The Chicago Bears kicked off the second season of the Matt Eberflus era on a low note, being blown out 38-20 by the Green Bay Packers. This was supposed to be a close game, with the Bears being favored to win. But that’s not how it unfolded.
What was supposed to give Chicago the edge – but ended up hurting them – was the debut of quarterback Jordan Love. With Aaron Rodgers gone, it was officially time for the Bears to take back the rivalry. They couldn’t do that, or at least they couldn’t, for now.
Buy Bears TicketsDespite the blowout, there were a few standouts on Chicago’s side. Given all of the bad coming out of the game, we’re looking at some of the positives. Here are those few Bears players who earned a game ball.
1
RB Roschon Johnson
Rookie running back Roschon Johnson showed a lot of heart on Sunday, even scoring late in the fourth quarter. Johnson is a strong runner who has the potential to finish the season as the top running back in Chicago. Against the Packers, he proved that he is willing to run through anybody and he doesn’t quit. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Johnson.
2
WR Darnell Mooney
With all of the talk this offseason around DJ Moore, fans expected him to break out against the Packers. Instead of Moore being the leading receiver, it was last year’s leader, Darnell Mooney. Mooney had four catches for 53 yards and one touchdown on Sunday. He is continuing to improve and show why he is a solid number two for quarterback Justin Fields.
3
LB T.J. Edwards
There’s a lot to make about how poorly the defense played on Sunday, but linebacker T.J. Edwards can’t be in that conversation. Edwards had 14 total tackles and proved that he is worth the money general manager Ryan Poles gave him this offseason. Once the Bears get a pass rush going, Edwards is going to be a star on this defense.
4
DE Yannick Ngakoue
Yannick Ngakoue gets a game ball for being the only player who applied real pressure, being the only Bears player to sack Jordan Love in Week 1. In addition to his sack, Ngakoue had four total tackles, two tackles for loss and a QB hit.
5
TE Cole Kmet
Tight end Cole Kmet was quietly having a good day on Sunday. Kmet was tied with Mooney and Johnson for the most targets (7), but he had the most receptions (5) for 44 yards, second only to Mooney. He also had one rushing attempt early in the game, on a trick play, that didn’t turn into anything.
