If Week 12 confirmed anything for the Chicago Bears, it's that they are who we thought they were. It should come as little surprise that an offense without QB Justin Fields under center mustered only 10 points and looked out of sync for most of the game. It shouldn't shock even the most diehard Bears fan that Chicago's defense gave up chunk plays to Jets running backs and allowed QB Mike White to look like the next coming of Joe Namath.
This is the 2022 Chicago Bears, a team dependent on the wizardry of Fields and a turnover or two on defense to keep the game close.
Close it wasn't on Sunday. Chicago lost 31-10. The margin of defeat felt wider than that.
Still, it wasn't all bad for the Chicago Bears. There were some individual performances worth highlighting as positives. To remain balanced, I'll also touch on some of the not-so-great performers.
Winner: David Montgomery
Montgomery looked like a starting running back that an offense could build its running game around against the Jets. He finished Week 12 with 14 carries for 79 yards and added a team-best three catches for 34 yards as a receiver.
Montgomery could've produced better numbers if he wasn't replaced so often by practice squad call-up Darrynton Evans, who ended the game with nine carries. It was a surprising workload that limited Montgomery's chances to prove he can be a 20-carry bell cow, even in the Bears' losing effort.
It's anyone's guess whether Montgomery will be back in Chicago in 2023. His contract expires at the end of the season. Perhaps, his average explosiveness makes him a replaceable player. But his hard-charging running style and never say die attitude is contagious. How the Bears handle him this offseason will be fascinating.
Loser: Trevor Siemian
Siemian was in a tough spot against a Jets defense that ranked near the top in sacks entering Week 12. Not only was he unsure about his starting status until 90 minutes before kickoff, but he also injured himself (oblique) in pregame warmups, which put his starting status on hold until the Bears' first possession.
Siemian started the game red hot. He completed seven of his first nine passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Then the wheels fell off.
His next 16 passes resulted in just seven completions and 59 yards. He threw an interception in the red zone, too.
The Bears had no chance with Siemian, and in a way, that's OK. It's further proof of how important Fields is to this franchise.
Winner: Chase Claypool
It's hard to call a player with only two catches for 51 yards a winner, but after Claypool totaled just 32 yards in three games as a Bear, his big plays downfield were a welcome sight.
Claypool was more involved in the Chicago Bears' game plan than any of the previous three games, and with the injury to Darnell Mooney (more on that later), his role should only grow larger.
The Bears traded for Claypool to at least challenge to become their No. 1 wideout in 2023. He showed flashes on Sunday that he can be that guy.
Loser: Darnell Mooney
What a tough break for Mooney in Week 12. The de facto WR1 suffered a likely season-ending ankle injury, one that, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport will require surgery to repair.
#Bears WR Darnell Mooney will get more tests Monday, but the fear is he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in today’s loss to the #Jets, per source. pic.twitter.com/HjqgX01UtW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 28, 2022
The most gut-wrenching part of Mooney's injury is what it does to his next contract. He was a strong candidate for a new deal at the end of this season, but there's no chance that happens now. At least, not at the terms Mooney's camp will be looking for.
Instead, Mooney and Claypool will enter the 2023 season in the final year of their contracts. Perhaps that's a best-case scenario for the Chicago Bears. Poles can evaluate which pass-catcher is, in fact, more valuable to keep around and break the bank on one big wide receiver contract.
Winner: Jack Sanborn
Aside from Fields developing into a legitimate franchise-changing quarterback, Sanborn may be the next-best story of the 2022 season.
The undrafted rookie from Wisconsin ascended into the starting lineup following the Roquan Smith trade. All he's done since then is prove he's the most valuable defensive rookie on the Chicago Bears roster. OK, maybe Jaquan Brisker has an argument for that title, but Sanborn is closing in on him.
The hard-nosed inside linebacker finished the game with a team-best 15 tackles, including one tackle for loss. He now has 36 tackles over the last three games, which, if spread across 17 games, would put him on pace for a 200-tackle season. Remarkable.