Chicago Bears vs Denver Broncos
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
- Mitch Trubisky: 16/27, 120 yards | 1 carry, 8 yards
It was probably overly optimistic of me to think the Bears’ offense could get right against Denver in Denver. Mitch Trubisky fell flat last week, and this one wasn’t much better. He had a couple receivers open long, and at least twice he clearly overthrew them. The most egregious mistake today was a screen pass in the second half. The play was already being eaten up by the Broncos defense and Trubisky threw the ball anyways. It easily could have been a pick-six, but luckily fell incomplete. Trubisky should at best be a streaming option, though he hasn’t even been running this year. Personally, I’m sitting him in all leagues until further notice.
Running Backs
- David Montgomery: 18 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD | 3 targets, 1 catch, 6 yards
- Tarik Cohen: 4 carries, 18 yards | 5 targets, 2 receptions, 7 yards
- Mike Davis: 3 carries, 1 yard
After last week, I was disappointed with how little David Montgomery we saw and how much Mike Davis we had to endure. Well, the Bears clearly heard me, and we had the chance to see Montgomery with a near-full workload. He looked good today, often maintaining his balance through contact and extending plays. There was one particular run early where he was bottled up inside, broke outside and picked up close to 10 yards. I would like to see Montgomery continue to receive this kind of workload. Against a less stingy defense, Montgomery could do some real damage.
Tarik Cohen only had a minimal impact, though I liked his usage more in this game. Cohen works best in space and when he can get a running start before facing contact. This happened on exactly one carry, and he broke it for nine yards. Cohen should fare better against worse defenses, but it’s doubtful he will reach the heights he did last season. I would personally bench Cohen until we see more proof of a consistent role.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Allen Robinson: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 41 yards
- Ben Braunecker: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 24 yards
- Adam Shaheen: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 24 yards
- Taylor Gabriel: 2 targets, 1 reception, 11 yards | 1 carry, 14 yards
- Cordarelle Patterson: 2 carries, 50 yards
- Anthony Miller: 1 target, 1 reception, 2 yards
- Trey Burton: bupkus
Allen Robinson was the big dog of the Bears receiving corps in week one, but he had a much harder time tonight. Chris Harris Jr. shadowed Robinson all game long, and it was clearly effective. Robinson was held to 3 catches for 16 yards until the final drive of the game when he caught a 25-yard pass to set up the game-winning field goal. Robinson should be the most valuable Bears receiver each week, but we’ve seen how the whole offense can shrink in tough matchups. Consider him a WR2 with WR1 upside if Trubisky and Matt Nagy can create a more dependable offense.
Trey Burton was active, but he didn’t see any targets on the day. I would guess he still isn’t 100% as the tight ends (Adam Shaheen and Ben Braunecker) we’re getting looks. Anthony Miller was also a nonfactor on the day and he seems to be getting worked back in slowly. Until Miller and Burton show us something, they are basically unstartable. Just keep their names in mind.
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
- Joe Flacco: 35/50, 292 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
With new Head Coach Vic Fangio having plenty of familiarity with the Bears (he was their defensive coordinator last season), it was always going to be a tough matchup for the Bears offense. What about the Denver offense though? Joe Flacco and the Broncos seemed content to dink and dunk their way down the field. Why not against a Chicago offense that also wasn’t doing much? Flacco finished with 5.8 yards per attempt and his best throw was probably his touchdown to Sanders. It was thrown to the back corner of the endzone, just over the hands of the defender. Flacco also overthrew Sanders on an earlier red zone attempt, watching it get picked off by Kyle Fuller.
Running Backs
- Phillip Lindsay: 13 carries, 36 yards | 7 targets, 4 receptions, 30 yards
- Royce Freeman: 11 carries, 54 yards | 7 targets, 5 receptions, 48 yards
Against a strong run defense, we can’t have expected much from the Denver running backs. Neither Philip Lindsay or Royce Freeman was a great bet for success this week–especially given their timeshare. Really, as I said before, we should have avoided most of this game. Still, both Lindsay and Freeman showed us why we value them. Lindsay is the quicker, shiftier back and he did well when he had some space to move. Unfortunately, the Bears didn’t oblige in giving Lindsay much room today. Freeman is a power back and he did well running through contact. He did most of his damage today when the O-line was able to open up holes for him. This backfield should typically be productive, but keep an eye on how well each running back is playing. If either goes down, the other would become instantly more valuable.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Emmanuel Sanders: 13 targets 11 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD
- Courtland Sutton: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 40 yards
- Noah Fant: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 33 yards
- DaeSean Hamilton: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards
What if I told you that a 32-year old receiver who tore his Achilles in the offseason could be on your fantasy team? What if I also told you he’s probably going to be on a bottom half offense with a quarterback who was just dumped by another team? Excited yet? Emmanuel Sanders fits all of these criteria, but he looks like a healthy 25-year old. He looks fast, and he was heavily involved all game long. I already mentioned Sanders’ top play, but it bears repeating. He made a move towards the back of the endzone, elevated, and dragged his feet just before falling out of bounds. As if to put an exclamation point on his day, he then came right back to convert the 2-point conversion on a quick out-route. It was another great catch and Sanders deserves better than languishing on an 0-2 team.
Courtland Sutton was quiet during the first half, but he came alive in the fourth quarter. He saw five of his seven targets on the last two drive, and he made a crucial first down catch on fourth and ten on the Broncos last drive. He ran a yard past the first down line, turned, and made a catch despite immediate contact by a defender. It helped keep the drive alive, eventually leading to a lead late in the game. Sutton looks like he’s improving, but he is still an inconsistent option.
— Mike Miklius