So as it turns out, football games aren't that much less stressful even when you don’t have to score 17 points in the last eight minutes. A week after their miraculous comeback win in Detroit, the Bears welcomed a bad New York Giants team into an empty Soldier Field, lead wire-to-wire, and won a slightly uncomfortable 17-13 game – going to 2-0 for the first time since 2013 in the process. Here’s whose arrows are up and down after Sunday afternoon’s win:
Arrow Up -- Matt Nagy
Nagy called a great game. The Bears came out under center quite a bit again on Sunday, and finished with another balanced run-pass ratio (32-28). Mitch Trubisky wasn’t asked to do too much, and once again – for the most part – looked comfortable and confident operating the offense. Execution helped: after a miserable 3rd down performance against the Lions, the Bears went 9-16 on that down against New York, including 3-3 on a touchdown-scoring first drive. Through the first two games of 2020, Nagy deserves some credit for sticking with the offense that fits this Bears roster, not the one he necessarily dreams of running.
Arrow Up -- Mitch Trubisky
He was good! Legitimately fine! Trubisky’s first half (12-17, 144 YDs, 2 TDs) was a bit more prolific than his second, but the Bears wanted to see a more complete performance from Trubisky, and they got one. He finished the day 18-28 with 190 yards and two touchdowns, though he also threw his first two interceptions of the year. Trubisky spread the ball out, too: Nine different players had at least one reception on Sunday. One or two of the three sacks he took probably could have been avoided had Trubisky gotten the ball out earlier, but we’ll let someone else nitpick that.
Arrow Up -- Darnell Mooney
Mooney’s definitely WR2 already, right? Making veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. a healthy scratch was the latest clue that Mooney – playing in his second career game, you’ll remember – is quickly earning the trust of the Bears’ coaching staff. He finished with 3 receptions for 36 yards, and his 16-yard touchdown catch at the end of the first half was maybe the most fun play of the Bears’ season so far.
We won’t know about snap counts until tomorrow, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Mooney ends up with more snaps than any receiver who’s not Allen Robinson.
Arrow Down -- Danny Trevathan
Another concerning game for the Bears’ linebacker. He was credited with two tackles on Sunday, and only one was a solo tackle. He once again looked slow and had trouble shedding blocks from a Giants offensive line that is really not good. His workload looked more limited, too – Deon Bush replaced him for three-safety looks on more than a few plays Sunday. The Bears don’t have a Danny Trevathan Problem quite yet, but it’s close.
NFL
Arrow Down -- Anthony Miller
It was a quiet day for Miller to say the least. He dropped what should have been his second touchdown of the year (not to mention one of Trubisky's better throws on the day) in the first quarter and then disappeared for the rest of the game. He finished Sunday without a reception, which is kind of wild considering that *nine* other players caught at least one ball. Bobby Massie even had one! Two games aren't enough to make grand statements about consistency, but not having a single catch?? Not great.
Arrow Up Hon. Mention – David Montgomery; Khalil Mack; BOBBY MASSIE, BABY (iykyk)
Arrow Down Hon. Mention – Injuries in general; the tight ends again; scoring touchdowns without fans in the stands