The Chicago Bears (0-1) were defeated by the Green Bay Packers (1-0), 38-20, where Chicago has dropped 11 straight losses dating back to last season.
It was an ugly outing from start to finish, although the fact the Bears trailed 10-6 at halftime seemed like a miracle. But things got out of control quickly in the second half, where the Packers outscored Chicago 28-14. The Bears were outcoached, outplayed and outclassed in every facet.
Buy Bears TicketsHere’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Bears in this loss.
Offense: F
The Bears offense gets an F only because there isn’t a grade lower than it. It was an ugly showing from start to finish, where it was clear the lack of a true preseason impacted the offense. New year, more of the same on offense.
Justin Fields had a rough outing, completing 24-of-37 passes for 216 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a 78.2 rating. He added a game-high 59 rushing yards on nine carries. Fields made some costly mistakes in the second half, including a fumble and pick-six. Fields resembled his early 2022 self, which isn’t reassuring news for his Year 3 development.
Fields certainly wasn’t helped by the offensive line, which couldn’t block to save its life. Fields was under constant duress, and he was sacked four times. Darnell Mooney led the offense with 53 receiving yards on four catches, including a touchdown reception. But DJ Moore was pretty much ignored, outside of his two targets — both catches for 25 yards early in the second quarter.
The one bright spot was rookie running back Roschon Johnson, who attempted to light a fire when things were at their absolute worst. Johnson had five carries for 20 yards and a touchdown and added six catches for 25 yards, and he certainly looks like RB1 material.
Defense: D
The Bears defense was disappointing in all facets against the Packers, particularly when it came to the pass defense. Chicago failed to generate pressure on Jordan Love, making just his second career start, which allowed him to get comfortable early and wreak havoc on the Bears’ secondary.
Chicago consistently rushed four, and they continued to be allergic to blitzing the quarterback, which simply set Love up for success. Outside of Yannick Ngakoue’s early sack, the defense failed to get close to Love. Not a great sign for a pass rush that was the worst in the NFL last season.
Love completed 15-of-27 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns for a 123.2 rating. Love was able to find success without his top wideout Christian Watson, where running back Aaron Jones, tight end Luke Musgrave and receiver Jayden Reed were his top targets. Safety Eddie Jackson and linebacker T.J. Edwards gave up touchdowns to receiver Romeo Doubs and Jones, respectively.
If we’re looking for one positive, it has to be the Bears’ run defense, which was among the worst in the NFL last season. Chicago held Green Bay to 92 rushing yards and 2.9 yards per carry (with Jones leading the way with 41 yards on nine carries and a score, Patrick Taylor totaling 22 yards on five carries and A.J. Dillon struggled on the ground with 19 yards on 13 carries.)
Special teams: C-
While the offense and defense were downright ugly, the Bears were far from perfect on special teams. Chicago’s punt coverage unit struggled, which included missed tackles from Travis Homer and Khari Blasingame on Jayden Reed’s 35-yard punt return that gave Green Bay’s offense another short field.
The bright spot was kicker Cairo Santos, who continues to prove to be one of the more reliable players on the team. He made both of his field goals, connecting from 47 yards and 29 yards. Santos didn’t have an opportunity to attempt any extra points, an area where he struggled at times last season, as Chicago attempted two-point conversions after both touchdowns.
Coaching: F
After an entire offseason to prepare and formulate a game plan, it was clear from the opening series that the Bears weren’t prepared to play this game. This loss falls on Matt Eberflus and his coaching staff. Whether it was the decision to play starters sparingly in the preseason, the poor execution or the demoralizing looks along the sideline when things started to slip away.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had another brutal showing as offensive play caller, where he displayed the same conservative nature that got Chicago in trouble early last season. Bears fans were fuming about Getsy’s repeated use of failed screens and run calls, as well as failure to attack downfield. Not to mention, DJ Moore was a complete no-show outside of his two completions. Getsy needs to make adjustments.
Like his offensive counterpart, defensive coordinator Alan Williams had a brutal showing against the Packers. Facing a young, inexperienced quarterback in Jordan Love, the Bears failed to blitz him, consistently rushing four. Love was comfortable in the pocket and shredded the Bears defense to the tune of 245 yards and three touchdowns. Williams needs to do some self-evaluation after this game.
While it’s too early to overreact to one game, if this trend continues and adjustments fail to be made, it’s fair to assume Eberflus, Getsy and Williams would be on the hot seat.
