Our friends at Pro Football Focus (PFF) provide the Windy City Gridiron with some of their thoughts for us to use as references following each Chicago Bears game.
I thought I would share with you this week’s PFF insights in full, and give my views on their grades and opinions.
Let’s take a look at them, shall we?
Week 10 Bears Offensive Stats:
- Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky had a modest performance, earning a 74.2 overall grade. He was 8-of-14 for 154 yards and a touchdown on passes that traveled 10 or more yards in the air. His accuracy dropped under pressure though, going just 3-of-9 for 38 yards on the 14 drop backs he was hurried, hit or sacked. KM’s Thoughts: Mitchell had his best regular season game as a pro, no doubt, but rather than talk about this game let me tell you what I did last night. I went back and watched his BEST game as a pro, his very first appearance in pre-season. No game plan, just Mitch allowed to be Mitch. Dude was flashing the ball all over the place to guys who are now flipping burgers. Yes, it was against backups mostly, but the accuracy was there. Our franchise QB is here, it’s just a matter of unleashing him. This season is done, let’s live with the dumb turnovers that rookies make and take the chains off of Mrs. Trubisky’s little boy.
- Mitchell Trubisky delivered the ball well when facing the blitz, going 10-for-14 for 157 yards and a touchdown on the 16 drop backs when the Packers brought the heat. That was good for a 132.1 passer rating and his highest average yards per attempt (11.2) in any game of his young career. KM’s Thoughts: Trubisky’s strengths are not being played to by Dowell Loggains... and that means he isn’t being allowed to do what he does best. As long as we keep having games called the way they are, this is the Mitch we get, not the moving, laser beam throwing QB he could be in a better offensive system.
- Wide receiver Dontrelle Inman was the Bears' most targeted receiver in his debut, and he finished as the team's highest-graded receiver at 73.4 overall. He saw eight passes thrown his way against five different defenders in coverage, catching six of them and dropping a seventh. Five of his targets traveled 10 or more yards in the air, and they were all catchable. KM’s Thoughts: Dontrelle Inman is a #4 WR on most teams, and Mitch and Dontrelle lit up the Green Bay defense. I’m all in favor of bringing Inman back as one of the four new WR’s we need next season... that drop hurt though.
- Center Hroniss Grasu really struggled in his first start back from injury. His 27.7 overall grade would be the second-lowest graded game of any center through the first nine weeks of the season. He allowed five hurries on 41 pass blocking snaps with two inaccurate shotgun snaps, earning him the first 0.0 pass blocking grade of any offensive lineman in the past two seasons. KM’s Thoughts: I guess I can’t disagree with PFF on this one... I want to, because I think 0.0 is too high of a grade for him... but they don’t allow negative numbers in their grading system. The “B” word is about to be used on Grasu unless he improves dramatically.
- Left tackle Charles Leno kept the blindside fairly clean and was the team's highest-graded offensive lineman at 82.2 overall. He did not allow a single pressure on 41 pass blocking snaps, although he was beat once by Blake Martinez on a blitz that did not generate pressure. KM’s Thoughts: I catch a lot of grief for defending Leno but by-and-large he’s the best LT we’ve had in years. He’s a mid-level talent any way you look at it, and that’s OK. Of course, I still hate the way that PFF rates OT’s, but in this game’s case their grading system matches the eye test. For once.
Week 8 Bears Defensive Stats:
- Defensive end Akiem Hicks had another strong game with a team-high 88.9 overall grade. His 90.6 run defense grade was a season high, even after missing two tackles on Packers running back Jamaal Williams. He had five total stops in the game, and as a pass-rusher, he generated two sacks and two hurries on 29 pass-rushing snaps. KM’s Thoughts: We have two Pro-Bowlers on the Bears this year, and Hicks is one of them. This year, he’s playing at an All Pro level... AFTER signing the big money deal. He was yet again dominant. Honestly, I don’t think there’s any player in the league at his position that’s played better this year.
- Linebacker Christian Jones was inconsistent in the game at times and earned a season-low 37.4 overall grade. He was targeted five times on 26 coverage snaps, allowing five catches to four different receivers 49 yards, including 30 yards after the catch. KM’s Thoughts: Jones has been outstanding in his PT... up until this game. 37.4 seems pretty generous to me, he really REALLY struggled giving up yards in the passing game.
- Cornerback Kyle Fuller was thrown at early and often, seeing a 35.6 overall grade as a result. He was targeted 10 times on 30 coverage snaps, generated pass breakups on two of them and allowing catches on the other eight for 127 yards and a touchdown. Packers quarterback Brett Hundley had a 152.1 passer rating when targeting him. Fuller missed five tackles on the day, the most in any game of his career. KM’s Thoughts: Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water with Kyle Fuller, he throws a stinker out there. Kyle’s played well, but he was absolutely blown up in this game. Let’s hope he has a short memory, and it was a one-off and not the start of a spiral.
- Safety Adrian Amos continued his high level of play, the Bears' second-highest graded player on the day at 88.0 overall. He was targeted once on 30 coverage snaps, but he really stepped up in run defense, generating four stops and disrupting a few blocks along the way. KM’s Thoughts: Adrian Amos is our other player who is playing at a Pro Bowl level. Dude has been lights out, and had another strong game. He’s been a shut-down safety in coverage, good against the run... the duo of Amos and Jackson is as good as we’ve had since Brown & Harris.
- Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio uncharacteristically brought the heat against Packers quarterback Brett Hundley. The Bears blitzed on 17 of his 30 drop backs (56.7 percent), the highest percentage of drop backs with a blitz that Fangio has called this season. Hundley was pressured on 13 total plays, completing 5-of-10 attempts for 79 yards and a touchdown. KM’s Thoughts: Bottom line, did all the blitzing work? Not really, it opened up the run game where we were gashed. On the one hand, I like the word “uncharacteristically” because you gotta change things up (I’m looking at you Dowell Loggains, Mr. run on first and second down and pass on third every damned time) because if you don’t change things up, teams know what’s coming and can tear it apart. On the other hand, we gave up far too much yardage to a bad offense.
So what do you think? Did they get it right? Are they full of beans? Sound off, let’s here what you’ve got!