{"numbering":"no_numbering","slides":[{"title":"Quarterbacks: B+","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Trubisky_M_USATSI_15275821_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1607375095,"caption":"

Mitch Trubisky played his best game of 2020, which makes his game-losing fumble late in the fourth quarter an even more cruel twist of fate.

Should he have been put in a position to drop back and pass on third and four? Probably not. Should he have felt Romeo Okwara’s pressure and perhaps just settled for a punt-forcing sack? Maybe. But that one play erased an efficient, solid game by Trubisky against a team he’s dominated in his career.

Now we’re left to wonder who Matt Nagy will start next Sunday against Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans. It should be Trubisky, and probably will be – but that fumble may have cracked the door open for Nick Foles to start again. We’ll see.

"},{"title":"Running backs: A","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Montgomery_D_USATSI_15275535_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1607375380,"caption":"

David Montgomery was outstanding in the first half, so why did he only get six carries in the second half? Cordarrelle Patterson (10 carries, 59 yards) ran well too, but the Bears needed to use Montgomery more – at least until the last play of the game when, bizarrely, a run play was called for him.

"},{"title":"Wide receivers: C+","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Miller_A_USATSI_15275828_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606772013,"caption":"

Allen Robinson’s gaffe at the end of the game put a damper on this group’s performance, which otherwise was fine – Anthony Miller caught all five of his targets for 56 yards and Darnell Mooney continued to put his speed and grit on display. But if Robinson just gets the first down, the Bears don’t have that disastrous running play and get a couple of cracks at the end zone to win the game.

“I know for sure that Allen was trying to do both; he was trying to get the first and get out of bounds,” coach Matt Nagy said Monday. “He did get out of bounds. He didn't get the first. So we had to make sure, we tried to get the first and it didn't happen. I know he was kicking himself for that.”

"},{"title":"Tight ends: B","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Kmet_C-USATSI_15276419_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606772013,"caption":"

Cole Kmet’s seven targeted tied Robinson for the Bears’ team high Sunday, and his speed and physicality were on display on his second touchdown of the season. Jimmy Graham continues to see his role diminish (1 target, 0 catches) as he plays out the string of what’ll be his only season with the Bears.

"},{"title":"Offensive line: B-","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Ifedi_G_USATSI_15276303_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606772013,"caption":"

Can we separate the play of the interior (Cody Whitehair, Sam Mustipher, Alex Bars) from the tackles (Charles Leno Jr., Germain Ifedi)?

Whitehair-Mustipher-Bars all played well and did a lot to spring standout games from Montgomery and Patterson. But Leno was flagged for a drive-killing holding penalty midway through the fourth quarter and Ifedi lost a one-on-one matchup with Okwara, who strip-sacked Trubisky.

The Bears were probably going to replace both tackles after this season anyway, but there do continue to be encouraging signs from the interior of the line – especially Mustipher, who might wind up playing himself into a starting gig in 2021.

"},{"title":"Defensive line: F","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/DL_Peterson_A_USATSI_15276309_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606772013,"caption":"

Bilal Nichols had an impactful game with a sack and interception, but this group didn’t do enough to both pressure Matthew Stafford and mute Adrian Peterson’s impact – even if he did only gain 57 yards on 16 carries.

"},{"title":"Outside linebackers: F","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Mack_K_USATSI_15275669_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606772013,"caption":"

It’s not a great look when you invest $120 million in guaranteed money into Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn…and Barkevious Mingo gets the only sack by an edge rusher. Mack did create Nichols’ sack by forcing Stafford to step up in the pocket, but there were too many obvious passing plays on which Stafford comfortably picked out a receiver for a completion.

The thought here was the Bears’ defense just needed to play with a lead to get Mack and Quinn going. Mack and Quinn didn’t play a single meaningful snap with the Bears trailing. So if they can’t do much in what looked like an ideal pass-rushing game…what more excuses can be made for them?

It'd be one thing if Stafford looked rattled by pressures that didn't hit home. But Stafford looked anything but thrown off by the Bears' pass rush. He moved in the pocket well, stepped into throws and never really looked worried about getting hit.

"},{"title":"Inside linebackers: F","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Trevathan_D_USATSI_15276307_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606772013,"caption":"

Roquan Smith didn’t play particularly well while Danny Trevathan was credited by Pro Football Focus with two missed tackles. Both had issues in coverage, too, and combined to allow nine catches on 11 targets for 148 yards. This defense fashions itself as one of the best in the NFL; one of the best defenses in the NFL wouldn’t have allowed Peterson to punch in the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

"},{"title":"Cornerbacks: F","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Johnson_J_USATSI_15275994_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606772013,"caption":"

Buster Skrine made a tremendous tackle on fourth and one to force a turnover on downs in the first quarter, and Jaylon Johnson had a nice pass break-up in the red zone, but otherwise there wasn’t much of an impact from this group. The drive on which Detroit cut the Bears’ lead to three points in the fourth quarter also featured a nasty coverage bust.

"},{"title":"Safeties: F","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Gipson_T-USATSI_15275820_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606771489,"caption":"

Tashaun Gipson actually played decently but there wasn’t enough of an impact from this group when Stafford threw for over 400 yards without Kenny Golladay, his No. 1 receiver.

"},{"title":"Special teams: D+","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Patterson_C_USATSI_15275520_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1606771578,"caption":"

Colleague Adam Hoge detailed a major coaching gaffe toward the end of the game involving special teams, and Cairo Santos had a PAT blocked when it looked like Rashaad Coward was beat pretty badly. Cordarrelle Patterson did have a nice 45-yard kickoff return to open the game.

"},{"title":"Coaching: F","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Nagy_M_USATSI_15276231_168392293_lowres.jpg","credit":"USA Today","published":1604352568,"caption":"

The decision to have Trubisky pass on third and four was disastrous – it felt like it wasn’t putting two players (Trubisky and Ifedi) in the best position to succeed. The fumble was just as much on the players as it was on the coaches.

And then the call for a run on fourth and one was bizarre – even it had worked, the Bears wouldn’t been left with no timeouts to take a shot or two into the end zone with, meaning a sack would’ve ended the game.

The playcall on Kmet’s touchdown was good, and the Bears’ commitment to the run was strong – although it would’ve been nice to see Montgomery get more than six carries in the second half.

On defense, Chuck Pagano needs to take a hard look at how Stafford was so efficient – and so comfortable – against his scheme. A scheme which, by the way, was not missing Akiem Hicks.

"}]}

Bears vs. Lions grades: Mack, Quinn disappoint while Nagy's coaching fails