The Chicago Bears (3-12) were defeated, 35-13, by the Buffalo Bills (12-3), which marked their eighth straight loss of the season.
It was a tale of two halves for the Bears, who held a 10-6 lead over the Bills at halftime. But Buffalo kickstarted the second half with back-to-back touchdown drives and ultimately outscored Chicago 29-3 in the second half. With the loss, the Bears maintained their hold on the No. 2 overall pick — and are even in contention for the first overall selection.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Bears in this loss.
Offense: D
The Bears offense got off to an impressive start against the Bills, marching 64 yards in eight plays for an opening touchdown. But it was all downhill after that. Once again, Chicago’s offense failed to capitalize off takeaways, including two Josh Allen interceptions and a fumble recovery. David Montgomery’s lost fumble in the third quarter stalled what was a promising drive while there were some struggles by running back Khalil Herbert (6 carries, 7 yards) and dropped passes by receivers and tight end Cole Kmet throughout the afternoon. Justin Fields had a decent, yet quiet outing, as the Bears didn’t rely a lot on his running ability in this one. He completed 65 percent of his passes and threw the team’s lone touchdown, a six-yard score to Dante Pettis. One bright spot was rookie Velus Jones Jr., who had his best outing of the season on offense with two catches for 52 yards, including a 44-yard reception. After taking a 10-6 lead into halftime, Chicago managed just three points in the second half while Buffalo scored 29.
Defense: D+
The first half of Saturday’s game against the Bills felt awfully similar to the previous week’s contest against the Eagles. Chicago’s defense managed to keep a high-powered offense in check, limiting Buffalo to just six points in the first half. But the second half was a different story entirely. The Bills scored 29 points in the second half, including two touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half. The Bears struggled mightily defending the run, giving up 254 rushing yards. Buffalo pretty much had two 100-yard rushers in Devin Singletary (12 carries, 106 yards) and James Cook (11 carries, 99 yards). Kyler Gordon has recorded an interception in back-to-back games For the second consecutive week, the Bears defense managed three takeaways against a top offense. And Josh Allen was limited in the passing game (58 completion percentage, 172 yards). So that’s certainly encouraging. But, once again, the superior roster won out.
Special Teams: A
The Bears special teams was the best unit on the field Saturday, which wasn’t hard to accomplish considering the rough outings on offense and defense. Cairo Santos went perfect on the afternoon, connecting on both of his field goals and an extra point in some windy conditions at Soldier Field. Trenton Gill averaged 49.3 yards on four punts, including a beauty of a 63-yarder that pinned the Bills at their own 2-yard line. Velus Jones had a nice day returning kickoffs, averaging 28.3 yards per return, including a 40-yarder.
Coaching: C-
It was another rough day at the office for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who continued to struggle with situational play calling. While the Bears offense has done well running the ball this season, it was clear it wasn’t working as the game wore on. With Fields finding success in the passing game, Getsy remained committed to running the ball when it was clear it wasn’t working. Case in point, Fields connecting with Jones for a 44-yard bomb. The next three plays were all runs, showing a lack of awareness. It’s frustrating because Getsy has done a good job calling plays this season, but he’s also had some duds. It’s safe to say Getsy has a lot of self-scouting to do this offseason.
