The Chicago Bears (1-1) suffered another brutal defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers (1-1) in a 27-10 loss on Sunday Night Football.
Buy Bears TicketsDespite jumping out to a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, the Bears were outplayed and outreached by the Packers as Green Bay outscored Chicago 24-3 in the final three quarters.
It was a rough day at the office for the offense, defense and coaches, and there were a number of notable players (and coaches) who struggled. But there were also a couple who were the lone bright spots on an otherwise forgettable night.
We’re taking a look at the studs and duds from Chicago’s loss to Green Bay:
STUD: RB David Montgomery
The only bright spot on offense was running back David Montgomery, who accounted for 136 scrimmage yards in what was a forgettable offensive performance for the Bears. Montgomery had 122 yards on 15 carries, averaging 8.1 yards per carry and added two receptions for 14 yards. He helped get Chicago into scoring position late in the game, but the team couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities.
DUD: Run defense
The Bears had no answer for Packers running back Aaron Jones, and Chicago’s run defense continues to be the glaring hole. There were missed tackles galore, and they couldn’t contend with Jones or AJ Dillon, who combined for 193 yards on the ground. But it was Jones specifically who dominated with 132 yards on 15 carries (8.8 average) and one touchdown. Chicago’s defense has now allowed 176-plus rushing yards in each of its first two games this season.
Stud: DE Trevis Gipson
It was a rough night for the defense, but defensive end Trevis Gipson made a strong impact in the pass rush. Gipson had two first-half sacks of Aaron Rodgers that helped the defense early in the game. Gipson totaled 4 tackles, including 2 for a loss, 2 sacks and 3 QB hits.
DUD: CB Kyler Gordon
The Packers made it obvious pretty quickly that they were going to target Gordon often, and that’s one of the things that absolutely killed the Bears defense. Gordon was atrocious in his first matchup against the Packers, including allowing a touchdown in coverage. Sure, there are going to be growing pains with Gordon, especially as he plays both outside and nickel. But it was a rough day at the office for the Bears’ top rookie.
DUD: LB Roquan Smith
For someone who’s looking to get paid north of $20 million a year, linebacker Roquan Smith’s play isn’t matching his desired paycheck. Smith tied for a team-high 11 tackles, but he struggled to shed blocks, including getting bested by AJ Dillon on Aaron Jones’ second touchdown. Smith has been underwhelming in his first two outings of the season.
DUD: OC Luke Getsy
The Bears offense looked impressive in their first possession of the game, where they marched 71 yards in seven plays to score on a Justin Fields touchdown run to take a 7-3 lead. But it was all downhill from there, and big reason why was offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who struggled calling plays and setting his offense up for success. Fields attempted just 11 passes the whole game, and the Bears went away from David Montgomery and the run game — the thing that worked on that first drive — until the fourth quarter. And then there’s the decision to have Fields in the shot gun rather than under center on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Getsy has some explaining to do.
DUD: QB Justin Fields
While Justin Fields made some plays to help the Bears, including a rushing touchdown in the first quarter, it was an uneventful night for the second-year quarterback. He certainly wasn’t helped by offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as he only attempted 11 passes on the night. Fields completed 7-of-11 passes for 70 yards and an interception for a 43.8 passer rating. He certainly wasn’t to blame for the loss, but it wasn’t the outing fans were hoping for.
Dud: Referees
The Bears had a lot of issues in this game, and the refs weren’t the biggest. And yet, there was a huge missed call on fourth-and-goal that completely changed the game. With Chicago facing fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, quarterback Justin Fields appeared to break the plane for the score. The refs originally ruled him short but replay showed that the ball did break the plane. Head coach Matt Eberflus challenged it, but the refs upheld the call despite the replay showing it was a touchdown.
Rigged https://t.co/0DXTjjQjgD pic.twitter.com/SSuvbARgAP
— K 🐻 (@sleepxpert) September 19, 2022
