Stock Up, Stock Down: Bears grab first road win in Vegas |
Ariana Pensy
· · 2 hours ago
CHICAGO - As a life-long Chicago Bears fan, it was incredibly refreshing to see the Bears pull out a gritty, ugly win on the road. Chicago’s 25-24 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders was the kind of game the Bears would have lost under previous coaching regimes, showing how head coach Ben Johnson really is making a difference in Chicago.
It is not necessarily that Johnson’s stock was ever bad. However, it seemed like it might take a long time for this offense to come together after the first two weeks of the season. Everything seemed to go Chicago’s way against the Dallas Cowboys, but that is not going to happen every game. The games that reveal what a team is truly made of are the ones that are ugly, like the one against the Raiders. The offense was unproductive for most of the first half and did not capitalize on the opportunities the defense provided. But Johnson kept the team together and led them to a second straight victory. It is also clear from his postgame speeches that the players are buying into his coaching philosophy and the plan he has for the Chicago Bears. Having the players buy is essential to success.
As a quarterback, it is also part of your responsibility to lead the offense. While the offense was stagnant for the first half, Williams finished the day with poor statistics overall. However, he ultimately led the Bears to a touchdown drive when they needed it most and was able to avoid disastrous turnovers, with the exception of his interception. Las Vegas’ edge rusher Maxx Crosby caused a problem for the offensive line all game and also forced Williams to fumble the ball. However, Williams was able to recover the fumble; he was only sacked once, and his interception was the only turnover of the game. Given how disruptive Crosby was, that is quite the win. It demonstrates how Williams’ maturity has increased from his rookie year to the present. He did not force any throws or make rookie mistakes. While there are still areas for improvement, Williams has shown signs of progress.
I never liked this signing. Running back D’Andre Swift has not shown the consistent ability to be a bell-cow running back at any point in his career. Under Ben Johnson, there was hope that Swift would improve and be the player the Chicago Bears signed him to be. However, that has not happened. While he leads the Bears in rushing, he only has 180 rushing yards through four games. He averages 3.3 yards per carry (YPC) compared to Williams, who has 4.6 YPC, and rookie running back Kyle Monangai, who has 3.6 YPC. In Chicago’s wins this season, Swift has not recorded over 40 rushing yards. While he is helpful in the passing game with 13 receptions for 85 yards, he is not playing at the caliber Chicago needs him to be at. The Bears should continue to get Monangai more involved in the running game, along with Roschon Johnson, if Swift continues to underperform.
After the first two weeks, it appeared that kicker Cairo Santos was on the verge of getting cut. His performance in those games was off, and Chicago took the step of signing former third-round draft pick, kicker Jake Moody, to the practice squad. Santos was not needed too much against the Dallas Cowboys, as he only had one field goal attempt and mainly kicked extra points. However, Santos saved the Chicago Bears against the Las Vegas Raiders. He accounted for a total of 13 points - four field goals and an extra point. All of his field goals were over 40 yards, and two of them were over 50 yards. Ben Johnson gave him a game ball for his performance, and Santos deserved it. The first two games seem more like a rough patch as opposed to anything Chicago fans need to be worried about. Santos is, without question, the Bears kicker going forward.Ben Johnson - Stock Up
Caleb Williams - Stock Up
D’Andre Swift - Stock Down
Cairo Santos - Stock Up
