Chicago Bears' Week 3 Report Card

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) is tackled by Chicago Bears inside linebacker Christian Jones (52) in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Please forgive me. This report card would’ve come out sooner, but I had to get myself together after seeing this massacre and coming to the realization that the Chicago Bears’ season is quickly going down the drain. Although the 31-17 drubbing against the Dallas Cowboys was expected by most people, it still hurts to see a team that is constantly struggling to find their identity (even if they are dealing with injuries).

The Bears (0-3) tried to make the best of their current situation, but Chicago’s offense was stuck in neutral starting the game with two three-and-outs, while the defense allowed the Cowboys (2-1) to score the first 17 points of the contest. Even facing two rookies in quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott seemed to be too much of a task.

If you can cope with the pain of being zero for the season thus far, take a look at how the Bears panned out in Week 3.

Quarterback

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) throws a pass in pre game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Brian Hoyer began the first half completing eight of 12 pass attempts for 71 yards, and finished the game 30 for 49 with 317 yards and two touchdowns. Hoyer did what he could when trying to carry the Bears on his back all the way down to the final two minutes of the game. The eight-year veteran even did his best avoiding pressure when the pocket collapsed, but wasn’t elusive enough to prevent tripping over his own lineman, which resulted in a lost fumble on the Bears’ last offensive possession. For the moment, Hoyer may have kept Bears fans from thinking of Jay Cutler.

Grade: B

Running Backs

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears running back Jeremy Langford (33) runs with the ball after a catch against Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr (39) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Once again, Chicago’s running backs were rarely used in the running game, carrying the ball a total of 12 times. Jeremy Langford started the game and finished with 31 yards on three of those carries, but unfortunately had to leave the game with a sprained ankle. Rookie Jordan Howard stepped in and had a solid all-around game with nine carries for 45 yards, to go along with four receptions for 47 yards. With Langford apparently on the sideline for the next several weeks, Howard looks to be the Bears’ new feature back.

Grade: C

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller (86) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens (59) in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Tight end Zach Miller was Hoyer’s favorite target all night, and resembled the playmaker that we saw in 2015. Miller led the Bears with eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery’s night wasn’t as productive as his first two games of the season, but he did manage to snag five balls for 70 yards. Kevin White continued to improve, and finished with six catches for 62 yards, which included an amazing one-handed catch over a Cowboys defender. Cameron Meredith coughed up a crucial fumble in the third quarter after the offense cut the Cowboys’ lead to 14, and the defense followed that up with a rare three-and-out.

Grade: C

Offensive Line

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) scrambles under pressure from Dallas Cowboys defensive end David Irving (95) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time this season, the offensive line didn’t allow a sack. However, Hoyer did find himself under pressure several times. Although the running game was virtually nonexistent with only 12 running plays, the O-line did help Langford and Howard average 6.3 yards per carry as a tandem. However, that blown-up average was due to two long runs, compared to the other 10 runs that went nowhere. All wasn’t spotless for the offensive front. Left tackle Charles Leno Jr. was flagged on Chicago’s first drive of the game for an illegal-hands-to-the-face penalty, which negated a Kevin White third-down conversion. Rookie center Cody Whitehair and right guard Kyle Long were also flagged for false starts.

Grade: D+

Defensive Line

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) scrambles in the second quarter as center Zach Martin (70) blocks against Chicago Bears defense Akiem Hicks (96) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The depth of the defensive front was very thin coming into Sunday night’s matchup, and it showed detrimental to the Bears’ push on the line of scrimmage. Dallas’ mammoth offensive line was too much for Chicago to handle when attempting to defend the run. The Cowboys made their presence felt by rushing for 199 yards and three touchdowns. The D-line also couldn’t manage to free up space for Chicago’s outside rushers to put pressure on the Cowboys’ rookie quarterback.

Grade: F

Linebackers

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) reaches for the pylon with the ball against Chicago Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd (94) in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Just like their defensive line, the Bears’ linebackers were dealing with some injuries to key players within their corps. Once again, Jerrell Freeman spearheaded the attack with a game-high 12 tackles. Rookie Leonard Floyd had five tackles of his own, but proved not to be quite ready to fill in as a premier pass rusher. Willie Young also found it difficult to get around the edge, and was found guilty of a roughing-the-passer foul. As a unit, Chicago’s linebackers spent most of the time trying to catch Cowboys’ rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott from behind.

Grade: D

Defensive Backs

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) leaps over Chicago Bears safety Chris Prosinski (31) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

For the second week in a row, the Bears’ secondary was outclassed by a rookie quarterback. Dak Prescott picked apart Chicago’s defense by completing 19 of 24 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown. Even against the run, the Bears’ defensive backs looked silly at moments, especially when safety Chris Prosinski whiffed on a tackle and was posterized when Elliott hurdled him. I guess the silver lining for the Bears’ secondary was Jacoby Glenn’s forced fumble on Dallas’ first drive of second half, which was recovered by Adrian Amos; this resulted Chicago scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive.

Grade: D

Special Teams

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant (88) runs after a catch against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

There wasn’t anything special about the Bears’ special teams unit on Sunday night. Kicker Connor Barth scored his first field goal in a Bears uniform. Punter Pat O’Donnell placed one of his four punts inside the 20-yard line. Kick returner Deonte Thompson had only one kick return for 22 yards, while Eddie Royal averaged just eight yards on two punt returns. The special teams unit potentially could’ve had the play of the game on an onside-kick recovery in the second quarter had Jonathan Anderson not been flagged for a questionable offside penalty.

Grade: C

Coaching

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox signals from the sidelines in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It appears that John Fox’s running back-by-committee approach to the game is a thing of the past. Fox and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains opted not to use draw plays for Langford and Howard to exploit Dallas’ over pursuit in rushing the passer. However, Fox and company did make some good decisions with challenging a spot on a third down in the first quarter, and going for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal in third quarter. Their gutsy onside kick call deserves some recognition as well. But in the end, their unwillingness to run the ball in order to help an offensive line that’s struggling to pass protect still doesn’t sit well.

Grade: D