The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Atlanta Falcons, 27-24, where Chicago dropped to 3-8 on the season.
Pro Football Focus handed out player grades for those who took a snap in the Bears’ Week 11 loss, 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 3 offense
- TE Cole Kmet – 76.5
- LT Braxton Jones – 68.4
- RT Riley Reiff – 67.8
Cole Kmet was the Bears’ highest-graded offensive player. While Kmet didn’t have a touchdown in a fourth straight game, he remains a threat in the passing game. Kmet had three catches for 35 yards, including an impressive one-handed catch. He earned solid marks across the board in passing (76.5), passing blocking (70.5) and run blocking (63.6). Surprisingly, two offensive linemen round out the top-three offensive players — Braxton Jones and Riley Reiff. Jones received a high mark in pass protection (86.1) and was also solid in run blocking (63.8). Reiff was also solid in pass protection (65.9) and run blocking (66.2).
Bottom 3 offense
- WR Byron Pringle – 50.5
- RB Trestan Ebner – 53.4
- WR Dante Pettis – 53.6
With Khalil Herbert on injured reserve, Trestan Ebner saw some action on offense. Unfortunately, it wasn’t pretty, and it was reflected in his 53.4 grade. Ebner had six carries for just 8 yards. While he was marked up in pass blocking (65.8), he struggled in passing (54.9), rushing (55.1) and run blocking (60.0). Outside of Darnell Mooney, there hasn’t been much to love about these Bears receivers. That was reflected in Byron Pringle and Dante Pettis being two of the three lowest-graded players. Pringle received a dismal 37.0 mark in run blocking and was decent in the passing game (56.4) and pass blocking (66.2). Meanwhile, Pettis struggled in the passing game (55.1) and run blocking (52.3).
Top 3 defense
- S Jaquan Brisker – 77.3
- S Eddie Jackson – 74.9
- CB Jaylon Jones – 63.9
Jaquan Brisker was the highest-graded defensive player for Chicago. Brisker led the Bears with 11 tackles, including one for a loss. He received strong marks in run defense (82.3) and pass rush (68.2) but was marked down in coverage (62.0) and tackling (57.5). Eddie Jackson was the second-highest graded defensive player. Jackson totaled seven tackles and one pass breakup. He was strong in coverage (73.9) but marked down in tackling (62.7), run defense (62.3) and pass rush (58.5). Jaylon Jones, who saw the field for 10 snaps, rounds out the top three on defense. Jones received so-so marks in coverage (62.8), runs defense (60.0) and pass rush (60.0).
Bottom 3 defense
- DE Trevis Gipson – 26.0
- DT Angelo Blackson – 29.0
- DE Al-Quadin Muhammad – 29.1
The Bears pass rush struggled again, not recording a single sack on Marcus Mariota. So it’s not too much of a surprise that two of their lowest-graded defenders are edge rushers. Trevis Gipson, who had one tackle, received abysmal marks in run defense (24.8) and tackling (27.6). He was marked slightly up in pass rush (56.3) and coverage (60.0). Muhammad made his return to the lineup after suffering a knee injury. While he had a strong tackling grade (69.2), there was a drop-off in run defense (28.4), pass rush (52.1) and coverage (60.1). Angelo Blackson only saw the field for nine snaps, and he struggled in run defense (31.8) and pass rush (57.7).
Other notables
- QB Justin Fields – 64.5
- RB David Montgomery – 64.5
- RG Michael Schofield – 59.6
Justin Fields had another solid outing, even if he didn’t rush for 100 yards for a third straight game. Fields completed 14-of-21 passes for 153 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He added 85 yards on the ground and a score. While he received a strong 66.8 rushing score, he was marked down in passing (59.4) and pass blocking (60.0). With Khalil Herbert out, David Montgomery saw an increased workload. Montgomery had 67 rushing yards and a score, as well as led the Bears in receiving with 54 yards. He earned strong marks in passing (79.6) and pass blocking (65.8) but was marked down in rushing (57.7) and run blocking (57.1). Michael Schofield had a rough day in place of an injured Teven Jenkins, who wasn’t good enough to play against the Falcons. Schofield allowed two sacks and committed two penalties. He earned a 58.4 pass blocking grade and was better in run blocking (64.6).
