The Chicago Bears suffered a 29-22 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings, but it was a moral victory in many ways. Especially when it comes to the development of quarterback Justin Fields.
Pro Football Focus handed out player grades for those who took a snap in the Bears’ Week 5 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
- WR Velus Jones Jr. – 85.7
- LT Braxton Jones – 83.8
- QB Justin Fields – 77.9
Justin Fields had his best game of the season against the Vikings, which earned him the third-highest grade among offensive players. Fields completed 71% of his passes for 208 yards with a touchdown and a 118.8 passer rating. He added 47 yards on eight carries. Fields earned a high mark in the run game (92.4) and so-so marks in passing (56.2) and run blocking (60.0). Velus Jones Jr. only saw three offensive snaps against the Vikings, but his first was the most meaningful. He caught his first NFL reception for a nine-yard touchdown. Jones earned a 78.1 mark in passing and a 60.0 in run blocking. Braxton Jones was the second-highest graded offensive player. He didn’t allow a sack against the Vikings, and he received high marks in run blocking (90.5) and pass blocking (68.7).
Bottom 3 offense
- WR Dante Pettis – 39.5
- TE Ryan Griffin – 44.5
- WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette – 44.6
Two of the Bears’ lowest-graded offensive players were receivers who made some glaring mistakes. Dante Pettis had two drops on easy catches on third down. He earned a 40.4 grade in passing and a 59.8 in run blocking. Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who had one catch for 15 yards, had a costly fumble on the final drive of the game, which cost Chicago a chance to win (or tie) the game. While he earned a strong mark in run blocking (81.1), he was marked down in the passing game (47.6). Ryan Griffin struggled across the board, particularly in pass protection (8.6). He also earned low marks in the passing game (56.4) and run blocking (49.7).
Top 3 defense
- CB Kindle Vildor – 89.1
- LB Matt Adams – 82.4
- DE Al-Quadin Muhammad – 68.5
Kindle Vildor was the highest-graded Bears defender with an impressive 89.1. He had another strong game with starter Jaylon Johnson sidelined for a third game. Vildor had 6 tackles and his first NFL interception, which led to a Bears field goal. He earned strong marks in coverage (89.4), tackling (79.) and run defense (74.3). Matt Adams made his return to the starting lineup, and he had the strongest performance of Chicago’s linebackers. Adams earned solid marks in tackling (71.7), run defense (68.8) and coverage (61.2). Al-Quadin Muhammad had another strong game, where he totaled 3 tackles. He earned strong marks in run defense (76.3) and tackling (71.7), but was marked down in pass rush (53.4) and coverage (60.0).
Bottom 3 defense
- DE Robert Quinn – 29.9
- CB Jaylon Jones – 30.0
- DT Justin Jones – 30.5
For a second straight week, Robert Quinn was the lowest-graded Bears defender at 29.9. Quinn was held out of the box score, and he received low marks in tackling (20.9) and run defense (29.7), but better marks in coverage (60.0) and pass rush (56.5). With Jaylon Johnson sidelined, we saw a lot of Jaylon Jones, and he struggled mightily. Jones, who had 13 tackles, struggled in coverage (31.3) and run defense (32.4), but was marked up in tackling (65.7). Justin Jones had another rough outing against the run, although he notched the only sack of the game for Chicago. Jones was marked down in run defense (30.3) but received higher marks in tackling (67.4), pass rush (59.1) and coverage (60.0).
Other notables
- WR Darnell Mooney – 72.0
- TE Cole Kmet – 65.8
- CB Kyler Gordon – 66.6
- DE Dominique Robinson – 64.2
Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet were the fourth- and fifth-highest graded offensive players for the Bears. Mooney had two catches for 52 yards, including an impressive one-handed 39-yard grab that lit a spark under the offense. He earned a 78.1 mark in the passing game and a 55.7 in run blocking. Kmet saw more action in the passing game, where he had four catches for 45 yards. He earned solid marks in pass blocking (74.6) and passing (66.4), but was marked down in run blocking (55.3).
Kyler Gordon had his best game of his rookie season, and he was the fourth-highest graded defensive player for Chicago at 66.6. Gordon, who had 10 tackles, earned a high 69.6 mark in coverage, as well as tackling (63.7), run defense (58.2) and pass rush (52.0). Fellow rookie Dominique Robinson had another solid game against the Vikings, which included blocking a Vikings field goal attempt. On defense, Robinson had 3 tackles, including 1 for a loss. He received solid marks in tackling (72.4) and run defense (64.2) but was marked down in coverage (60.3) and pass rush (59.3).
