Bears Report Card: Distractions More Positive Than the Game

Passing: F

They were trailing by four touchdowns so fast it's tough to see how the game could be much value to them in terms of improving anything on offense going forward. It wasn't even good practice because the Chiefs could just sit back and play prevent defense all day. Fields again held the ball far too long. His one interception was on a pass tipped by an out-of-position pass rusher and so it couldn't even be blamed entirely on him. The other turnover came on Khalil Herbert's poor attempt to protect the ball on a reception. DJ Moore dropped a pass right in his hands for a big gain and took the blame afterward, but it was probably just shock on his part to see a pass delivered on time deep and where it needed to be. The Bears should strive to reproduce that one play in practice over and over, without the drop, of course. It says something about your passer when the opponent is playing back, letting the underneath throws be completed and he's still only able to complete 11 passes in an entire game.

Rushing: D

A year ago everyone would have wondered what happened to Fields if he ran for only 47 yards but when he did it Sunday it was his season high. They again showed flashes of producing an effective running game, got it shut down a few times and by the time they could think about using it again it was 34-0 at halftime. Roschon Johnson is getting into games earlier and earlier, and after Herbert's fumble on a pass play it seems only a matter of time before the rookie is starting. Considering the offensive line operated with only one starter in position, no one could complain about their run blocking. Rookie Darnell Wright, he of two games NFL experience coming in, was the only starter playing in position with Ja'Tyre Carter at right guard for Nate Davis, Lucas Patrick at center, center Cody Whitehair at left guard and Larry Borom subbing for injured Braxton Jones at left tackle. Rushing 26 times for 116 yards doesn't look like a complete disaster but again they had only 15 runs by their running backs.

It used to be the Bears tried to get the magic number 20 for their lead back and work off that. Now all the running backs can't hit 20 combined.

Pass Defense: F

It's a really tough grade to hand out considering how many starters they had on the field in their secondary after the injuries began to hit. It was like late last season when they were using practice squad types in the secondary. This is too soon in the season for massive numbers of injuries at one position group. Again, there was virtually no pass rush. The most physical they got with Patrick Mahomes was when Yannick Ngakoue accidentally rolled up his ankle after being knocked on the ground during his pass rush. At least there were two redeeming aspects of their pass coverage. The first was the interceptions, their first two of the year. However, the picks by Jack Sanborn and Quindell Johnson came against Blaine Gabbert, who was only in the game because it was out of hand (and why were the Chiefs passing then, anyway?). The other positive aspect of Bears pass coverage was it gave Taylor Swift something to cheer about when Travis Kelce was left alone in the end zone for a TD. How does someone like him get so wide open? Don't the Bears watch games on TV?

Run Defense: D-

They gave up a season-high 153 yards on the ground and four different Chiefs had runs of 10 yards or more. When an Andy Reid offense coordinated by Matt Nagy gets 32 rushes from its backs, you know you've had a rough day stopping the run. Reid couldn't help but use the running game when it was producing big chunks of yards. It was distracting from their passing.

Special Teams: C-

Matt Eberflus after the game said the Bears special teams did all right but he must have missed the 23-yard punt return by Montrell Washington, who had been elevated by Kansas City from the practice squad. The rest of special teams was largely inconsequential, although Jaylon Jones somehow let a ball bouncing at him get past when he had a chance to down it at the 1-yard line.

Coaching: F

The distraction issue really only applied to the staff and apparently Bears human resources because the only player immediately impacted was Fields with his comments to media. Afterward he and Luke Getsy seemed fine with it. In fact, how they handled the entire Alan Williams resignation and the Fields comments might have been the best thing the coaches did all week compared with how the actual game went. Getsy didn't really seem to want to get Fields outside against the pass rush, but then again with one offensive line starter in position it's best not to get too cute on offense. We keep getting told it's tough for Fields to run now because defenses have adjusted and are playing their ends softer. So there are no counter measures? Coaches and Fields combined get the blame for a delay-of-game penalty coming out of a play stoppage. That was a complete embarrassment, but definitely not the only one on the day.

Overall: F

It was the kind of game when coaches say "burn the tape," and move ahead to the next game. But the Bears can't say this. They've had so many game tapes like it now they've run out of lighter fluid and matches to set the fire.