For the first time in nearly a year, the Chicago Bears began a week of practice, coming off a regular-season win after they dismantled the Washington Commanders 40-20 on Thursday Night Football. The Bears were in control for most of the game as they got off to a fast start thanks to quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver DJ Moore and never looked back. The score at halftime was 27-3, and though a late surge from the Commanders made things a bit more interesting late in the game, they were never a true threat to mount a comeback.
This was a team victory thanks to many different contributors on both sides of the ball, which means plenty of Bears players are seeing their stock rise as they get ready for a divisional matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Here is the latest look at the Chicago Bears Stock Exchange heading into Week 6.
Stock up: WR DJ Moore
DJ Moore’s stock could not be any higher than it is following his historic Week 5 performance. The Bears’ WR1 torched the Commanders defense with eight catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Moore’s receiving yards were the second most in a game in Bears history, just 19 behind Alshon Jeffery, who had 249 yards back in 2013 against the Minnesota Vikings. His three touchdowns were the most since Taylor Gabriel in 2019, which also came against Washington. For more context, last year’s leading touchdown scorer for the Bears at receiver was Dante Pettis, who had the same number of scores for the entire season.
Moore was sensational and could not be stopped no matter what route he ran. Whether he was shaking defenders loose on a deep flag pattern or breaking tackles on a curl, Moore was racking up plenty of yards after the catch. It’s clear he and Fields have found their groove together, and the quarterback can finally put trust in a bona fide playmaker at receiver.
Stock up: G Teven Jenkins
Welcome back, Teven Jenkins. You were sorely missed on the offensive line. Jenkins played his first game of the 2023 season after starting the year on injured reserve and promptly handled one of the best defensive lines in football with ease. The third-year lineman allowed zero quarterback pressures while rotating in and out of the lineup and was a mauler in the run game, opening up holes left and right.
Now with ample time to practice, Jenkins should be good for the entire game going forward. That’s bad news for opposing defensive lines, as the Bears might have fixed their interior offensive line woes. For the most part, at least.
Stock down: OT Larry Borom
If there was one weak link on the offensive line last week when it came to blocking, it was left tackle Larry Borom. The temporary starter had held his own for the most part after filling in for the injured Braxton Jones since Week 3, but struggled mightily the past week against Washington.
Borom allowed eight quarterback pressures and two hits last Thursday, easily the most of any Bears offensive lineman, according to PFF. His pass-blocking grade was 8. Granted, he was facing one of the better edge rushers in the game, Chase Young. But if Fields is going to continue to play at this level, the protection needs to hold up, and Borom is the weak link at the moment.
Stock up: DT Gervon Dexter
Moving to the defensive line, the Bears finally were able to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback last week. They made Sam Howell’s night much more difficult than it should have been, and that’s in part due to the play of rookie defensive tackle Gervon Dexter.
After a slow start to the season, Dexter is catching on and had the best game of his young career. Dexter had one tackle, one pass defensed, and two quarterback hits, but showed up outside of the normal box score stats. He was constantly disrupting the rhythm of Washington’s offense with six QB pressures, according to PFF. He also had a pass rush win rate of 22.2%, a very solid output for a defensive tackle. Dexter is earning more snaps and might be on the verge of becoming a consistent threat on the line.
Stock down: LB Tremaine Edmunds
We’re entering Week 6, and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has yet to show he’s a difference-maker on defense. Edmunds, the third-most expensive player on the team in 2023, continues to rack up tackles downfield but not much else. He finished with nine total tackles, only two of which were solo. He has just three tackles for loss for the entire season, with no pass breakups or turnovers. In other words, Edmunds is serving up empty calories with his performances this season.
In his defense, Edmunds is being asked to be the field general on defense and simply isn’t able to handle that. He often looks lost in coverage and is playing catchup while players are running downfield on him. If the defensive line continues to improve, his play should as well. But this has been a bad start for the linebacker, and unless it gets better, his contract will look like a disaster.
Stock up: DL DeMarcus Walker
One free agent acquisition who did show up last Thursday was defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker, after he had a quiet start to the 2023 season. Walker totaled four tackles (two for a loss), one sack, and two QB hits on the night. It was easily his best performance of the young season, as he lined up all over the line to create mismatches for the Commanders.
Walker is still a ways away from approaching his sack totals from a year ago, and there’s a good chance he doesn’t reach them, but his disruptive nature is starting to pay dividends. If head coach Matt Eberflus can get creative with him on the outside and inside of the line, he could continue to flourish.
Stock up: CB Terell Smith
Rookie cornerback Terell Smith has started to turn heads after his last two starts, filling in for Jaylon Johnson. Smith notched six total tackles, but it’s his play in pass coverage that has people talking. He’s allowed just 10 completions on 19 targets with zero touchdowns this season. Smith also missed just one tackle this year.
If and when Johnson returns, Smith has proven he’s deserving of more playing time. The Commanders passed exclusively in the second half last week, and Smith, in an undermanned secondary, held his own to limit the damage. With more reps, he can become a valuable contributor sooner rather than later.
Stock down: S Elijah Hicks
Elijah Hicks showed a knack for tracking deep passes and making spectacular plays to break them up as a free safety in college. That hasn’t translated to the NFL at all, and Thursday’s showing was yet another example of his issues at the pro level. Hicks was a liability in coverage on Thursday as he allowed two touchdowns and failed to bring in an interception.
Hicks looks unsure of where he’s supposed to be, and while he was pressed into duty due to an injury to Eddie Jackson, the Bears didn’t have this issue in the past with other reserve safeties. There’s a good chance Jackson is good to go this week, meaning Hicks can lick his wounds on the bench. But if he’s called upon once again to play the majority of games, the Bears are going to need to do something. It’s gotten to the point where he can’t be trusted in coverage.
