What becomes evident upon scrutinizing the Bears’ performance Sunday is Nick Roach belongs in the starting lineup. He began the season as the team’s fourth or fifth linebacker, but he has been their second-best through three games.
Whether he remains at middle linebacker or goes back to the strong side, Roach has made it difficult to take him off the field. With each week, he continues to make his case by executing his assignments and making plays.
This is not to say Hunter Hillenmeyer has played poorly, or that Pisa Tinoisamoa does not deserve his starting job back. It’s just the tape argues there should be a starting spot for Roach.
Quarterback
Grade: 8
Jay Cutler’s statistics were a little better than his performance. He had a number of overthrows early, which resulted in missing an open Devin Hester in the end zone and being intercepted on a high pass to Johnny Knox.
It sounds funny to write this about a player who completed 77 percent of his passes, but Cutler was not as accurate as usual. He made his receivers reach a lot. To his credit, though, Cutler settled down as the game went on.
Cutler rarely used his feet to create second chances, instead choosing to unload the ball quickly. For the second straight week, he didn’t complete any downfield passes. His longest pass plays were the result of yards after the catch.
What Cutler did well was manage the game. He stayed composed and poised in a difficult environment, and he made solid decisions.
Running backs
Grade: 4
It was Matt Forte’s best game of the year, but it would have been his 11th-best a year ago, based on rushing yards.
Between the tackles, Forte didn’t always run with vision, instead just following his blockers into brick walls. And even though he got away with it, he should not have tried to stretch the ball over the goal line in traffic in the second quarter.
The good news: Forte improved as the game went on. He didn’t have a lot of chances late, but the running game seemed to find a groove in the second half. After averaging 2.5 yards per carry in the first half, Forte averaged 4.1 yards in the second. Could be something to build on.
Wide receivers
Grade: 9
What was not to like? Hester was outstanding with four really nice catches of balls that were not perfect passes.
Earl Bennett showed nice route-running, solid hands and an ability to gain yards after the catch.
Johnny Knox was brilliant in making Aaron Curry miss and then diving around Kelly Jennings to get the corner of the end zone on his only catch, a 7-yard touchdown.
Tight ends
Grade: 5
As a receiver, Greg Olsen was more reliable than flashy. He was somewhat limited by his routes, as he was catching most of his balls facing Cutler.
Olsen gets the blame for the fourth-quarter strip/sack of Cutler. He was lined up as a fullback in a split backfield, and Curry whizzed by him to make the play. Had the Bears lost, that play would have been huge.
Anyone see Kellen Davis?
Offensive line
Grade: 4
The run blocking improved a bit but still is not where it needs to be. The line just isn’t consistently getting movement off the ball.
Under tough circumstances, right tackle Chris Williams did not have a great day. He was called for two false starts and beaten for pressures a few times, including on Patrick Kerney’s third-quarter sack and forced fumble.
Left tackle Orlando Pace was more reliable, but he gave up the pressure to Darryl Tapp on an inside move that led to Cutler’s only interception.
Defensive line
Grade: 5
Give the line credit for almost making a number of sacks. But give them grief for not closing the deal. There were at least four instances when a defensive lineman should have had Seneca Wallace on the ground, but Wallace escaped.
That’s more a testament to Wallace’s elusiveness than to the line’s ineptitude, but the bottom line is the bottom line.
Defensive tackle Anthony Adams was active, and Tommie Harris is showing some signs of life.
Linebackers
Grade: 8.5
Roach was all over the field, getting off blocks, hitting hard, wrapping up and playing pass defense. He almost had a safety on Wallace but instead forced him to throw an interception to Lance Briggs.
As for Briggs, he made a lot of big plays. In addition to the interception, he had a sack and a tackle for a loss. He blitzed frequently.
Not many complaints with gutsy Hillenmeyer or Jamar Williams, either.
Safeties
Grade: 7.5
The performances were pretty solid from Al Afalava, Danieal Manning and Kevin Payne.
Afalava was the standout again with two nice pass breakups on third-down plays in the fourth quarter, as well as his typical physical play. He has been an excellent addition.
Cornerbacks
Grade: 6.5
Zack Bowman got a workout. Despite Wallace being a right-hander and rolling out to his right most of the day, he threw at Bowman on the left side 10 times. Bowman fared well, keeping everything in front of him in allowing seven completions for 61 yards, three first downs and no big plays.
Charles Tillman missed a tackle on Julius Jones’ first-quarter touchdown reception but otherwise was his usual dependable self. Tillman made up for his error by stripping T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the third quarter.
Special teams
Grade: 4
Despite a nice 53-yard kickoff return from Knox to open the game, the Bears’ special teams played below their usual standard.
Robbie Gould missed a field-goal attempt, Brad Maynard shanked a punt and the kickoff-coverage team allowed a 45-yard return.
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Play of the game in slo-mo
Situation: Trailing 19-17, the Bears face second-and-7 on the Seahawks’ 36 just after the two-minute warning.
Result: Jay Cutler throws a short pass to Devin Hester, who takes it to the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown.
The tape shows: The intent of the play is merely to get 5 to 7 yards so the Bears can either put themselves in a manageable third-down situation or set themselves up for a field goal. The Bears choose to pass with the anticipation — the correct anticipation — that the Seahawks will use an eight-man front.
Adrian Peterson, lined up as a single back, picks up right defensive end Darryl Tapp. But on the other side of the formation, left end Patrick Kerney blows past right tackle Chris Williams with an outside speed rush. He gets to Cutler just after Cutler unloads a high pass.
The Seahawks are in man-to-man defense. Hester runs a 5-yard slant in front of cornerback Travis Fisher, who is on the field only because Ken Lucas was injured in the game.
As Hester reaches high to make the catch, free safety Deon Grant comes in from a poor angle and hits Fisher instead of Hester. Hester turns upfield toward the end zone, and Earl Bennett makes a downfield block. No defender gets near Hester.
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dpompei@tribune.com
