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Bears PFF grades: Best and worst performers in Week 16 win vs. Seahawks

Alyssa Barbieri
·4 min read
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The Chicago Bears mounted a 25-24 comeback win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, where Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak.

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

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Tight end Jimmy Graham hasn’t played much of a role on offense this season, but he was the Bears’ highest-graded offensive player against Seattle. Graham had two catches for 30 yards, including an impressive touchdown grab from Nick Foles in the final minute to bring Chicago to within one point. Left guard Cody Whitehair was the highest-graded offensive lineman, where he garnered a 83.9 pass protection grade and was decent in run blocking. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin made his return to the lineup after battling a foot injury, where he two catches for 23 yards. He earned a 71.0 passing grade and was decent in run blocking.

Bottom 3 offense

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Not that it will come as much of a surprise, but the three lowest-graded players on offense were from the offensive line. Center Sam Mustipher has been a liability this season, and he struggled both in pass protection and run blocking. Offensive lineman Alex Bars was brought in as an extra blocker during run plays, but he didn’t receive a glowing grade in seven snaps. Right tackle Germain Ifedi got the start at right tackle in place of rookie Larry Borom, and his performance showed exactly why people were frustrated with Matt Nagy’s decision. Ifedi was brutal in pass protection and fared just a little better in run blocking.

Top 3 defense

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Believe it or not, cornerback Artie Burns was Chicago’s highest-graded player on offense and defense with a glowing 90.5 grade. Burns notched one tackle and two pass breakups on the afternoon, where he received a sensational 90.8 coverage grade. Safety Eddie Jackson made his return to the lineup after COVID reserve, where he recorded six tackles. Safety Deon Bush got his second straight start this time in place of Tashaun Gipson, who was on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Bush had five tackles and one pass breakup. Funny enough, the highest-graded players were all from the secondary, which has struggled for most of the season.

Bottom 3 defense

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Surprisingly, linebacker Roquan Smith was the lowest-graded defender against the Seahawks despite notching nine tackles, including two for a loss, and one QB hit. While he had a glowing tackling grade, PFF gave him low scores against the run, in coverage and in pass rush. Not-so-surprisingly, nose tackle Eddie Goldman received the second-lowest grade at 35.1, where he was virtually invisible against Seattle, where he failed to make the box score. He’s been a disappointment this season. Cornerback Duke Shelley, making his return from COVID reserve and injury, struggled mightily in coverage while registering four tackles.

Other notables

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Quarterback Nick Foles is at his best in relief, and he was solid in place of an injured Justin Fields and Andy Dalton. Foles wasn’t flashy, but he got the job done despite poor pass protection and snowy weather conditions. Running back David Montgomery remains the Bears’ best offensive weapon, and he contributed both on the ground and in the passing game against the Seahawks. Montgomery had 106 scrimmage yards, leading Chicago in rushing (45) and receiving (61).

Outside linebacker Robert Quinn recorded his 17th sack of the season, which ranks second in the league behind T.J. Watt. Quinn also had two tackles, one for a loss and two QB hits. He’s now one sack away from eclipsing Richard Dent’s Bears single-season sack record of 17.5 sack set in 1984. Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, due to become a free agent, contributed 0.5 of Chicago’s 2.0 sacks on the afternoon. He also had two tackles and one QB hit.

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