Behind the leadership of both quarterbacks — Andy Dalton and Justin Fields — the Chicago Bears defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20-17 in the Windy City. This is the first victory of the season for the Bears, who will travel to Cleveland next week to take on the Browns.
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Chicago Bears
Quarterback
After getting injured in the first half, Andy Dalton took several plays off on Sunday afternoon. Rookie Justin Fields subbed in and completed seven of his 14 pass attempts but will likely finish PFF's grading review with a mark below 50.0.
| Andy Dalton | Justin Fields | |
| Completions/Attempts | 9/11 | 6/13 |
| Yards per attempt | 5.1 | 4.6 |
| Adjusted comp. % | 100% | 58.3% |
| Passer rating from a clean pocket | 133.9 | 68.8 |
| Passer rating under pressure | 42.4 | 2.8 |
| PFF grade* | 80.1 | 43.6 |
*Grades will be reviewed and finalized by 1 P.M. EST Monday
Dalton, on the other hand, looked a lot sturdier after he returned from his injury. He earned a PFF grade of 80.1 on first review, and he went 10-for-13 for 92 yards and a touchdown — the only offensive touchdown of the day for the NFC North squad.
Running Back
Bears running back David Montgomery was solid, if unspectacular. On 21 attempts, Montgomery only gained 66 yards, but 44 of those yards came after contact.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Darnell Mooney, a second-year receiver out of Tulane, was arguably the most explosive receiver for the Bears today. He caught six of his eight targets for 66 yards and four first downs, likely ending the contest with a PFF grade above 70.0.
Typically a big part of Chicago’s passing game, tight end Cole Kmet had a day that won’t look too good on the stat sheet. He might have caught both of his targets, but the tight end only gained 13 yards.
Offensive Line
The Bears' offense was split fairly evenly, with 116 yards through the air and 123 on the ground, but three of the five linemen to take snaps graded below 55.0. According to PFF's first review of the broadcast film, Jason Peters was the only lineman who managed to grade above 70.0.
Defensive Line
On the other side of the trenches, the Bears' pass rush was decidedly average. Three linemen recorded sacks — Bilal Nichols, Robert Quinn, and Khalil Mack — but no defensive lineman earned a PFF grade above 65.0 on first review. As a collective unit, the defensive line accumulated 16 total pressures, five of which came in the form of a cleanup or an unblocked rush.
Linebacker
Roquan Smith scored the team’s second touchdown on a 53-yard pick-six. Smith’s efforts earned an overall PFF grade of 92.3 on first review. In addition to his scoring play, Smith also scored a 91.9 coverage grade.
.@RoquanSmith1 TO THE HOUSE ‼️#CINvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/dsDgZQYhc1
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 19, 2021
Secondary
To complete the trio of interceptions, corner Jaylon Johnson caught a Joe Burrow pass in the fourth quarter. As a result, his coverage grade will likely end up close to 90.0 — an outstanding performance that helped seal the victory for Chicago.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Though his stats weren’t great, quarterback Joe Burrow’s efforts Sunday kept the Bengals in the game until the clock hit triple zeros.
Burrow went 19-for-30 for 207 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. And while he might have been sacked five times, he still managed to average 6.9 yards per attempt.
Running Back
Joe Mixon gained only 69 yards on 20 attempts, and 60 of those yards came after contact. Mixon didn’t find the end zone at all during this game, which means he still has just a sole touchdown during this season.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The Bengals’ receivers looked better, as both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins recorded touchdown receptions. Chase earned an overall grade of 60.6 on first review and only caught two of his four targets, but both were for first downs. Higgins caught six of his 10 targets for 61 yards.
The leader in the receiver room was none other than Tyler Boyd. The sixth-year vet put up a 79.8 grade on first review on his way to 73 yards on his seven receptions.
Offensive Line
While Burrow had some success through the air, his offensive line looked below average, with all five unofficially earning overall grades below 65.0.
Quinton Spain and center Trey Hopkins were the only two linemen who didn’t allow a sack. In fact, Spain didn't allow anyone to get to Burrow, giving him a pass-blocking efficiency of 100.0.
Defensive Line
One of the key factors in keeping this game close for Cincinnati was the lights-out performance in run defense from the Bengals’ defensive line. Seven of the eight players lined up in the trenches earned run-defense grades of 60.0 or higher on first review.
The best performance came from defensive end Sam Hubbard, who graded above 60.0 overall and in run defense. Hubbard recorded six tackles and an assist.
Linebacker
Cincinnati’s linebacker room looked solid and was highlighted by a terrific performance from Logan Wilson, who recorded six tackles, an interception and two assists.
While he allowed three receptions from four targets, the linebacker only allowed 10 total yards into his primary coverage.
Secondary
Mike Hilton and Vonn Bell both had solid performances in coverage. Hilton, who likely landed a 79.0 overall grade, and Bell, who graded around 70.9, only allowed three receptions for 18 yards as a duo.
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