RISING
1. Alshon Jeffery: Jeffery's two touchdown receptions put Chicago in front 14-3 on Thanksgiving before the roof caved in. Jeffery is on a hot streak, catching four touchdown passes in the last three weeks. The third-year wideout leads the team in receiving yards (854), and is second in receptions (67) and touchdown catches (seven). Jeffery isn't making the same type of impact as in 2013 (89-1, 421-7), but he's the most productive wide receiver on the roster.
2. Jared Allen: Allen boasted an impressive stat line in the 34-17 loss in Detroit: two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three quarterback hits. Allen's strip sack and recovery of Matthew Stafford set up the Bears' second touchdown. Allen now has three sacks in three weeks, albeit versus subpar offensive tackles. Still, production is production. Allen has been better, but obviously not good enough. The Bears did not expect Allen to have only 4.5 sacks on Dec. 1 when general manager Phil Emery signed the veteran to a four-year contract.
3. Kyle Fuller: Fuller (knee) played hurt against future Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson (11-146-2). Johnson won the battle, but Fuller gained valuable experience. Not every rookie can play through injuries. Fuller has done it multiple times. The results were poor on Thanksgiving, but Fuller still seems like a smart long-term investment.
4. Pat O'Donnell Kickers love covered stadiums. O'Donnell averaged 48.0 yards and had a 45.7 yard net average in the comfortable surroundings on Ford Field. His longest punt of the day went for 61 yards.
FALLING
1. Rushing offense: Five carries for Matt Forte is offensive. The Bears ended the Lions game with a total of seven rushing attempts between Forte (five) and Ka'Deem Carey (two) for 14 yards. Whenever adversity strikes, the Bears abandon the run. It's illogical for an NFL team to feel like they must exclusively throw the ball to overcome a 10-point deficit. The Bears are backward thinkers. Forte is the offense's best player. Put the ball in his hands. A 7:1 pass-to-run ratio is absurd.
2. Press coverage: What press coverage? The Bears continue to allow opposing receivers to get free releases off the line of scrimmage. It's been a problem the entire season. Get physical.
3. Brock Vereen: Vereen strikes me as an intelligent kid who works hard. This is not an indictment of the person. But Vereen seems too small to play safety in the NFL. He lacks the necessary aggressiveness to finish certain plays, as evidenced on Johnson's 25-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. My hope is Vereen carves out a nice role for himself on special teams. I also hope the Bears find a new starting free safety in the offseason.
4. Demontre Hurst: Like Vereen, Hurst projects to have value on special teams. And just like in Vereen's case, the Bears need to find a proven nickelback in the offseason.
