Bears vs. Bills: Grading the Bears' Critical Win In Toronto
With a record of 4-3 and a half game back in the division, many teams wouldn't call their upcoming game a must-win. For the Chicago Bears, it was the earliest must-win game in a long time.
Facing criticism and adversity, the Bears knew it would only get worse with a victory over the struggling Buffalo Bills. The Bills (0-8) put up a fight, but the Bears were too much to over come in the end. The Bears now stand at 5-3 on the season and in the middle of the NFC playoff race. They will now take on their division rival Minnesota Vikings, who come into the next week fresh off of a win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Quarterback
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In week seven, Jay Cutler threw four interceptions in a loss to the Washington Redskins. Cutler knew he had to play better in order to avoid another loss.
Cutler not only used his arm to lead the Bears over the Bills, but his legs as well. Cutler showed his mobility by scrambling out of the pocket and picking up the first down on two of his rushes. Cutler finished with five carries for 39 yards on the ground.
In the air, Cutler made good decisions by standing in the pocket and finding his receivers. He connected with Earl Bennett four times for 52 yards and a touchdown. Cutler spread the ball all over, hitting seven receivers for seventeen completions. He finished with two touchdowns, but more importantly, zero interceptions.
Cutler must play well for the Bears in the upcoming months of November and December, which are the two most important months of the season. With big games coming up, it's nice to see Cutler make plays.
Grade: B
Running Backs
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The topic of the bye week seemed to be the Bears lack of running plays called in recent weeks. The game plan against the Bills was clear. The Bears wanted to run the ball, and run the ball early. They carried it a total of 31 times for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Early in the game the Bears relied on the run game, calling a run three times on their opening drive. The drive resulted in a three and out, but the Bears never abandoned the run.
Matt Forte carried the ball 14 times for 49 yards, but at times looked like he could find daylight and break a big one. It just never happened. Chester Taylor had the Bears only rushing touchdown to give them the lead with 6:18 left in the third quarter.
Grade: C
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
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The receivers and tight ends played very well against the Bills, and looked like they were comfortable with Jay Cutler again. Short and efficient routes led to 13 receptions, and a touchdown. Cutler found his receivers in stride most of the game, establishing a rhythm that they hardly ever lost.
Earl Bennett is emerging as a threat at the receiver position. He put up a four reception, 52 yard game in which he got his first touchdown of the season.
Grade: C+
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Offensive Line
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Think back to the last time you could say the Bears offensive line had a pretty good game. It hasn't been often the past two years. Well, against the Bills, the Bears offensive line actually played a good game. Yes, it was against the struggling Bills. But Bears fans everywhere will take what they can get.
They yielded only one sack against the Bills. There is still a lot of work to do with the line, as they made several false start and holding penalties again.
Grade: C+
Defensive Line
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The Bears defensive line played a well-rounded game against the Bills. They recorded only one sack, but were in the backfield on several occasions. They didn't allow the Bills to get a run game going by winning the battle against the Bills' offensive line. Israel Idonije continued his solid play this week by recording half a sack, but putting pressure on Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick all game.
Grade: B-
Linebackers/Secondary
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Against the run, the Bears linebackers held up well, but the passing game was a different story. Ryan Fitzpatrick gashed the Bears secondary for a touchdown. The two interceptions he threw cancel that out. Several times Bills receivers were streaking down the field. Lucky for the secondary, Fitzpatrick couldn't hit his target. The secondary earns a passing grade, but it wasn't all that pretty.
The linebackers made several key plays and held the Bills to minimal yards rushing. Defense in the passing game for them was on key at times. Other times it could have been better.
Grade: C+
Special Teams
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The Bears special teams were not as good as they have been all season. Robbie Gould missed a chip shot field goal. The return game was un-characteristically non-existent for the Bears. Brad Maynard had a solid game keeping the ball away from the dangerous Bills return men. He also pinned the Bills at the one yard line for their final drive.
Grade: C
Coaching
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The Bears stayed true to their word earlier in the week by being more active in the run game. The Bears never abandoned the run game, even when it wasn't very successful. Mike Martz dialed up several key plays where Cutler hit the short receiver for nice gains.
The defensive play calling was key, dialing up blitzes to force Fitzpatrick into pressure situations. It worked out well for the Bears in the end.
Grade: B+
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