The good and the bad in the Chicago Bears in their loss to NYG
By Todd Welter
Everything else was bad for the Chicago Bears.
Where do we start?
The Chicago Bears went 0-for-3 in the redzone. The New York Giants got two touchdowns, which was the difference in the game.
Quarterback Justin Fields was not as bad as he was in the last two games. He had a decent game (We are using decent liberally because of how the offensive line played) with 174 yards passing. He hooked up with Darnell Mooney four times for 94 yards, including a beautiful 56-yard completion.
Fields completed just 50% of his passes and missed an open Mooney in the endzone when Fields decided to scramble. At least Fields picked up the first down but missing an open target cost the Bears a desperately needed touchdown.
Fields is still holding onto the ball too long and missing out on some plays to be made in the air. Although, this time Fields’ uneven performance was mostly because of the offensive line and the wide receiver corp.
Fields was sacked six times along with a fumble. Fields can be excused for wanting to run for his life with the pocket collapsing around him a lot.
Justin Fields was under pressure on 51.4% of his dropbacks against the Giants.
— Lorin Cox (@CoxSports1) October 3, 2022
On plays where he was kept clean, he went 10-of-14 for 168 yards, with a PFF grade of 90.3
There was also a series late in the third quarter where Fields scrambled out of the pocket and tried a drop-off pass to tight end Trevon Wesco. Wesco dropped the ball. The very next play Fields rifled a nice pass to Dante Pettis and Pettis was unable to bring in the ball despite it hitting him in the hands.
The offensive line had a rough day as it had a tough time protecting Fields and opening holes for running back Khalil Herbert. Center Sam Mustipher had a terrible day trying to keep defenders out of Fields’ face.
Bears C Sam Mustipher with a 1.5 pass blocking grade in Week 4, allowed 6 QB pressures
— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad) October 3, 2022
22.7 pass block grade on the season second-worst among centers.
With Cody Whitehair injury, might need to start Lucas Patrick at LG though anyway
Feeling pressure right in his face prevented Fields from delivering some passes to open receivers. It did not help that Cody Whitehair left the game and is going to be out for a while with an injury.