Los Angeles Chargers vs Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears looked like the better offense (and team) in this one, but they were almost allergic to scoring. They missed their first field goal, settled for three field goals on three separate red zone trips, and missed a game-winning FG attempt as time expired. Chicago dominated the time of possession (38 minutes to 22 minutes), but it wasn’t enough. LA improves to 3-5 while the Bears drop to 3-4.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
- Philip Rivers: 19/29, 201 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack
Philip Rivers is a good quarterback, right? I had to check back at the stats from the last five years to remind myself. Here are his five-year averages: 30.6 TD, 14.8 INT, and 4,457 yards per season. This year, Rivers is on pace for 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Having watched a few Chargers games, I just don’t see much magic this season, regardless of the record. Rivers did make some good throws, including an 11-yard throw to Austin Ekeler for his lone touchdown. He made some bad throws as well, giving an easy pick to the Bears’ defense. Rivers is still averaging close to 300 yards per game, so he has value as a streamer and would be worth using if he heats up. That’s about all he is for now though.
Running Backs
- Melvin Gordon: 8 carries, 31 yards, 1 TD | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 3 yards
- Austin Ekeler: 3 carries, 3 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 19 yards, 1 TD
Melvin Gordon is surely regretting sitting out so much of this season, though I understand why he did it. Gordon’s numbers have been pedestrian since he came back, though he salvaged things with touchdowns last week and this week. Gordon was mostly bottled up, but he had one excellent run. From 19 yards out, he broke through the Bears’ defense for a big touchdown. This play saved Gordon’s day, and hopefully it’s a sign he’s on the right track. A matchup against Green Bay next week won’t exactly be an easy test. Still, Gordon is at least a flex with big upside if he’s back to 100%.
Austin Ekeler’s stock is getting dangerously low right now, and I don’t think we’ve seen the worst yet. Ekeler was a revelation in the first four games of the season, accounting for six touchdowns and over 100 yards in three of those four games. Since Melvin Gordon has returned, though, he has seen his usage plummet. He’s averaged 5 carries and 5 targets per game in the last three contests, and I expect this to be the norm for the rest of the season. Ekeler was mostly non-existent today, save for his touchdown catch. This has changed him from a weekly RB1 to a boom-bust flex play. Hopefully you sold while you still could because it’s too late now.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Keenan Allen: 10 targets, 7 receptions, 53 yards
- Mike Williams: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 69 yards
- Hunter Henry: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 47 yards
Keenan Allen was limited today with a hamstring injury, though his stats didn’t show it. Allen looked like he was just fine, despite a couple of early slips that hindered his first-half production. Allen feels like a player that could be leading the league if he was paired with a stronger QB (think Brady or Rodgers as excellent fits) but he’s still good on the struggling Chargers. He continues to be a WR1 while healthy and should see less attention from defenses thanks to the emergence of Hunter Henry.
Mike Williams saw some big targets, and he was a couple of close calls away from an even bigger game. His best catch came in the first half when he elevated between two defenders to come down with a big gain. His worst moment was in the second half when he dropped a sure touchdown pass. Williams is still improving, but he seems like the #3 weapon in the passing game. That should be good enough for a minimum flex consideration each week, though you should be aware he has yet to catch a TD this season. This makes him a great buy option.
Hunter Henry is back and healthy once again. It seems like Henry has been this endless tease, missing all of 2018 and then four games in 2019. Well, he looks great now, and he is an important part of this offense. Henry did most of his damage in the second half, including a drive where he was targeted on three consecutive plays. Henry is in a great position to succeed and is a no-brainer TE1 for the remainder of the season.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
- Mitch Trubisky: 23/35, 253 yards, 1 INT, 4 sacks | 4 carries, 10 yards
In the modern NFL, a quarterback has two choices: be so accurate that you rarely have to leave the pocket (Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning) or be so mobile that your legs open up easy throws (Lamar Jackson, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick). What happens when a mobile QB loses his mobility? Trubisky happens. Mitch Trubisky looked good early, completing his first six passes and quickly driving his team into field goal range. However, things fell apart later on as he missed receivers and threw into dangerous situations. I mentioned this last week, but my confidence in Mitch Trubisky becoming a legit NFL quarterback is at an all-time low. I don’t think the coach trusts him, and the receivers seem frustrated as they watch balls fly over their heads.
I mentioned scrambling earlier. During his run as the Bears starting quarterback last year, Trubisky was averaging more than 30 rushing yards per game. He was a legit threat to take off on any play, and opposing defenses knew this. They had to plan for it. This season, Trubisky is averaging fewer than four yards per game on the ground. I don’t think he’s accurate enough to make this work, and I hope the Bears can put an offense together that better suits the strengths of their young leader. If they don’t, he will join the Chicago wall of quarterback shame.
Running Backs
- David Montgomery: 27 carries, 135 yards, 1 TD | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 12 yards
- Tarik Cohen: 4 carries, 9 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 37 yards
Welcome to the party David Montgomery. It may have taken seven weeks, but a Bears player has rushed for 100 yards in a game. Montgomery was a strong, persistent runner and this began early with a 10-yard gain on the Bears’ first play. I would best describe Montgomery as strong and persistent, often fighting through contact to stay on his feet. His best run came later in the first half. With two minutes remaining before halftime, Montgomery broke through a hold to the right and took off. He burst quickly through the line before eventually being caught from behind. The result was a 55-yard gain and an eventual field goal, giving the Bears a halftime lead. I hope this workload continues, but part of me doubts the coaching here. If someone was willing to give you RB2 or WR2 value for Montgomery, I’d consider taking it.
Tarik Cohen got off to a fast start, but then the Bears forgot he existed. He looked fast as always, but he simply wasn’t involved later in the game. I’m still frustrated by how often the Bears run Cohen up the middle, though they found success on it once today. Cohen should not be started in any format right now. He only has one touchdown on the year and no 50+ yard games (rush + rec).
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Allen Robinson: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 62 yards
- Anthony Miller: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 67 yards
- Taylor Gabriel: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 53 yards
- Trey Burton: 4 targets, 1 reception, 16 yards
Allen Robinson continues to lead the team in targets and his day could have been even better if a red zone target found its mark. Trubisky threw the ball behind Robinson on what would have been an easy score. He saw one other red zone target on the day but settled for 62 yards and no scores. I’m curious if some of the other Bears’ weapons can step up and what it will mean for Robinson’s numbers. Considering the two scores that almost were, I’m fine with how things turned out.
In his first four games, Anthony Miller had eight targets resulting in 28 yards. That’s not good for a ‘breakout’ candidate. Since then (three games), Miller has seen 19 targets for 183 yards. I always believed in Miller’s talent, even if things looked terrible to start the year. I would speculatively add him in case Chicago figures things out–he could still be a breakout in the second half.
Taylor Gabriel had a decent night, but we’ve long known he can’t be trusted regularly. He did most of his damage in the second half as the Bears tried to hold on for dear life.
Trey Burton saw four targets, but he has NOT been what the Bears paid him to be. His last touchdown came eight games ag and his last 50+ yard output was 16 games ago. These are terrible signs for a highly paid tight end. Burton should not be trusted in any leagues, though the state of the Bears’ offense surely hasn’t helped matters more recently.
— Mike Miklius