Grading the Bears

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Quarterback: B

Jay Cutler outplayed Brett Favre with another Kyle Orton-like performance -- 22 of 35, 237 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs (87.4 rating). He also had a 25-yard run on a scramble. Running backs: B

Matt Forte (21 carries, 69 yards) and Chester Taylor (11-33) had modest numbers, but they looked like gold against a team starving for any kind of success in the run game. Receivers: B-

Bad start when a Cutler pass bounced off Johnny Knox's hands for an INT. But Knox still had 5 catches for 90 yards. Devin Hester showed spunk on a 19-yard TD catch. Offensive line: B

For the second straight week, the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. Cutler was sacked once, and the run game looked better. Penalties, though, are still an issue. Defensive line: A

Julius Peppers stopped Adrian Peterson on back-to-back plays to force Vikings to settle for an early FG -- typifying the D-line's impact in holding AP to 51 yards on 17 totes. Linebackers: A

Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher & Pisa Tinoisamoa were outstanding in preventing Vikings from turning small plays into big ones. Briggs added a pick that all but clinched it. Defensive backs: A-

Percy Harvin burned the secondary for a 53-yard touchdown and drew a pass-interference call, but D.J. Moore and Chris Harris atoned with interceptions. Special teams: A

It seems like the less Devin Hester plays on offense, the better he is on returns --68-yard KO, 42-yard punt. But Rashied Davis' KO return to Vikes' 49 led to more points. Coaching: A

Complete effort didn't happen by mistake. Third-down improvement, turnover differential, red-zone efficiency are all good. Now about those penalties ...