(670 The Score) It’s times like this where we should all be reminded that no one is forcing us to remember that game. Starting in this exact moment, we can continue on with our lives totally oblivious to the fact that in Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season, the Chicago Bears went into New York and only kicked field goals in a 20-12 loss to the Giants. There's no use in remembering anything about Sunday. Every part of your week will be better if you just operate in a reality in which the Bears maybe played a game this weekend but you don’t really know for sure. So, before we wipe our minds of those last four quarters "Men In Black" style, let's get to the grades.
Offense: D
So the Bears are really going to be this bad all year, huh. Justin Fields' 56-yard bomb to Darnell Mooney was a nice moment at least. Mooney finally had the game people expected, finishing with four receptions for 94 yards. He kind of disappeared in the second half, but so did literally everyone else. Seeing Fields surpass 100 passing yards at halftime was a welcome relief too. It was a slightly reassuring day for the franchise quarterback, who was 11-of-22 for 174 yards. But there weren’t any interceptions! Fields had 52 yards on the ground too and continued to flash an impressive ability to scramble and find space in collapsing pockets. Otherwise, woof. The Bears seem hell-bent on making sure everyone knows that you can run the ball from any distance on second down. Sacks continue to be an issue, with the Giants getting to Fields five times in the first two quarters and six times in the game. Fields’ release time certainly plays a role in that – and probably always will? – but the offensive line also just isn't good. The Bears weren’t even particularly good in run blocking Sunday. After a career-best performance in the Bears’ win last week, Khalil Herbert had 19 carries for 77 yards. Cole Kmet, you ask? He had three catches for 16 yards. He might get to 25 receptions by the end of the season!
Defense: C
There’s something to be said, I guess, for playing as poorly as the Bears did in the first half while only allowing two touchdowns. The number of times that nine or 10 of the 11 Chicago defenders on the field were consistently fooled by New York’s play-action was borderline astonishing. At halftime, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had only 60 passing yards with 51 rushing yards – and yet somehow it felt like he was getting whatever he wanted to. The Bears' run defense continues to be an issue. Giants running back Saquon Barkley had 90 yards at halftime and 146 on the day. As a whole, the Giants ran for 262 yards. Barkley also played quarterback for like half a quarter and, if you can believe it, was good at that too. New York averaged more than seven yards per play through the first two quarters, which isn't exactly conducive to Chicago getting off the field and putting the ball back into Fields’ hands. In typical 2022 fashion, the Bears' second half was much better – Eddie Jackson’s interception in the fourth quarter was one of the nicer plays he’s made in years. And in another universe where the Bears didn’t go run-run-incompletion on the following drive, it changed the game. The Bears' secondary only allowed 82 passing yards, but it’s safe to say they officially have a Kyler Gordon problem.
Special teams: C
On one hand, newly signed kicker Michael Badgley scored literally every single point the Bears had Sunday. So that’s good? Trenton Gill also put three of his five punts inside the Giants’ 20-yard line, which was an exciting development for all six punting enthusiasts out there. In the return game, rookie Velus Jones Jr. did, uh, not have a great start to his NFL career. His muffed punt late in the fourth quarter isn’t why the Bears lost – that’s on the coaches – but it did seal the win for the Giants, so it’ll get talked about 100 times this week. Enjoy!
Cam Ellis is a writer for 670 The Score and Audacy Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KingsleyEllis.
Listen live to 670 The Score via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker