The Chicago Bears (1-5) were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings (2-4), 19-13, on Sunday. It marked the team’s 15th loss in the last 16 games, and the team hasn’t won at home since Sept. 25, 2022.
Pro Football Focus handed out player grades for those who took a snap in the Bears’ Week 6 loss (minimum 8 reps), 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
- FB Khari Blasingame – 80.9
- WR DJ Moore – 78.2
- RG Ja’Tyre Carter – 74.9
Blasingame was the highest-graded player on offense with an 80.9. He earned an impressive 95.4 run blocking grade, helping reserve running backs D’Onta Foreman and Darrynton Evans find success. Moore didn’t have another monster game, but he led the team with five catches for 51 yards. He earned strong marks in passing (75.8) and run blocking (74.3). Carter replaced the injured Nate Davis at right guard, where he earned an impressive 86.2 pass blocking grade and 68.1 run blocking mark.
Bottom 3 offense
- C Cody Whitehair – 37.3
- LG Teven Jenkins – 45.3
- WR Tyler Scott – 53.2
Two of the lowest-graded Bears were on the offensive line. Whitehair struggled with shotgun snaps, and he was replaced by Lucas Patrick in the fourth quarter. Whitehair earned low marks in pass blocking (31.8) and run blocking (46.3). Jenkins, making his first start of the season back from injury, earned a strong mark in pass protection (68.1) but struggled in run blocking (41.3). Scott, who had two catches for 12 yards, was marked down in passing (53.0) and run blocking (58.9).
Top 3 defense
- LB T.J. Edwards – 91.0
- LB Jack Sanborn – 90.2
- DT Justin Jones – 71.8
It was a great day for Bears linebackers against the Vikings. Edwards and Sanborn each graded in the 90s. Edwards, who had eight tackles and one sack (and should’ve had a fumble recovery), earned high marks pass rush (96.4) and coverage (70.0) but was marked down in tackling (43.3) and run defense (59.3). Sanborn, who had eight tackles and one tackle for loss, earned solid marks across the board in run defense (84.9), tackling (78.4), pass rush (66.7) and coverage (63.7). Jones also had his best game of the season, totaling seven tackles, two tackles for loss and two QB hits. Jones earned a solid mark in run defense (74.0) but was marked down in pass rush (58.7) and tackling (45.3).
Bottom 3 defense
- DT Andrew Billings – 30.4
- DE Yannick Ngakoue – 40.5
- DE Dominique Robinson – 46.4
Following a strong outing against the Commanders, Billings was the lowest-graded player against the Vikings. Billings, who had one tackle, had a strong tackling mark (67.6) but was marked down in run defense (37.4) and pass rush (59.8). Ngakoue, who had three tackles and one tackle for loss, had a strong tackling mark (72.4) but was marked down in run defense (44.4) and pass rush (47.2). Robinson, who had two tackles, also had a high grade in tackling (69.2) but lower marks in run defense (48.3), pass rush (49.6) and coverage (60.7).
Other notables
- CB Jaylon Johnson – 66.6
- S Jaquan Brisker – 65.3
- WR Darnell Mooney – 61.6
- RB D’Onta Foreman – 61.2
Johnson returned to the starting lineup, and his impact was noticeable. Johnson, who had three tackles, earned strong marks in tackling (76.7), run defense (72.2) and coverage (63.9). Brisker, who had six tackles, 0.5 sack and one QB hit, was solid across the board in tackling (83.1), pass rush (66.1), coverage (63.4) and run defense (60.3).
After Mooney was held without a catch in Week 6, he had two catches for 48 yards, including a 39-yard completion from Justin Fields. Mooney earned a strong mark in passing (67.2) but was graded down in run blocking (30.2). With Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson sidelined, Foreman got a bulk of the carries. He led the team with 15 carries for 65 yards (4.3 average). Foreman earned a solid run mark (66.7) but was marked down in pass blocking (19.5), run blocking (60.0) and passing (61.4).
