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Bears PFF grades: Best and worst performers in Week 17 win vs. Giants

Alyssa Barbieri
·4 min read

The Chicago Bears dominated the New York Giants in a 29-3 win on Sunday, where Chicago won their second straight and started off 2022 undefeated.

Pro Football Focus handed out player grades for those who took a snap in the Bears’ win, and we broke them down by offense and defense, analyzing the three highest- and lowest-graded players on each side.

There were a few surprises in terms of the highest- and lowest-graded players, both on offense and defense.

Top 3 offense

AP Photo/David Banks

It’s certainly interesting that PFF’s highest-graded Bears on offense are all offensive linemen. But it was the right side of the line that was especially impactful. Right guard James Daniels had an impressive 87.5 grade, where he earned a strong run blocking score of 89.3 and was solid in pass protection. Rookie right tackle Larry Borom was also strong in run blocking and pass protection. Left tackle Jason Peters, returning from injury, fared better in pass protection than he did in run blocking.

Bottom 3 offense

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Quarterback Andy Dalton got the starting nod in place of an injured Justin Fields, where Dalton was decent enough. But he didn’t have to do much. Dalton completed 18-of-35 passes for 173 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Dalton could’ve had another couple of interceptions, which is likely why his grade was so low. Running back Damien Williams only saw the field on 12 offensive snaps, where he was targeted just once. Receiver Marquise Goodwin had a rough game for Chicago. Goodwin failed to catch his two targets, and he struggled mightily in run blocking.

Top 3 defense

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Outside linebacker Trevis Gipson was impressive to say the least against the Giants, as evidenced by his massive 93.2 grade from PFF. Gipson had three tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and one QB hit. He was a one-man wrecking machine against a struggling Giants offensive line. Cornerback Artie Burns earned a strong 87.8 grade, where he had two tackles and two pass breakups. Although, he did drop a potential interception, which would’ve sealed a still-impressive game. Still, there’s an argument to be made that it should’ve been Thomas Graham Jr. getting the start. Safety Deon Bush accounted for one of Chicago’s two interceptions and tallied three tackles and one pass breakup in a reserve role.

Bottom 3 defense

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Linebacker Roquan Smith has been one of the lowest-graded Bears players on PFF this season, which is insane considering he continues to play at a top level in the NFL. Smith, who led the Bears with nine tackles and two tackles-for-loss, earned the third-lowest grade. While he continued to earn a strong tackling grade, they marked him down in coverage, run defense and pass rush. Linebacker Alec Ogletree, who had eight tackles, has also been one of the lowest-graded defenders this season. Like Smith, Ogletree earned a strong tackling grade. But he struggled against the run, pass rush and coverage. Nose tackle Eddie Goldman has struggled this season, and that continued against the Giants. He managed just three tackles.

Other notables

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Wide receiver Darnell Mooney continues to flash a bright future on this team. Mooney led the Bears in receptions (seven) and receiving yards (69) and scored the lone passing touchdown of the game. Running back David Montgomery has been one of the Bears best offensive weapons this season, as evidenced by his two rushing touchdowns. But he received a low grade from PFF, which was due in large part to a dismal 24.2 pass blocking grade.

Edge rusher Robert Quinn recorded his 18th sack of the season, breaking Richard Dent’s single-season record set in 1984. Quinn, who also had a forced fumble and two QB hits, earned a sensational 91.7 pass rush grade and was strong in tackling. But his run defense score was poor. Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols was one of the more consistent run defenders against the Giants, earning a 63.8. Nichols had four tackles, one pass breakup, one QB hit and a fumble recovery.

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