The Chicago Bears (3-9) suffered a 31-10 loss to the New York Jets (7-4), which marked their fifth straight defeat.
Buy Bears TicketsIt was a brutal game in many facets for Chicago. Not only were the Bears held scoreless in the second half, there were some significant injuries to key starters, including safety Eddie Jackson (foot) and receiver Darnell Mooney (ankle).
The good news? Justin Fields was inactive in this game, as Chicago decided to play it safe with their young QB, who’s battling a separated left shoulder. Also, the Bears did improve their draft stock with the loss, as they now hold the second overall pick in the 2023 draft.
There were no shortage of standout performances — both good and bad — in this loss. Here’s a look at our studs and duds from the Bears’ loss to the Jets.
STUD: WR Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool finally saw an uptick in production in his fourth game as a Bear. Claypool led the Bears with 51 yards on two catches, all of which came in first quarter, where he was a favorite target of Trevor Siemian. By contrast, Claypool had 32 total yards in his first three games with Chicago. While Claypool didn’t have any catches in those final three quarters, we caught a glimpse of what Claypool can provide on offense. Especially when he and Justin Fields get some time to develop their chemistry.
DUD: RT Larry Borom
It’s been a rough year for Larry Borom, who lost his starting right tackle job to veteran Riley Reiff earlier this season. When Reiff went down with a shoulder injury in the first quarter, Borom got a chance to prove himself. Unfortunately, he showed why Reiff has retained the starting job. Borom’s most egregious mistake came when he missed an assignment that led to a sack on Siemian on third-and-3. Borom also got banged up at the end of the game.
STUD: RB David Montgomery
David Montgomery carried the Bears offense on his back in this game, contributing both on the ground and through the air. Montgomery accounted for 113 total yards, including 79 yards on 14 carries (5.6 yards per carry) and three catches for 34 yards. Montgomery helped sustain some drives, even though the offensive was held scoreless in the second half. If not for Montgomery, this could’ve been even uglier.
DUD: Bears passing defense
The Bears passing defense was destroyed by Jets backup Mike White, who completed 22-of-28 passes for 315 yards with three touchdowns and a 149.3 passer rating. That included two passing plays of 40-plus yards, including a 54-yard touchdown by Garrett Wilson. Granted, this is probably the worst defense the Jets will face all season. The Bears defense already struggled, but they were ravaged by injuries in this game. Already without rookies Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon, Eddie Jackson suffered a foot injury that left an already-depleted secondary even more shorthanded.
STUD: LB Jack Sanborn
Jack Sanborn had another standout performance in Sunday’s loss to the Jets. Sure, he had a missed tackle on a touchdown. But he continues to show why he might just carve out a role for himself on defense moving forward. Sanborn, in his fourth start, led the Bears with 15 tackles, including one for a loss. Eleven of those came in the first half, when Chicago was still in the game. Sanborn was all over the field again, and the future looks bright for the undrafted rookie.
DUD: Bears offense without Justin Fields
For one quarter, there were some fans trying to talk themselves into believing that Trevor Siemian was a better quarterback than Justin Fields. All because he passed for 85 yards in one quarter. But when you look at the entire picture, the Bears offense was unbearable without Fields. Yes, Montgomery got his yards, and Chase Claypool finally got involved. But Chicago scored just 10 points when there were opportunities to be had. It goes to show you Fields was carrying this offense on his back and scoring 29-plus points in four straight games, which is nothing short of remarkable.
STUD: RB Darrynton Evans
Darrynton Evans saw his most action of the season in Sunday’s loss, where he served as Montgomery’s backup. With Khalil Herbert on injured reserve, the Bears opted to go with Evans, a practice squad player, over rookie Trestan Ebner, who had a rough outing last week. Evans accounted for 67 total yards (34 yards on nine carries and one catch for 33 yards). With Herbert out at least another two games, look for Evans to get more opportunities moving forward.
DUD: MetLife Stadium turf
It’s been a brutal two outings for the Bears at MetLife Stadium this season. After losing a heartbreaker 20-12 to the Giants back in Week 4, Chicago was routed SCORE by the Jets. To make matters worse, the Bears were ravaged by injuries in Sunday’s loss to New York. Eddie Jackson (foot), Darnell Mooney (ankle), Riley Reiff (shoulder) and Dane Cruikshank (hamstring) all suffered injuries.
