Stock up, Stock down after Bears’ blowout loss to Lions |
Ariana Pensy
· · 3 hours ago
CHICAGO - The Bears are now 0-2. The offense sputtered again, and the defense gave up 52 points. Even special teams could not get things together as kicker Cairo Santos struggled for the second game in a row. So far, this season is not starting off as Chicago would have liked.
Defense - Stock Down This seems rather obvious. When you give up 52 points, your stock is going to go down. Chicago was down a few players, but they were also missing those players against the Minnesota Vikings and still did not manage to give up 52 points. The Bears had not given up over 50 points since November of 2014, making this one of the worst defensive performances in over a decade. Especially for a defense that was supposed to be one of the best in the league with an aggressive defensive coordinator in Dennis Allen, this is incredibly disappointing. They have struggled against the run and the pass and will need to improve quickly if Chicago wants to avoid going 0-3 and losing to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Sept. 21 (3:25 p.m. / FOX). Caleb Williams - Stock Slightly Up When the offense struggles like Chicago’s has in the first two weeks, the quarterback is partially responsible. However, quarterback Caleb Williams is essentially a rookie as last season was a bit of a waste in regard to his development. From last year to the season opener, there were improvements, and from the opener to the game against Detroit, he still improved, although there are still a lot of things to improve on. Overall, Williams’ progression is headed in the right direction, even if the offense cannot seem to get things going. Rome Odunze - Stock Up Second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze went off against the Lions. He actually managed to finish the game with more receiving yards than anyone in the game, including the Lions receivers, with 128 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His 20 targets and 13 receptions lead the Bears, and his three touchdown receptions lead the NFL. Odunze is stepping up and currently looks like Chicago’s top receiver, especially with the chemistry he is continuing to develop with Williams. Chicago’s next matchup is against the Dallas Cowboys, who just gave up 450 passing yards to Russell Wilson and multiple 100-yard receivers. This could be an opportunity for Odunze to continue his sophomore ascension. Cairo Santos - Stock Down Kickers have an off game sometimes, and that is excusable. It is about how you come back from that game that counts. So, he decides to kick the opening kickoff out of bounds to give the Lions the ball on their 40-yard line to open the game. That is not what Chicago needs from their kicker, and is why they signed kicker Jake Moody to the practice squad. Santos is the more accurate kicker of the two, but the Bears may be forced to switch to Moody if Santos does not turn things around against Dallas. Offensive Line - Stock Down With All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, guard Jonah Jackson, and center Drew Dalman, this offensive line was supposed to be a lot better. They were supposed to be the key to Chicago’s offensive success, with Williams being able to throw the ball without constantly running for his life like he did as a rookie. In the season opener, he could have easily been sacked five or six times, but was only sacked twice because of his elusiveness. Against Detroit, they were able to sack him four times. So, Williams has already been sacked six times this season. Only six quarterbacks have been sacked more than Williams so far this season, a startling trend after the Bears led the league in sacks allowed last season. The penalties are also concerning, as that problem has appeared in both games this season. This unit needs to turn things around, or Chicago will not make any progress this year.
