The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys, 49-29, where Chicago dropped to 3-5 on the season.
Pro Football Focus handed out player grades for those who took a snap in the Bears’ Week 8 loss, and we broke them down by offense and defense, analyzing the three highest- and lowest-graded players on each side (minimum 13 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
- QB Justin Fields – 72.6
- C Sam Mustipher – 71.0
- RG Teven Jenkins – 70.5
Fields was the highest-graded offensive player for the Bears at 72.6, where he recorded back-to-back impressive games. Fields completed 74 percent of his passes for 151 yards with two touchdowns and added 60 yards rushing and a score — and that’s against a top-three Cowboys defense. Fields earned a strong mark in rushing (82.2) and solid marks in passing (63.5) and run blocking (60.0). Mustipher and Jenkins were the next highest-graded Bears on offense, earning strong 71.0 and 70.5 grades, respectively. Mustipher earned an impressive 83.8 pass protection grade and was also solid in run blocking (66.6). Jenkins was strong in run blocking (69.3) and so-so in pass protection (60.4).
Bottom 3 offense
- TE Trevon Wesco – 45.8
- RB David Montgomery – 51.9
- WR Dante Pettis – 52.0
Wesco was Chicago’s lowest-graded player on offense with a 45.8. He was actually solid in pass protection (71.7) but was marked down in passing (50.7) and run blocking (57.3). Montgomery was also among the lowest-graded players at 51.9. He had 53 yards on 15 carries, as well as a costly fumble that led to a Micah Parsons touchdown. Montgomery earned a 62.1 mark in rushing and was marked down in passing (29.0), pass protection (34.0) and run blocking (58.7). Pettis was also among the lowest-graded offensive players at 52.0. He had four catches for 18 yards, as well as a costly drop. While he struggled in the passing game (56.9), he was solid in run blocking (71.7) and pass protection (65.6).
Top 3 defense
- DE Trevis Gipson – 71.0
- CB Jaylon Johnson – 69.9
- LB Jack Sanborn – 68.0
The defense had a brutal day against the Cowboys, but there were some top performers, per PFF. Gipson, who had two tackles and one QB hit, was the highest-graded defensive player for the Bears at 71.0. He earned an impressive 89.9 pass rush grade but struggled in tackling (26.5) and run defense (47.2). Teams continued to stay away from Johnson as often as possible, especially as the Cowboys targeted Kindle Vildor. Johnson, who had one tackle and one pass breakup, was solid in coverage (70.3) and against the run (63.6), but he struggled with tackling (26.6). Sanborn saw 13 snaps on defense, and he was the third-highest graded defender for Chicago. He earned solid marks across the board in tackling (73.0), coverage (66.4), run defense (61.6) and pass rush (60.0).
Bottom 3 defense
- DE Dominique Robinson – 27.6
- LB Roquan Smith – 28.5
- DT Mike Pennel – 30.1
It was a brutal day for the defense, and the lowest-graded players don’t necessarily come as a surprise. Robinson, who saw extended reps with Robert Quinn traded to the Eagles, struggled against the run earning a 27.9 mark. But he was efficient in tackling (69.2) and pass rush (65.2). Robinson had one tackle and two QB pressures. Smith’s performance was more concerning considering he wants to set the market for linebackers with an extension. Smith, who had five tackles, struggled across the board in run defense (29.0), coverage (40.2), tackling (46.1) and pass rush (56.6). Pennel rounded up the bottom three with a 30.1 grade, where he was solid in tackling (67.3) but struggled against the run (31.7) and in pass rush (55.7).
Other notables
- RB Khalil Herbert – 69.6
- WR Darnell Mooney – 66.6
- S Jaquan Brisker – 59.4
- CB Kindle Vildor – 58.1
Herbert had another impressive outing against the Cowboys, where he led the Bears in rushing with 99 yards on 16 carries (averaging 6.2 yards per carry). He earned strong marks in pass protection (74.4) and rushing (68.7) but was marked down in passing (54.5) and run blocking (60.0). Mooney got more involved in the second half, and he had five catches for 70 yards on the afternoon. He earned a solid mark in the passing game (66.5) but was marked down in run blocking (56.6).
Brisker had a solid game against the Cowboys, where he was second with nine tackles, including one for a loss. He added a sack and QB hit. Brisker earned strong marks in tackling (81.2) and pass rush (75.3) but was marked down against the run (62.8) and in coverage (54.0). Vildor was picked on early and often by Dallas, and he had his worst game this season. Vildor, who had five tackles, struggled with tackling (29.6) and against the run (44.1), but PFF marked him slightly better in coverage (63.4).
