The Chicago Bears suffered another brutal 27-10 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, which brought us back down to earth in regards to expectations for the Bears in 2022.
Pro Football Focus handed out player grades for those who took a snap in the Bears’ Week 2 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 Ryan Griffin – 82.5
- RB Khalil Herbert – 77.6
- WR Equanimeous St. Brown – 77.2
Griffin was the Bears’ highest-graded offensive player with a 82.5 grade after catching the one pass thrown his way for 18 yards. Griffin earned strong marks in the passing game (79.6) and run blocking (75.4). While Herbert played second fiddle to David Montgomery, he had another solid outing against the Packers. Herbert earned a 76.3 mark in the run game and a 62.8 mark in the passing game. St. Brown showed his versatility in the passing game and in run blocking, where he earned impressive marks in blocking (80.3) and passing (72.8).
Bottom 3 offense
- QB Justin Fields – 40.8
- TE Cole Kmet – 47.0
- OL Teven Jenkins – 48.3
It was a rough night for the offense, particularly Fields, who was the lowest-graded player on offense. While Fields accounted for 20 yards and a score on the ground, he struggled in the passing game. Well, to be fair, he wasn’t really trusted in the passing game. He attempted just 11 passes, completing seven for 70 yards and an interception. Fields earned low marks across the board in passing (50.6), run game (44.4) and run blocking (60.0). Kmet once again wasn’t involved in the passing game, where he failed to catch the one pass thrown his way. He earned a solid 65.5 mark in run blocking but low grades in the passing game (39.3) and pass blocking (29.6). Jenkins once again rotated at right guard with Lucas Patrick, but Jenkins earned a 48.3 mark from PFF. Jenkins earned an abysmal 22.7 grade in pass blocking but fared better in run blocking (53.6).
Top 3 defense
- DT Justin Jones – 77.0
- DE Trevis Gipson – 73.4
- DE Kingsley Jonathan – 68.6
Jones, who had 8 tackles, including 2 for a loss, was the highest-graded Bears defender at 77.0. Jones earned solid marks in run defense (75.7) and tackling (72.3) but was marked down in pass rush (59.6) and coverage (60.0). Gipson accounted for two sacks of Aaron Rodgers in the first half, and he was the second-highest graded defender. Gipson earned an impressive 80.1 pass rush grade and a solid 73.0 in tackling, but his one low mark was in run defense (54.8). Jonathan made his Bears debut on Sunday night, where he had 2 tackles. Jonathan garnered a 71.7 tackling mark, a 66.8 in run defense and a 56.5 in pass rush.
Bottom 3 defense
- DT Angelo Blackson – 33.9
- CB Kyler Gordon – 35.2
- LB Roquan Smith – 36.0
Blackson, who had 2 tackles with 1 tackle for loss, was Chicago’s lowest-graded defensive player with a 33.9. He was marked down across the board in tackling (25.2), run defense (36.3) and pass rush (53.9). As expected, Gordon was among the lowest-graded defenders at 35.2. He gave up 10 catches on 13 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown. Gordon’s highest mark came in pass rush at 60.0, but he was marked down in coverage (34.4), tackling (35.4) and run defense (44.9). For the second straight week, Smith was among the bottom three defenders. Smith, who had 11 tackles, earned poor marks in coverage (29.5), run defense (57.1) and tackling (57.9).
Other notables
- RB David Montgomery – 73.7
- WR Darnell Mooney – 59.0
- CB Jaylon Johnson – 67.8
- S Jaquan Brisker – 56.9
Montgomery was the lone bright spot on offense for the Bears, and he pounded the rock against the Packers. Montgomery had 122 yards on 15 carries with 8.1 yards per carry. He also added two receptions fo 14 yards. Montgomery earned strong marks in the run game (73.9) and pass blocking (74.6) while receiving so-so grades in the passing game (59.8) and run blocking (60.0). Mooney was once again a non-factor in this game, where he had just one catch for -4 yards. He earned a poor 55.6 passing game mark while a strong 77.6 pass blocking mark.
For the second straight week, Johnson wasn’t targeted by the opposing offense, another show of respect for the third-year cornerback. Johnson earned a 67.8 grade with solid marks in coverage (66.4) and run defense (67.3) while struggling in tackling (26.6). While Gordon has earned plenty of criticism, his fellow draft mate Brisker also had his share of struggles against the Packers. Brisker was solid in coverage (64.0) but marked down in tackling (28.6) and run defense (47.6).
