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The Chicago Bears lost their eighth game yesterday, 27 to 24 against the Atlanta Falcons, but this loss didn't have any of the feel-good buzz surrounding it as in previous weeks. The running game wasn't as explosive, no records were broken, the play-calling was second-guessed, and Justin Fields may have been injured.
The Bears had the edge in most of the team stats, but a kickoff return touchdown from Atlanta's Cordarrelle Patterson, a missed (long) field goal, and a wide disparity in penalties (Bears: 7-56, Falcons: 2-13), were too much for the Bears to overcome.
Chicago had more yards on offense (288 to 280), more first downs (20 to 18), a better time of possession (35:10 to 24:50), and were better on third downs (56.3% to 22.2%).
Now let's take a closer look at the playing time breakdowns for the Bears and also some individual stats.
OFFENSE
Justin Fields was laboring all afternoon with some leg cramping (he needed a post-game i.v.), and he also hurt his left shoulder late in the game (X-ray results yet to come), and it was his worst performance in a month. He ended up 14 of 21 (66.7%) passing for 153 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int, a passer rating of 84.0, while picking up 85 yards on 18 carries and a TD. Head coach Matt Eberflus said they'd give an update on Fields' condition on Wednesday.
David Montgomery ran 17 times for 67 yards with a TD, and he caught 3 for 54 yards.
Trestan Ebner ran for 8 yards on 6 carries.
Cole Kmet caught 3 passes for 35 yards and failed to reach the end zone for the first time since October 24, but he did do this...
What a catch by @ColeKmet
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 20, 2022
: #CHIvsATL pic.twitter.com/UfaAKIyMSm
Darnell Mooney caught Fields' TD and had 4 receptions for 29 yards.
Chase Claypool caught just 2 for 11 yards, and while the trade isn't looking very good right now, keep in mind that he's only been a Bear for 20 days. And how much can be expected from a passing game when the team struggles in pass protection? I don’t think we’ll truly see his impact until next season, but I would like to see him used more on jets, bubbles, slants, and go routes, i.e. the stuff he can be schemed up for.
The Bears allowed 4 sacks on the afternoon, and the offensive line has missed Teven Jenkins the last two weeks due to a hip injury.
#Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said that Teven Jenkins told the coaching staff that his hip was still hurting but he could play as a backup if needed.
— Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. (@wiltfongjr) November 20, 2022
DEFENSE
Jaquan Brisker led the Bears in tackles with 11, he added a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble.
Jack Sanborn had 9 tackles, a QB hit, and a fumble recovery on special teams.
Eddie Jackson had 7 tackles, and Chicago's only pass defended.
Kyler Gordan had 7 tackles and a tackle for loss.
The #Bears defense had 0 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 3 tackles for loss.
— Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. (@wiltfongjr) November 20, 2022
SPECIAL TEAMS*
*The above image has players that only played in the third phase.
Cairo Santos missed a 56-yard field goal but hit one from 41 yards out. He’s now 15 for 16 on FGs this season. He also hit all 3 extra points.
Trenton Gill had 4 punts for a 40-yard average and 1 punt inside the 20.
Velus Jones Jr. had a 55-yard kickoff return.
Josh Blackwell and Ryan Griffin each had 2 special teams tackles, and DeAndre Houston-Carson had 1 tackle and a forced fumble.
To check out the complete Bears vs Falcons box score, I find that ESPN has an easy-to-navigate site.
All statistics and snap counts are taken directly from the NFL's Game Statistic and Information System, as are the accompanying pictures.
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