Bears Grades: Defensive line not able to get pressure on Bridgewater

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The group that has lost Ray McDonald, Ego Ferguson and Jeremiah Ratliff since May was tasked with being the first line of defense against Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, since the Bears live by the dictum of stopping the run first and turning a team one dimensional.

Starting rookie Eddie Goldman at nose tackle and Jarvis Jenkins and Will Sutton as the ends in the base 3-4, the Bears used primarily just four down-linemen, with Mitch Unrein seeing his heaviest snap count and newly acquired Ziggy Hood active but not playing.

The Bears were able to keep Peterson from running amok (103 yards on 20 carries) and out of the end zone. “He’s a monster but I think I had three tackles so that was pretty good,” Sutton said. “But there’s always room to improve. Our D-line has to do a little bit more and get better every play.”

[SHOP: Gear up Bears fans!]

Sutton blocked a third-quarter pass attempt and Jenkins delivered a third-down pressure to force the Vikings to settle for a tying field goal in the fourth quarter. But no defensive lineman registered a sack of Teddy Bridgewater or even a quarterback hit, and on two occasions failed to keep Bridgewater from scrambling for important yardage.

Most notably was Bridgewater scrambling for 19 yards on a second-and-17 from the Minnesota 9-yard line to the 28 when a defensive stop would have been a Bears win.

“It was a game of good and bad,” said coach John Fox. “We were good enough to be close but not good enough to win.”

Moon's Grade: D+

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