Grading the Bears: Tough night for many vs. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

Adam L. Jahns grades the Bears following their stunning 24-23 loss against the Packers on Sunday night.

QUARTERBACK

D | QB Mitch Trubisky capped an impressive opening drive with a short TD run, but struggled after that. He went 23-for-35 for 171 yards. He had a 77.2 passer rating. He had two opportunities to win the game in the final minutes after outside linebacker Clay Matthews’ awful roughing-the-passer penalty. But he lacked rhythm.

RUNNING BACKS

B | Jordan Howard (15 carries, 82 yards) nearly finished off the Packers late in the fourth quarter, breaking off 16- and 11-yard runs. He also caught five passes on five targets for 25 yards. Tarik Cohen had 5 carries for 25 yards and 3 catches for 16 yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS

D | TE Trey Burton’s preseason success didn’t carry over. He had one catch for 15 yards despite 6 targets. WR Allen Robinson had 4 catches for 61 yards, including a 33-yarder. WR Taylor Gabriel caught a 31-yard pass in the first quarter, but finished with 5 catches for 25 yards as the Packers snuffed out screens.

OFFENSIVE LINE

C- | With the game on the line, C Cody Whitehair was caught down the field late in the fourth for a penalty. It negated Trubisky’s 11-yard completion to Gabriel. Trubisky scrambled a lot, but part of that was the Packers’ coverage and his own decision-making. Trubisky, though, still sacked 4 times.

DEFENSIVE LINE

C | Akiem Hicks and Roy Robertson-Harris had sacks, and the Packers didn’t exactly run the ball well. But they didn’t need to. The Bears needed more pressure against a hobbled QB Aaron Rodgers in the second half and didn’t get it. Rodgers picked the defense apart with quick throws. The interior pressure was lacking.

LINEBACKERS

C | OLB Khalil Mack was extremely impressive with a 27-yard pick-six and a sack, strip and a fumble recovery. But more than Mack was needed. Leonard Floyd? Aaron Lynch? They need to be better. ILBs Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski also chased in coverage too much. Rookie Roquan Smith had a sack in fill-in duty.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

F | CBs Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller won’t like their film reviews. WRs Davante Adams (51-yard reception, 12-yard touchdown) and Geronimo Allison (39-yard touchdown) beat them badly in the second half. Fuller also dropped an interception late in the fourth that might have sealed a win. Two plays later, Randall Cobb got behind FS Eddie Jackson for a 75-yard score.

COACHING

F| The Bears led 20-0. Again, the Bears led 20-0. Coach Matt Nagy’s attack sputtered after their impressive opening drive. Odd play calls became a theme for him. Vic Fangio’s defense wasn’t much better, though. Big plays by the Packers became a theme in the second half after Rodgers returned from his knee injury.

SPECIAL TEAMS

B | K Cody Parkey didn’t miss. That’s a positive after 3 errant kicks in the preseason. He made 26-, 33- and 32-yard field goals. P Pat O’Donnell averaged 50.3 yards on four punts, which included a long of 63. Cohen had a 42-yard punt return in the second quarter.