(670 The Score) Some Bears losses are maddening, and others are heartbreaking. Some make sense, others less so. What makes their 29-27 loss to the Steelers on Monday night so memorable is that it featured a little bit of everything. You wanted bad officiating? You're in luck. Justin Fields heroics in the face of bad officiating? You bet! A sad defensive stand ruining Fields' heroics in the face of bad officiating? How'd you know?! There are a thousand different lenses to view the loss, all of which probably end up with you very mad on the web. Here are some grades from a very sad, very layered Bears loss.
Offense: B-
The first-half statistics were ugly. Fields had five completions for 63 yards, 54 of which belonged to Cole Kmet (six receptions for 87 yards). Allen Robinson was the only wide receiver with a reception, and it went for three yards. Jimmy Graham did get back-to-back end-zone shots though! The Bears finished the first 30 minutes with 75 rushing yards, though no one player had more than David Montgomery's 36. They went 1-of-7 on third-down conversions, were penalized four times and allowed two sacks. The good news is that the second half was better almost immediately, which tends to happen when you connect on 50-yard deep shots. Then Graham (one reception for 28 yards) and Robinson (four catches, 68 yards) got involved (kinda), and all of a sudden the Bears were running the wildcat successfully?? I'm just going to be that guy, too: The officials weren't doing the Bears any favors. James Daniels' touchdown-negating illegal block was a pretty soft call, and Fields -- who went 17-of-29 for 291 yards and one touchdown -- couldn't get a call to save his life. The two-minute drive he operated felt like the most exciting moment of the season at least. And that excitement lasted for almost five minutes!
Defense: C-
The Bears just … don't have it anymore. The box score statistics (175 net passing yards allowed, 105 net rushing allowed) weren't bad, but the way that the Steelers used almost two minutes to march 52 yards down the field in seven plays and kick the game-winning field goal was disheartening. The Bears sacked Ben Roethlisberger four times but once again didn't create a turnover, which has become something of a habit for this unit. Jaylon Johnson continued making some great plays, and Kindle Vildor continued making not-so-great ones. Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson and Alec Ogletree (really!) can't come back soon enough. In their slight defense, the Bears did make more than a couple big stops on third-and-short situations, but penalties and bad field position plagued them most of the night.
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Special teams: B+
What a ride. To seemingly clinch a loss with a kickoff fumble, only to force, recover and score on a Steelers fumble a few series later is a rush that everyone should experience at one point in their life. Pat O'Donnell punted five times, which is good for him I guess. Cairo Santos' consecutive field goals streak of 40 ended in the most depressing way possible, on a last-second final prayer kick that never had any real shot of going in. Long live Santos' field goal streak.
Cam Ellis is a writer for 670 The Score and Audacy Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KingsleyEllis.
