Bears risers and fallers after loss to Packers on SNF

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After a thrilling upset win in Week 1, the Bears fell flat against the Packers on Sunday Night Football. The defense couldn’t stop the run. The offense couldn’t move the ball consistently. Aaron Rodgers was Aaron Rodgers. Some Bears played better than others, and some had nights they’ll try to forget. Here are the biggest risers and fallers on the roster, following the loss at Lambeau Field.

RISERS

DAVID MONTGOMERY

No, David Montgomery is not washed. No, David Montgomery is not a bad fit for this offense. Montgomery is just fine, and showed why he should still be the centerpiece of the Bears’ offensive attack. He carried the ball 15 times for 122 yards, good for an 8.1 yards per carry average. Further, the only drives where the Bears managed to move the ball were drives when Montgomery carried the ball several times.

TEVEN JENKINS

The Bears are still rolling out a right guard rotation with Teven Jenkins and Lucas Patrick at right guard, but when Jenkins was in the game he held his own against a strong Packers interior. Jenkins neutralized Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark in pass protection. When the Bears ran the ball, Jenkins managed to move his man to get to the second level. It will be interesting to hear what coaches want to see for Jenkins to win the job outright.

TREVIS GIPSON

Gipson flashed early in Sunday’s game, with two sacks in the first half. One was a particularly impressive play, as Gipson managed to get home while essentially wearing Elgton Jenkins as a cape. His ability to contribute will also make Alan Williams more comfortable rotating defensive ends in and out throughout the game to keep them fresh through the fourth quarter. Ultimately it didn’t matter against the Packers, since Green Bay’s running game picked up and the Bears didn’t face many pure pass rushing downs the rest of the way.

FALLERS

KYLER GORDON

Of all the Bears rookies who have earned significant playing time this season, Gordon is having the rudest welcome to the NFL. Aaron Rodgers opted to challenge Gordon over and over, rather than challenging Jaylon Johnson, and Rodgers got the better of Gordon more often than not. The second-round pick wasn’t much better in run defense, either. He whiffed on two TFL opportunities, and was often caught overpursuing. That allowed ball carriers to run past him easily. Gordon did recover nicely to break up one pass in the endzone, but there were more lowlights than highlights for him.

ROQUAN SMITH

Smith tied Nick Morrow for the team lead with 11 tackles, but the box score doesn’t tell the full tale. As the Will linebacker, the Bears are depending on Smith to fly to the ball carrier to make a sure tackle. The Packers were able to take Smith out of plays by blocking him with running backs, though.

Smith also surrendered a big first down on a 3rd-and-8 play in pass defense. Instead of helping the defense hold the Packers to a field goal, the Packers scored a touchdown two plays later. Instead of 13-7, it was 17-7, and the rout was on.

COLE KMET / DARNELL MOONEY

Going into the season, Mooney and Kmet were expected to be the team’s two primary pass catchers. I'm cheating by including two players in one section, but two weeks in, each man has been practically invisible. Kmet was targeted once on Sunday night, and dropped the ball. Mooney caught his one target, but was stopped well behind the line for a loss of four. On the season, Kmet has no catches. Mooney has two for four yards total. Without watching the All-22 film, it’s hard to say why they haven’t been able to produce. Are they not creating separation? Are opposing defenses blanketing them? Is Fields simply missing them? Whatever the reason, Luke Getsy has to figure out a way to get them more involved.

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