What marks do the Bears get after their 22-16 overtime win against the Packers at Soldier Field?
QUARTERBACK — A
No Rome Odunze? No Luther Burden III? No problem. OK, fine, so it was a big problem until Caleb Williams decided to cross his arms, blink twice and become the best player on the field. Perhaps only Williams could go from being outplayed by Packers backup Malik Willis to putting up multiple career-highlight-reel moments in the same hour. Williams’ fourth-down pass to Jahdae Walker in the final minute of regulation was Louvre-worthy. His game-ending bomb to DJ Moore was the play of the year in Chicago sports. Hey, it was only Dec. 20.
RUNNING BACKS — A
Combined, D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai rushed for 108 yards on 22 carries, and nobody’s complaining about five yards a pop against a defensive front as rugged as the Packers’. Monangai had a 43-yard reception. It wasn’t the loudest performance for this pair, but they delivered every inch of what was there.
WIDE RECEIVERS — B
DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus didn’t do Williams any favors until a key first-down catch by Moore on the last-ditch, tying drive. Drops? Indeed. A fourth-quarter penalty on the veteran Moore for not getting set before the snap almost was a killer. But with Odunze and Burden out, “next man up” entered the equation in a gigantic way as Walker reached high and squeezed to force OT, and then Moore had his 46-yard walk-off catch — his best play as a Bear.
DEFENSIVE LINE — C
Austin Booker’s two 15-year penalties probably were two too many, though the second one knocked Packers quarterback Jordan Love out of the game and, well, some might’ve been tempted to throw Booker a parade for a while there. More pressing were the line’s inability to slow down the Packers’ rushing attack, which ate heartily, and its inability to make Willis uncomfortable.
SECONDARY — C
Nickel cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson had tight coverage on a fourth-down incompletion on the Packers’ first drive — quite important, in hindsight — but looked bad as Romeo Doubs ran by him for an easy 33-yard catch from Willis to make it 13-3. Safety Jaquan Brisker’s late hit on a sliding Willis in the fourth nearly sank the ship. Mr. Turnover, corner Nahshon Wright, had a heady strip of Brandon Jacobs for a fumble.
SPECIAL TEAMS — A-PLUS
Sweet foot of Stenerud, what a spectacular night for kicker Cairo Santos. Without his field goals from 46 and 51 yards — through wind that had goal posts at each end of the field dancing like nobody was watching — the Bears would’ve been cooked. And the onside kick with two minutes to go was as good as it gets, from Santos’ well-struck knuckleball to Josh Blackwell’s hustling recovery. Punter Tory Taylor also was on point.
COACHING — B
Taking Williams out of the play on fourth-and-one on the Bears’ opening drive so center Drew Dalman could snap the ball through tight end Cole Kmet’s legs to Monangai was a nutty enough idea. When the ball sailed over Monangai’s head for a turnover on downs, it made Ben Johnson look foolish. But you know what? Johnson’s team never gives up. Give this man his coach of the year awards.
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