Benchmarking Da Bears: Week 15

On the heels of a tough matchup in Green Bay, the Bears welcomed the Cleveland Browns to Soldier Field this past week. Despite a slow start, the Bears’ offense was able to get the ball moving in the second half against the Packers’ defense, so many were looking forward to seeing how Caleb Williams and company would handle another top-level defensive group. The focus obviously shifted from Micah Parsons to the record setting-bound Myles Garrett, as Ben Johnson’s group planned their course of action against the team that surprised the Packers with a last-minute victory earlier this season. What some viewed as a potential “trap” game, turned out to be anything but, though, and Williams was able to find success through the air (despite the late-scratch of Rome Odunze) to complement the continued running success of D’Andre Swift. Here’s where things are now standing for our season-long benchmark comparisons:

Quarterback

Despite their overall record, it would be hard to blame the Cleveland defense for the team’s struggles this season. As mentioned, Garrett is on the verge of setting a new NFL single-season record for sacks, and he is a big reason that the Browns’ defense has managed to be so strong this season. It was predictable that the Bears would continue to lean on the ground game, but Ben Johnson was also unafraid to dial up some plays through the air for Caleb Williams. Williams delivered a very solid outing, including a stellar touchdown pass to DJ Moore that led to the quarterback dropping the very confident quote “I can make any throw” in the post-game presser. With three games left, Caleb is projected to be right on the cusp of 4,000 passing yards for the year, but I continue to fascinated by how similar his statistics align to our Jared Goff comp. If Williams were able to connect on a few more missed opportunities, his completion percentage and yardage would see an uptick that would put him at almost the exact level of play that Goff performed at in his first season with Ben Johnson in 2022.

Caleb Williams

Comp: 2022 Jared Goff

Benchmark Statistics:

Running Backs

For the ground game, this was another solid outing. Kyle Monangai had a quieter game overall, averaging only 3.0 yards per carry, but D’Andre Swift showed out. Swift ended up just shy of a 100-yard rushing game (98 rushing yards) while averaging 5.4 yards per carry and finding the endzone for two scores on the day. Both backs continue to have a fantastic season, with Swift in-line for a potential pro bowl appearance and Monangai solidifying himself as a strong chess piece for this team’s future.

D’Andre Swift

Comp: 2022 D’Andre Swift

Benchmark Statistics:

Kyle Monangai, DJ Moore, Roschon Johnson, etc.

Comp: 2024 David Montgomery

Benchmark Statistics:

Tight Ends

The tight ends got into the YAC game this week, giving Williams a couple of dependable targets to look for throughout the game. Loveland, in particular, played well and caught 4-of-5 targets for 63 yards. One thing to touch on with this game in particular is how much these guys were also called upon to help slow down Myles Garrett. So even if they weren’t the ones catching the ball on a pass play, they likely still had a crucial role in making sure that Williams had the necessary time to deliver the ball.

Cole Kmet

Comp: 2021 T.J. Hockenson

Benchmark Statistics:

Colston Loveland

Comp: 2023 Sam LaPorta

Benchmark Statistics:

Wide Receivers

I’ll start by noting the disappointing last-minute scratch of Rome Odunze pregame. Odunze reportedly aggravated the stress fracture in his foot and did not play in this game, despite being originally expected to (alright… let’s not make a habit of this now, guys). OZ was unable to catch any of his three targets on the day, amounting to zeroes across the board for him. Fortunately, both Luther Burden III and DJ Moore were on-hand to carry this receiving corps. Burden left the game late with an injury that will keep him out of the rematch with Green Bay (along with Rome), but still finished as the most-targeted Bear (7), catching all but one for 84 yards, including a big 40-yard play. Moore took care of the scoring, with the above-mentioned “wow play” in addition to an earlier score that he and Williams made look easy. This had to feel good for Moore, who received a game ball in the locker room, as he not only got some statistical production when it was most-needed, but also got to see a 10-win season for the first time in his career.

DJ Moore

Comp: 2024 Amon-Ra St. Brown

Benchmark Statistics:

Rome Odunze

Comp: 2024 Jameson Williams

Benchmark Statistics:

Olamide Zaccheaus

Comp: 2023 Josh Reynolds

Benchmark Statistics:

Luther Burden III

Comp: 2023 Jameson Williams

Benchmark Statistics:

As I mentioned, the offense will be without Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III for the Saturday night rematch with the Green Bay Packers. This is certainly less-than-ideal, considering what is at stake. The Bears can take a firm grasp on the top spot in the division with a victory (and possibly even clinch a playoff appearance if the Lions were to lose as well). The Packers have been dealing with some significant injuries as well – most notably Micah Parsons being lost for the season in addition to questions around both Josh Jacobs and Christian Watson. I was disappointed to see the injuries to Watson and Parsons, but these types of things will inevitably have and effect on the game and the remaining games this season. We’ll see if the Bears playmakers can step up again and produce while shorthanded in what is the biggest game of the season for them to this point.