The Pro Football Focus grades are in for the Chicago Bears’ Week 1 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and the highest-graded player on offense is a bit of a surprise.
Running back David Montgomery was the most effective player on his side of the ball Sunday night (16 carries for 108 yards and a TD), but he didn’t earn the highest grade. Instead, he was sixth.
The top scorer was wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, who registered a 73.0. Damien Williams, Montgomery’s backup, was next at 71.0.
Montgomery’s 64.5 rated sixth on the offense. His score suffered because of a low grade in the passing game (57.0).
As for Goodwin, the free-agent addition looked good in his Bears debut. He caught all four of his targets for 45 yards and looked explosive and twitchy out of his breaks. He’s a perfect fit for the ‘zebra’ role that was filled by Taylor Gabriel.
And what about the quarterbacks? Andy Dalton was fine, and his PFF grade confirms that assessment. He finished Week 1 with a 63.1 grade, good for seventh on offense. Bears fans want more out of their quarterback than a middle-of-the-pack grade, but against the NFL’s reigning top defense, Dalton did the best he could do.
Justin Fields finished with a 68.0, but it was the result of just five snaps and should be viewed more like an incomplete than a night that was better than Dalton’s.