The Magnificent 7

Seven players who made the biggest difference in the Bears' 30-16 loss to the Ravens on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium:

1. Tyler Huntley

With all the tumult over Lamar Jackson's status, starting the more mobile Huntley is place of Cooper Rush as Jackson's replacement was an underrated winning move by Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Huntley's accuracy was mildly unexpected (17 of 22, 186 yards, a 116.9 passer rating), but the bigger surprise was his ability to avoid the big mistake against a Bears' defense that has thrived on taking advantage of them. Huntley threw two bad passes that could have been turnovers, but were not — Kevin Byard couldn't corral one of them; and Jaquan Brisker wasn't close enough to get the other on an ill-advised throw in the red zone.

2. Nate Wiggins

The second-year cornerback, a first-round pick in 2024, made the play of the game — undercutting Rome Odunze's route for an interception and nine-year return to the Bears 9-yard line with the Ravens leading 16-13 with 9:00 left in the fourth quarter. Two plays later, Huntley threw a 10-yard touchdown to tight end Charlie Kolar that gave the Ravens 23-13 lead and put the Bears on tilt with 8:13 left. Williams is getting hammered for an ill-advised throw, but Wiggins made it look worse with a well-timed move that was perfectly executed. He deserves his share of the credit for being ready for that moment.

3. Caleb Williams

He might be going through the growing pains of learning Ben Johnson's offense, or it could be that these first seven games might be more defining than Bears fans want to believe — that Williams is a fabulous athlete and good quarterback who can often be a stunning play-maker and difference-maker, but lacks the instinct for the position to do it often enough to reach that elite tier. Williams was 25 of 38 (65.8%) for 285 yards, one touchdown and the critical interception for a 77.2 rating. Still, even this version of Williams is better than Mitch Trubisky or Justin Fields, with a long way to go before a final answer.

4. Roquan Smith

The former Bears linebacker led the Ravens with 12 tackles — more than Tremaine Edmunds (3) and T.J. Edwards (6) combined, for whatever that's worth. Roquan didn't have any splash plays — not even a tackle-for-loss. But as the heart-and-soul of the Ravens' defense he surely played a key role in the Ravens rising up against Bears early aggression (holding the Bears to field goals on the first two drives) and being good enough when it mattered most.

5. Rome Odunze

The second-year wide receiver continues to rise up in the formative stages of the Ben Johnson offense, with not only a knack for getting open but earning Williams trust. Odunze had seven receptions for 114 yards (16.3 per catch) against the Ravens — his second 100-yard game of the season and fourth in his career. Three of his receptions came on third down, including a 10-yard catch on third-and-10 in the fourth quarter where Odunze's gritty second-effort got the first down

6. Derrick Henry

With no Lamar Jackson to worry about, the Bears held Henry to 71 yards on 21 carries — just 3.4 yards per carry with a long run of 10 yards. But Henry still made an impact with two touchdowns (both two-yard runs) and grinding for yards that kept Huntley in manageable down-and-distance situations. Henry's two-yard touchdown gave the Ravens a 7-6 lead in the second quarter — a morale blow to the Bears after they had only two field goals to show for dominating the first quarter. His second two-yard run all but clinched it at 30-16 with 2:09 left.

7. DeAndre Hopkins

The five-time All-Pro is wide receiver is past his prime at 33, but his reputation might have given him the benefit of the doubt on a critical play that hindered the Bears' comeback hopes in the fourth quarter. On third-and-seven at the Ravens 48 with the Ravens leading 23-16 with 3:23 left, Hopkins battled cornerback Nahshon Wright down the left sideline, momentarily grabbing Wright's facemask before making a 14-yard reception that gave the Ravens a first down at the Bears' 38. As CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore said, "you gotta have a foul on Hopkins, either facemask of [offensive pass interference.]"

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