Studs and duds from Chicago Bears' Week 1 loss to Vikings

It was out with the old and in with the new for the Chicago Bears in Week 1's Monday night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. But by the time the final whistle blew on Chicago's 27-24 loss in gut-wrenching fashion, it felt very much like the same old Bears.

Despite an incredibly promising start by Ben Johnson and his offense, second-year QB Caleb Williams struggled to find his rhythm as the game marched on, and the result was a squad that couldn't keep up with J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings' second-half surge.

Here's who starred, and who struggled, for the Chicago Bears in Week 1.

Stud: Dayo Odeyingbo

So much for the Bears having a problem at defensive end opposite Montez Sweat. Odeyingbo was arguably the best player on the field for Chicago on Monday night, finishing with an unofficial two tackles, one sack, a tackle for loss, and two QB hits.

After signing a three-year, $48 million deal with the Bears in free agency, there was concern that Chicago was paying too much for upside instead of production. If Week 1 was any indication, the Bears may have gotten a bargain with Odeyingbo's contract.

Dud: Colston Loveland

The first-round pick ended his NFL debut with just two catches for 12 yards, and while I still have to break down the All-22 film, he didn't appear to have a strong performance in the run game either. Even when he did get his opportunities as a receiver, he didn't look like he could do much more than we've seen from Kmet over the years. In fact, Kmet made the most impressive play by any tight end in the game (a 31-yard reception).

Stud: Nashon Wright

Wright stepped in for an injured Jaylon Johnson and responded with four tackles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. If it wasn't for that pick-6, this game would've been over way before the Bears' final desperation drive. Chicago may have a nice find in Wright. He's worth developing and keeping in the rotation on defense.

Dud: Offensive line penalties

Like Loveland, I need to review the All-22 before making a final judgment call on Jonah Jackson and Darnell Wright. However, the right side of the O-line was penalized several times at key moments in the game, directly impacting the loss of scoring opportunities. The Bears' offensive line didn't play poorly, but there were way too many penalties that crippled drives.