasn't done him any favors.
Returns, though, haven't been miserable. Deonte Thompson is still the guy on kickoffs, though Benny Cunningham provides a nice alternative. Cohen has done well enough on punt returns, though he's only seen eight over four games.
One gets the feeling Cohen could break a big play on one of these returns eventually. But as far as the specialists go, the Bears made the bed and have to hope it works out as they lie in it.
Grade: C
Coaching
6 of 7
It took two games too long for the Bears coaching staff to admit the mistake at quarterback.
We won't go as far as to say the Bears could have won more games so far with Trubisky under center, but one can't shake the feeling even a rookie-led offense looks better simply because he can move out of the pocket and push the ball down the field.
Instead, Fox and his staff worked to mask Glennon's deficiencies, at one point completing just a single pass to a wideout in a game. Checking down, taking safe plays and leaning on the running game and defense—that was all what a Brian Hoyer-led offense or otherwise did a year ago and not what a potential upgrade like Glennon was supposed to do now.
Interestingly enough, Fox and the staff have a shot at redemption here with Trubisky under center. How all involved handle it from this point forward could decide long-term job statuses.
Grade: D
Overall
7 of 7
| Passing offense | F |
| Rushing offense | A |
| Pass defense | C |
| Rush defense | C |
| Special teams | C |
| Coaching | D |
| Overall | C |
The Bears have weathered the storm, and, outside of Cincinnati, no other 1-3 team should be as upbeat as the Bears as they approach the rest of the season.
Unlike most teams in a hole, Chicago has a top-five prospect at the most important position of all and the hope of a franchise quarterback. Maybe he doesn't win games right away, but the entertainment value of a deserving fanbase thirsting for anything positive cannot go understated.
If the coaching is right and the injury bug leaves the Bears alone, a handful of these grades can make a turn for the better. The schedule certainly allows for it after a brutal opening stretch.
Said stretch, though, might have helped the future arrive earlier than anticipated. Perhaps no team will be more interesting to revisit in the grades department later this season.
All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
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