The Chicago Bears suffered a 20-12 defeat to the New York Giants, which left many frustrated with execution in what was a winnable game.
Pro Football Focus handed out player grades for those who took a snap in the Bears’ Week 4 loss, and we broke them down by offense and defense, analyzing the three highest- and lowest-graded players on each side (minimum of 15 snaps), 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
- LG Cody Whitehair – 83.3
- RT Larry Borom – 77.0
- WR Darnell Mooney – 74.4
The Bears’ two highest-graded offensive players were on the offensive line in Whitehair (83.3) and Borom (77.0). Whitehair has been Chicago’s best lineman all season, which is why his exiting the game with a knee injury is concerning. The hope is he’s not out for too long. Whitehair was impressive in pass protection (83.9) and run blocking (77.7). Borom has struggled all season, but he graded out fairly well against the Giants. He earned strong marks in pass blocking (76.1) and run blocking (74.8). Mooney more than tripled his protection all season in Week 4, where he caught four passes for 94 yards. Mooney earned nice grades in the passing game (71.8) and run blocking (76.2).
Bottom 3 offense
- C Sam Mustipher – 39.3
- TE Trevon Wesco – 48.0
- WR Dante Pettis – 52.7
Mustipher was the lowest-graded Bears player, where he’s proving once again to be a detriment at center. He received probably the lowest grade I’ve ever seen on PFF with a 1.5 mark in pass protection. Mustipher gave up six pressures against the Giants, and the Bears can’t get Lucas Patrick back at center soon enough. Wesco had one reception for 23 yards on two targets, and he received a solid 69.6 grade in pass protection. But he was marked down in the passing game (52.4) and run blocking (51.7). Pettis was targeted three times by Justin Fields, but he came away with no catches, including a brutal drop on third down. Pettis earned a dismal 52.6 mark in passing and 61.1 in run blocking.
Top 3 defense
- S Eddie Jackson – 85.9
- DE Al-Quadin Muhammad – 72.5
- CB Kindle Vildor – 67.6
Jackson has been the best player on the Bears defense, and he’s once again a top-three defensive player by PFF. Jackson earned a 85.9 grade, which is the highest for any player on offense or defense. He was second in tackles with nine, as well as his third interception in four games. Jackson earned strong marks in coverage (89.5) and tackling (65.7), but was marked down in run defense (54.6) and pass rush (58.5). Muhammad, who had five tackles, was the team’s highest-graded defensive end with a 72.5. He was solid against the run (76.1) but marked down in coverage (60.2), tackling (49.8) and pass rush (49.6). Vildor stepped in for an injured Jaylon Johnson for a second week, and he had another strong showing. Vildor, who had four tackles, earned strong marks in tackling (78.1) and against the run (73.3), but he was marked down in coverage (63.2).
Bottom 3 defense
- DE Robert Quinn – 29.3
- CB Kyler Gordon – 39.7
- DE Trevis Gipson – 42.4
Quinn was the team’s lowest-graded player with a 29.3 grade. He had just one tackle and one QB hit. Quinn was only marked up in tackling with a 69.2, and he received low marks in run defense (28.6) and pass rush (50.7). Gordon had another brutal outing in coverage, where he earned a 29.6. Gordon, who was exposed and committed costly penalties, was marked up in tackling (81.0) and run defense (69.4). Then there’s Gipson, who has struggled since his big game against the Packers. Gipson was solid in tackling (69.6) but was marked down in run defense (36.7), coverage (60.0) and pass rush (61.7).
Other notables
- QB Justin Fields – 67.0
- RB Khalil Herbert – 57.2
- LB Roquan Smith – 65.4
- Lb Nicholas Morrow – 46.8
Fields had his best game of the season, which isn’t saying much, as reflected by his 67.0 grade. Fields completed 11-of-22 passes for 174 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He earned a strong 73.0 mark in the run game and respectable marks in passing (60.2) and run blocking (60.0). Meanwhile, Herbert took a hit with a 57.2 grade, which had everything to do with his poor performance in pass protection (26.2). Herbert had 77 yards on 19 carries (4.1 average) in place of an injured David Montgomery. Herbert received so-so marks in the run game (60.4) and passing game (60.2).
Smith was the fourth highest-graded defender with a 65.4. Coming off a monster game against the Texans, Smith had a quiet 10-tackle outing. He received strong marks in coverage (78.6) and tackling (72.7), but struggled in run defense (56.1) and pass rush (41.1). Morrow had a rough game against the Giants, where he was among the bottom five defensive players. Morrow, who had four solo tackles, received low marks in tackling (28.2), run defense (41.5), pass rush (55.4) and coverage (63.9).
