Chicago Bears rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon and veteran linebacker Roquan Smith are considered two of the most important players on defense. And in the Bears’ loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2’s Sunday night showdown, they were two of the worst defenders on the field.
According to Pro Football Focus’ Week 2 grades, Gordon and Smith were the second- and third-worst graded defenders on the team. Gordon scored a horrendous 35.2, while Smith checked in with a 36.0.
Gordon missed a number of tackles on Packers running backs, which led to a nightmarish 35.4 tackling grade. His failures in coverage were worse, scoring a 34.4.
Smith, meanwhile, posted a shockingly bad 29.5 coverage grade. It was the worst coverage score on the team, followed by Gordon.
Gordon’s failures were easy to see. He was targeted 13 times by Aaron Rodgers and surrendered 10 completions for 163 yards and two touchdowns. The next most-targeted defender was safety Jaquan Brisker, who Rodgers attacked only three times. The Packers took advantage of Gordon’s inexperience in a big way, and unfortunately, the rookie had no answers.
Both Smith and Gordon will get their chance at a bounce-back performance in Week 3 against a Houston Texans team led by Davis Mills at quarterback.
