The Chicago Bears lost to the Green Bay Packers, 27-10, in Week 2's Sunday Night Football matchup. It was a game that started with an impressive Bears touchdown drive but quickly turned into a nightmare on offense. The defense had its struggles too in what became an all-too-familiar Bears-Packers one-sided affair.
Here are five takeaways from Chicago's disappointing Week 2 loss.
Justin Fields is still a work-in-progress
To steal a phrase from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, R-E-L-A-X when it comes to Bears quarterback Justin Fields and his development. Sure, he threw only 11 passes on national television in the NFL's oldest rivalry. Yeah, he totaled 48 net passing yards. And, OK, perhaps he held onto the ball a tick too long and appeared to be overwhelmed at times.
But let's not forget the talking points that were on repeat all summer: the Bears don't have a competent wide receiver group; the offensive line is a disaster. If we assume those two things are true, then of course Fields is going to struggle. Of course, he's going to look like he's playing at a disadvantage.
Fields' top wide receiver, third-year pro Darnell Mooney, has two catches for four yards through the first two weeks of the season. That's two more than tight end Cole Kmet, who was pegged this preseason as the Bears' likely breakout star. Chicago's biggest free-agent signing, wide receiver Byron Pringle, has just one catch as well.
Fields has to shoulder his portion of blame for the passing game's struggles. But his limited pass attempts combined with talent that's underdelivering at the skill positions is a recipe for a clunker. It's way too early to panic and it's foolish to suggest Fields is playing poorly. He only has 28 pass attempts through two games. If anyone's struggling, it's offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
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David Montgomery remains the heartbeat of Bears' offense
It wasn't all bad for Chicago's offense Sunday night. Running back David Montgomery looked every bit like a runner who's deserving of a second contract. He ended Week 2 with 15 carries for 122 yards (8.1 yards per carry) and silenced any critic who suggested he'd begin losing reps to Khalil Herbert.
Montgomery consistently fought for extra yards and put his patented jump cut on display.
David Montgomery is good. That’s the tweet. pic.twitter.com/ddinxxQA48
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) September 19, 2022
Montgomery will continue to be the centerpiece of Getsy's playbook until the passing game gets things figured out.
Kyler Gordon had his 'welcome to the NFL' moment vs. Aaron Rodgers
The future is bright for Chicago Bears rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon, but in Sunday's night's loss to the Packers, he was -- in a word -- abused. Rodgers took advantage of his inexperience in coverage and Green Bay's running game seemed like it was dialed into his direction. He missed a bunch of tackles and, at times, looked lost in coverage.
“There’s definitely a lot of things that I want to do better,” Gordon said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “I know there’s more plays out there that I know that I can make. It’s really just a learning experience for me to take from it and go back and learn from it.”
It was a discouraging performance, but it's an expected result from a rookie cornerback facing one of the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks and a backfield tandem that's widely considered the best in the NFL. His inexperience isn't a sweeping excuse, however. He has to prove he can be more consistent as a finisher. Otherwise, he'll quickly become a liability against the run while he transitions into a quality coverage corner.
Maybe Ryan Poles was right about Roquan Smith
Gordon wasn't the only Bears defender who struggled against the Packers. Roquan Smith was a liability against the run. He looked slow to read and react to Green Bay's rushing attack and was often playing in chase mode rather than initiating contact at the play's aiming point. For a player that want's to reset the inside linebacker market, Smith was a disaster.
The repercussions from Smith's contract dispute and hold-in throughout training camp are showing up in real-time. It looks like he doesn't know what he's doing on the field; he's a tick slow and behind the play. And if Sunday night was any indication, the Bears don't have the depth or quality at linebacker to make up for Smith's poor play. It looked, at times, like Chicago didn't have a second level to its defense against the Packers. That's how bad the linebackers were, headlined by Smith.
If the All-Pro linebacker continues stacking poor performances like this throughout the 2022 season, there's no way he'll return to Chicago in 2023.
Where in the world is Darnell Mooney?
We touched on the passing game's invisibility already, but it's worth restating. Darnell Mooney entered the 2022 season as the Bears' presumptive WR1. He has all the route-running and after-the-catch traits to be that guy, too. But after two games and only two catches for four yards, it's time to question what in the world is going on.
First, some context. Week 1 was a washout -- literally. The Bears played the 49ers in monsoon-like conditions. No wide receiver can thrive in the kind of downpour, but there's no excuse for Mooney's absence against a Packers pass defense that was torched by Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings in the opener.
Fields didn't look happy in the post-game press conference when he was questioned about Mooney's involvement. He said he's responsible for executing the plays that are called, suggesting Getsy isn't calling plays that highlight Mooney. I expect that will change, especially after Week 2's embarrassing showing. But if Mooney's struggles continue in Week 3 against the Houston Texans, it'll be time to question whether he can shoulder WR1 duties.
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