Chicago Bears Week 12 Report Card: Grading Each Unit

Sunday afternoon saw the end of the Bears' five-game winning streak but not the end of their playoff hopes, as many feared.

Caleb Hanie was not Jay Cutler.  But he gave us reason to believe that the with some reps under his belt, he will be adequate to keep the driver's seat warm until Jay Cutler's return without sinking the ship.

The defense played a much better game than the final score indicates.  Despite being placed in a hole repeatedly by poor field position, offensive ineptitude, Shane Lechler's huge boot and Hanie's mistakes, the defense held the Raiders to six field goals in the the first 56 minutes, including four field goals from four trips into the red zone.

In the final minutes, though, Tim Jennings—who was having a great game—bit on a double move and allowed a huge completion to Louis Murphy that brought the Raiders to the Bears 3-yard line.  One play later, Michael Bush was rushing off the left end into the end zone, giving the Raiders a 12-point lead.

But in the end, the mistakes were too much for the Bears to overcome, as Hanie made one last mistake in grounding the ball in a clock-stop fake that wasn't. The resulting penalty ran the remaining time off of the clock.

Given all of that mess, what is there to be optimistic about?

Follow me as we evaluate each unit's performance against Oakland and hand out grades.

Defensive Line

The Bears defensive line showed up.  

Julius Peppers was pestering Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer regularly and the interior line was pushing the pocket inward and preventing Palmer from stepping up.

The Bears D-line forced quicker throws and registered four sacks with two coming by way of Peppers and one each being registered by Henry Melton and Amobi Okoye.

Meanwhile, the Bears bottled up the run as the line held firm to their gaps and allowed the linebacking corps to do their thing.  Oakland running back Michael Bush was held to less than three yards per carry.

Grade: A+

Offensive Line

The offensive line did a decent, but not great job against a Raider defense that is known for quarterback pressure.

Hanie was sacked four times, though his inexperience led him to hold onto the ball too long on several occasions and one of the sacks came by way of a bad call. Hanie threw the ball away before stepping out of bounds but was called out on the unchangeable play. 

All in all, the line did fairly well.

In run blocking, the line was just as inconsistent.  Both Barber and Forte averaged good yards per carry, but there were far to many stuffs, especially when Forte ran.  The line needed to step it up and open holes to take pressure off of Hanie, but failed to do so frequently.

On a side note, watching Lance Louis Chase down Wimbley on the interception return before the half was just amazing.  Yes, Forte slowed the group down, but for an offensive linemen to keep pace with a group of defenders for 73 yards is hustle at its best from a big man.

Grade: C

Linebacking Corps

The Raiders' touted rushing attack had a rough day as the defensive line did its job in filling gaps and the Bears linebackers mopped up the rushers all day.

Urlacher and Briggs filled their gaps and contained the edge in great fashion.  Additionally, Urlacher gained penetration on his blitzing assignments, something he hasn't been so solid in recently.

Their coverage of Kevin Boss was pretty solid as well. Despite the Bears having so many problems with tight ends this year, Boss and the TE group were held to two total receptions for 32 yards.

Nick Roach continued his invisible climb.  He did a good job of not biting to the inside and maintaining containment, as well as in coverage.  

Overall, the linebacking unit had a very good game.

Grade: A

Receiving Corps

The receiving group had a rough start.  It's unclear whether the early issues revolved around timing or the difference in the way the ball arrived between Cutler and Hanie, but the receivers let far too many early passes hit the turf.

But as the game wore on, the receivers stepped it up.  Knox's one-handed grab on the long reception with three minutes to go in the game was a thing of beauty.  He finished the game with four receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Notably absent, other than a single five-yard reception, was Earl Bennett.

The tight end group, as is the usual, did more blocking than receiving, and did a decent job of both.  Kellen Davis was the target of the Bears' fourth quarter touchdown.

Roy Williams had a decent outing, grabbing three passes for 37 yards.

Later in the game, the group came together to help rally, but had they been in sync earlier, the Bears might not have had to rally in the first place.

Grade: C+

Secondary

Tim Jennings had a decent day, save for biting on one double move by Louis Murphy.    

The Bears generally give up yardage in their scheme.  Palmer's 301 yards on 31 attempts is nothing uncommon.  But the secondary didn't allow a touchdown and recorded the Bears' only turnover.  

Additionally, the Bears held the Raiders to just 20 percent on third downs, allowing conversions on just three of 13 attempts.

Charles Tillman had some troubles in the first half, but came back in the second and did a decent job.  Corey Graham also registered his third interception in three games. 

In run support, the secondary did well most of the game.  Major Wright had a fantastic stop in the fourth quarter when the Bears needed it most.  

However, there were a few miscues as well.  Chris Conte had a shot to stop Marcel Reese for an 11-yard gain on his 47-yard reception, but whiffed wildly on the tackle as he left his feet.  

On Michael Bush's touchdown run, Both Conte and Wright were out of position leaving an open lane for Bush to get to the end zone.

Grade: C

Offensive Backfield

What a day.  The bears needed Matt Forte to step up in this game, and honestly, Forte fell flat.

Forte had one big run and did little else the rest of the way.  He also caught six passes, but did little with those after the catch.  It isn't all Forte's fault.  The defense clearly keyed on him when he was on the field and Mike Martz could have done a better job game planning.But Forte has to take some of the blame here, especially when you consider the consistent production Marion Barber was able to get.

Speaking of Barber, The Barbarian looked better than Forte as he was consistent in his rushing efforts.  Unfortunately, he doesn't bring to the table what Forte does.  But it was a good day for Barber, none the less.

Then there's Hanie.

Caleb Hanie looked like a guy starting his first game.  He made some boneheaded mistakes, including one that ended the game.  He also made some awful decisions and bad throws.

But he also showed guts , mobility and promise.  When the game was finished, Hanie looked inexperienced but promising.  Some reps will go a long way to helping him develop as a starter.  

Fortunately, after seeing this game against a good defense that hurried him frequently, it appears that Hanie is ahead of the curve and could very well end up being successful in his relief of Cutler.

That doesn't mean he played a good game against the Raiders, but it does give us hope for the remaining games he will start.

Grade: D+

And now it's your turn, Ladies and gentlemen.  Step up to the soapbox below and let your voices be heard.