We’re a few days removed from the Bears’ comeback victory over the Tennessee Titans. In the last 48-plus hours, I’ve had time to digest the All-22 and watch a couple of rewatches of the game, so I wanted to revisit my instant grades from Sunday, see if there were any marks that I felt differently about, and provide some context to their performance.
Offense
QB Caleb Williams | C (Original Grade: D)
Williams had some can’t-miss throws and some can’t-make mistakes on Sunday, but they’re very much correctable mistakes. Despite the box score, he did a lot of the things I wanted to see him do, albeit in flashes. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over. Had he done that, the Bears might not have been able to come from behind to win. Williams didn’t win them the game, but he didn’t lose it either. He gets a slight bump after the film study, which you can check out here if you haven’t already.
More: Caleb Williams Film Study: A Teachaāble Moment Across the Board
RB D’Andre Swift | D
A sweet hurdle and a solid drive in the fourth quarter saved an otherwiseš¤” very unflattering day for Swift, who was held to 30 yards on ten carries.
FB Khari Blasingame | F
The only job of a fullback in a modern-day offense is to pass block, and Blasingame didn’t do much of it today.
WR DJ Moore | B
Five catches and 35 yards on eight targets is a good day at thą¹e officeš³, even if I would have liked to see DJ more involved.
WR Keenan Allen | F
Did we forget how to catch the football? For all the discussion about the rookie quarterback being able to lean on his weapons, dropping a peš rfect pass in the endzone for a would-be touchdown near the end of the first half was inexcš³usable.
WR Rome Odunze | NA
Rome wowed us with a wild catch on a tipped pass but was MIA from tź¦he gameplan otherwise. That needs to change.
TE Cole Kmet | NA
Like Odunze, Kmet was MIA all day but that wasn’t his fault.
Offensive Line | F
I could show you the clips of Coleman Shelton getting blasted after the snap, but we don’t have enough time for all of them. Get in the weight room, or get lost. He looked like he’s never played the position today, and the rest of the offensive line was equally bad.
Additional Thoughts: Coleman Shelton was brutal, but Teven Jenkins, Ryan Bates, and Nate Davis at right guard had weeks to forget. Tennessee’s interior duo of T’Vondre Sweat and Jeffrey Simmons wreaked havoc on the interior of the Bears offensive line all day. Hopefully, it was more them than the Bears that resulted in the performance, but we’ll see. Darnell Wright looked good on tape, though.
Defense
Defensive Line | A
For a group considered a weak spot, they plašyed š¼a very good game today and kept the Bears in this one all afternoon.
Additional Thoughts: Darrell Taylor’s two sacks were huge for the Bears, and if they can depend on him to be a weapon as a rotational piece on that line opposite Montez Sweat, I feel much better about that group than I did heading into Week 1. Taylor and DeMarcus Walker logged eight pressures as a tandem on that side on Sunday.
Linebackers | A+ (Original Grade: A)
The only change I could make for the linebackers was to bump their original “A” to an “A+.” However, I want to emphasize again how impressive they were on Sunday. T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds’ pursuits and open-field tackling were as good as it gets, and they played a massive role in the victory.
Secondary | A
The best secondary in football lived up to the hype today and played a crucial role in a massive comeback. Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson both logged interceptions, with Stevenson taking his to the house for the eventual game-winning score.
More: Bears Secondaź§ry Lives Up to the Hype in Dominant š°Week 1 Performance
Special Teams
K Cairo Santos | A
Perfect on the day, perfect grade.
P Tory Taylor | B+ (Original Grade: C)
In my instant player grades on Sunday, I gave Tory Taylor a C, but after sleeping š§on it, he probably should have gotten a B. Taylor punted six times, and three punts were inside the Tennessee 20-yard line. The rookie punter also had a 45-yard average, and his first punt could have pinned the Titans inside their own five had it not been for an unfortunate bounce.
KR Velus Jones Jr. | F
This experiment has to be over. How many years will we watch him muff kick and punt retš§øurns? Either have him work exclusively out of the backfield or send him packing. Adios.
KR/PR DeAndre Carter | A
It seems that at least we have a solution here. Carter was excellent in the kick and punt return roles, looking explosive. Most importantly, he could catch the football, a novel concept in Chicago’s return game in recent years.
Jonathan Owens | A
Adam Amin’s “Mr. Biles” comment was as stupid as Shane Waldron’s early down play-calling, but Owens scored a much-needed touchdown on a blocked punt by Daniel Hardy in the third quarter, breathing some life into the Soldier Field crowd in the third quarter.
Daniel Hardy | A
When the Bears desperately needed a big play, Hardy made it, setting up a scoop-and-sšcore for Jonathan Owens.
Additional Thoughts: Hardy popped on the tape multiple times, including of a special teams play where he ran 60 yards to make an excellent open-field tackle on a Tory Taylor punt. This dude’s motor is off the charts.
