The Chicago Bears opened the preseason with a 23-17 win over the Tennessee Titans, remaining undefeated in the preseason under Matt Eberflus.
Pro Football Focus has handed out player grades for those who took a snap in Chicago’s win over Tennessee, and we broke them down by offense and defense, analyzing the three highest- and lowest-graded players on each side, as well as some other notable performers.
There were a few surprises — and then some not surprises — in terms of the highest- and lowest-graded players, both on offense and defense. Here’s a look:
Top 5 offense
- RG Ja’Tyre Carter – 93.9
- LT Larry Borom – 93.9
- WR DJ Moore – 92.6
- RG Dieter Eiselen – 92.1
- QB Tyson Bagent – 87.6
Carter started at right guard in place of an injured Nate Davis, and he looked the part. Carter earned an impressive 91.3 mark in run blocking and a strong 85.7 pass blocking grade with the starters. Borom tied for the highest mark, also impressing in run blocking (94.9) and pass protection (83.5) in a reserve role. Moore only played three reps, but he made a strong impression in the passing game with a 90.0 mark, turning a screen pass into a 62-yard touchdown. Eiselen also had an impressive afternoon, earning a 89.4 run blocking grade and an 80.3 mark in pass blocking. Bagent was the highest-graded quarterback, including an impressive 86.5 passing mark.
Bottom 5 offense
- QB P.J. Walker – 42.9
- FB Robert Burns – 45.7
- OL Gabriel Houy – 46.0
- WR Tyler Scott – 46.2
- RB D’Onta Foreman – 48.4
Walker was the lowest-graded player on offense, which was evident with the eye test. He completed 4-of-8 passes for 19 yards and an interception, where he earned a 43.4 passing grade. Scott had a rough preseason debut, earning a 46.4 mark in the passing game and a 60.5 in run blocking. His lone reception was a nine-yard completion, where he ended up coughing the ball up that led to a Titans field goal. Foreman saw limited action, where he had three carries for nine yards. While he graded well in pass blocking (76.7), he earned lower marks in the run game (49.4) and passing game (57.1).
Top 5 defense
- CB Kyler Gordon – 87.3
- DE Jalen Harris – 85.5
- S Adrian Colbert – 85.1
- DE Trevis Gipson – 82.3
- LB T.J. Edwards – 78.5
Gordon led the way on defense with an impressive 87.3 grade, including an impressive 88.2 coverage mark and 74.9 tackling mark. He was marked down in run blocking (62.2). Gipson wreaked havoc on Tennessee’s offensive line, applying consistent pressure. He had one of Chicago’s eight sacks, earning a 83.6 pass rush grade. Gipson also received a solid 67.3 mark in run defense. The only area he was marked down in was tackling (44.7). Harris, who had 1.5 sacks, was impressive in his preseason debut, earning ab 85.5 overall grade. He had strong marks across the board in pass rush (76.3), tackling (72.4) and run defense (70.7). Edwards, who finished as one of the highest-graded linebackers last season, had a strong preseason debut with the Bears. He warned strong marks across the board in tackling (73.8), run defense (73.5) and coverage (63.5).
Bottom 5 defense
- DT Andrew Billings – 28.1
- S Kendall Williamson – 31.0
- LB Jack Sanborn – 36.8
- LB Buddy Johnson – 37.8
- LB Kuony Deng – 38.8
Billings was the lowest-graded Bears defender with a 28.1 grade, although he only played 12 snaps. He struggled against the run with a 29.1 mark but was better in pass rush with a 56.3 mark. Williamson, the seventh-round rookie, didn’t have a strong debut in his 27 reps. He struggled in coverage with a 34.5 mark but was improved in run defense with a 61.5 grade. Sanborn saw limited action, totaling one tackle on the afternoon. He had a strong tackling mark of 73.2, but he struggled in coverage (32.6) but was better against the run (62.7).
Sanborn
Other Notables
- LB Micah Baskerville – 77.9
- LT Braxton Jones – 71.3
- CB Tyrique Stevenson – 66.5
- RB Khalil Herbert – 64.7
- QB Justin Fields – 63.9
- DE Terrell Lewis – 63.2
- RT Darnell Wright – 62.8
- DT Zacch Pickens – 49.4
The Bears’ starting tackles had a solid day against the Titans, both in pass protection and run blocking. Wright led the way with a 71.3 grade, including a 77.8 pass blocking mark and 70.1 run blocking mark. Wright was impressive in pass blocking (74.3), but PFF marked him down in run blocking (60). Herbert impressed in the run game with his 56-yard catch-and-run touchdown, which earned him a 89.9 passing mark. He was strong in pass protection with a 72.4 mark. On the ground, Herbert had four carries for 15 yards and earned a run grade of 57.0. Fields didn’t have to do much in the preseason opener, completing all three of his short passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, earning a 63.1 mark in passing. But he got the ball out to his playmakers.
Stevenson had an impressive rookie debut with a team-high seven tackles with extended reps. He had strong marks in tackling (79.8) and coverage (71.5). Stevenson’s only fault was in run defense, where he earned a 43.7 mark. Lewis continues to be a standout player for Chicago, and he had an impressive outing against the Titans — even if his PFF grade doesn’t seem to reflect that. Lewis led the team with two sacks, earning him a 67.5 pass rush grade. He also had a solid mark in tackling (71.2). Lewis earned so-so marks in run defense (64.0) and coverage (60.0). While Pickens got the sack party started for the defense, he didn’t earn the best grade from PFF. He had a strong tackling mark (71.2) but was marked down in coverage (60.0), pass rush (57.4) and run defense (45.0).
