Stock up/Stock down: Who performed worse, Bears or refs?

Another primetime embarrassment, another horrific showing from the officials and more just God-awful play from the Chicago Bears.

It’s all feeling the same, down to the part where the defense played their butts off in a bad situation where nearly everything was stacked against them.

But the 2021 Chicago Bears just cannot catch a break. Not ever, it seems.

And as bad as it was at times, there was some stuff to like.

But not the refs. Please shoot them into outer space or something.

Stock up

Akiem Hicks, DE - I am going to miss Akiem Hicks. Badly. Dude is the epitome of a Chicago Bears player. It was so great to have him back and he looked 100 percent. It felt like he was playing his butt off, knowing that this is in all likelihood his penultimate home game as a Chicago Bear.

Thomas Graham, CB - Graham was put in a very bad spot with a lot of stuff stacked against him and playing in his first game since his college bowl game following the 2019 season. He had three passes defensed and generally held his own.

Justin Fields, QB - Look, make no mistake, the fumbles have to stop. But in the late third and fourth quarter, when it was clear nothing was working for Chicago and just needed plays, it felt like he took over. He started throwing darts. It’s very rough that they couldn’t come away with scores and that he missed Darnell Mooney twice in the endzone, but it’s just another glimmer that there is still hope with this guy, that he can be the best offensive player on the field.

Stock down

Trevis Gipson, DE - I think Gipson is going to be a good player but his personal foul penalty was as bad as I’ve seen since Javon Wims.

Damiere Byrd, WR - He had a good day as a receiver, but as a punt returner, stepping in for the injured Jakeem Grant, he muffed a punt and really turned the game on the Bears.

Jimmy Graham, TE - When your only contribution to the team is being a target in the endzone, you have to catch the ball. It wasn’t a great ball, but it’s one he should catch.

Who did I miss? Honorable mentions for stock up go to Deon Bush (1 INT, 1 PD) and Alec Ogletree (8 tkl, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit)