The Chicago Bears had more reasons to be frustrated than excited for the immediate future in their 30-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Taking on a depleted Ravens team that was 1-5 and without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, Chicago appeared to have the advantage on their side. But self-inflicted mistakes and messy football brought an end to their four-game winning streak.
The Bears got off to a hot start with moving the ball down the field on their first two offensive drives but were then unable to get the ball in the end zone and had to settle for field goals on those opportunities. Chicago’s inability to score touchdowns was disappointing to say the least, especially after the running game carried the offense with big performances over the last two weeks.
Here are our studs and duds from the Week 8 loss to the Ravens:
Stud: RB D’Andre Swift
Although his streak of 100-plus rushing yards ended after two games, running back D’Andre Swift was still remarkably efficient on Sunday, carrying the ball for 45 yards on 11 carries and adding another 26 receiving yards to his total. Swift also scored a touchdown in this game, the third straight week in which he has found the end zone, his fifth overall touchdown of the season. Despite not having as big of a performance as he had over the last two games, which could’ve had something to do with his groin injury, Swift has turned a corner under Ben Johnson and he continues to show improvement each week.
Stud: WR Rome Odunze
Continuing on with consistent offensive performers, wide receiver Rome Odunze got back on track after a disappointing showing in the win over the New Orleans Saints. Odunze led all receivers in the game with 114 yards on seven receptions but did not find the end zone. Odunze and quarterback Caleb Williams continue to show their growing chemistry as he progresses to becoming the top option in the passing game.
Stud: DT Gervon Dexter
Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter came into this game leading the Bears in sacks (2.5) and added another in this game, along with seven total tackles and two tackles for loss. Defensive end Montez Sweat was not far behind in his production, also getting a sack in the game, but Dexter continues to make himself a force on the defensive line, which has struggled to be consistent all season as they deal with injuries as well.
Dud: Caleb Williams
For every game in which Caleb Williams appears to take a step forward in his progression, he always seems to have a letdown game shortly after. Throwing for 285 yards without finding the end zone is quite concerning, and while he had a total of 309 yards from scrimmage, Williams delivered the dagger to his own team when he threw an awful interception up against his own end zone, allowing Baltimore to punch in a touchdown and put the game out of reach.
Dud: Bears decision making
Chicago continues to be their own worst enemy, committing another 11 penalties in the loss to the Ravens, giving them a total of 30 over the last three weeks. Every week, Bears players and head coach Ben Johnson talk repeatedly about the urgency to clean up their self-inflicted wounds, but there has been no progress made on that front. The Bears will not be taken seriously until they show that they’ll stop beating themselves.
Dud: Ben Johnson’s play calling in the red zone
There could be a laundry list of duds to hand out in this game. But the biggest downfall came on offense, when the team settled for field goals instead of touchdowns in the first half, then were a mess in the second. On the final drive of the game, Chicago failed to get into the end zone despite being right at the goal line, running a quarterback sneak after coming up short on a run the play before, and neither worked, killing the time on the clock. Ben Johnson took blame for the play calling in the red zone late in the game, but this offense is going to have to learn how to capitalize in the most important spots, and not just with field goals, either.
Dud: Cairo Santos
This might seem a tad unfair considering kicker Cairo Santos accounted for 10 of the team’s 16 points, but he has proven to be unreliable when the team needs a long-range field goal kicker. A startling stat on the Bears’ kicking game is that only Robbie Gould has made a field goal from 55 yards or longer since 1948, and with Jake Moody sitting on the roster, Santos should be looking over his shoulder. There are many more areas to clean up, but there could be a real kicker’s battle coming soon.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Studs and duds from Bears’ Week 8 loss to Ravens
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
