Chicago Bears Stock Exchange: Who's up, who's down entering Week 9?

The Chicago Bears returned to action following their bye week and hit the ground with a thud, losing 18-15 to the Washington Commanders. The Bears looked unprepared and out of sorts for much of the game on offense, despite having ample time to prepare for the opponent. They were shut out for the first half and didn't generate any momentum until the end of the third quarter. The offense eventually got going, but it proved to be too little, too late.

Defensively, Chicago couldn't stop banged-up Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels outside of the red zone. Fortunately, they were able to limit him and the offense to just four field goals until the final drive. Unfortunately, they gave up the biggest play of the day at the most inopportune time, that being the Hail Mary to Noah Brown to win the game.

It was one of the most shocking losses in recent memory, and there were a few players at the very center of the poor performance. Others, however, took positive steps despite the disappointing outcome. Here is the latest Chicago Bears Stock Exchange heading into Week 9.

Stock up: DE Jacob Martin

Defensive end Jacob Martin made his long-awaited season debut on Sunday after landing on injured reserve with a foot injury at the conclusion of training camp. After just one game, it looks like he hasn't missed a beat. Martin was the team's highest-graded defender on Sunday, according to PFF, with a grade of 86.4. He finished the day with three tackles, one for a loss, and one QB hit while playing just 15 defensive snaps. Not too shabby for the seven-year veteran.

The Bears suddenly have pretty good depth at the defensive end position. Martin is still working himself into a rotation that includes Darrell Taylor, DeMarcus Walker, Austin Booker, and Daniel Hardy. He should see a healthy amount of snaps, though, especially after this performance.

Stock down: CB Tyrique Stevenson

Tyrique Stevenson's stock hasn't been this low since Week 2 of his rookie year, when Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans torched him in the hot Florida sun. Obviously, the big focus on Stevenson was the inexcusable celebration towards the opposing sideline and then misplaying the Hail Mary pass that lost them the game. It's a pretty egregious error, but that was only the cherry on top of a poor performance.

Stevenson was picked on all day by Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin, who had five receptions for 125 yards, including a 61-yard reception that left the Bears corner in the dust. He also was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct earlier in the game, giving the Commanders free yards. He did have nine total tackles, but that was in part due to being targeted so often. It was a bad game that was only made worse by the very end, and Stevenson will need to bounce back in a big way.

Stock up: RB D'Andre Swift

The Bears offense struggled to get anything going for nearly three quarters last Sunday. It took a big run from D'Andre Swift to change that and get them back in the game. Swift didn't let the bye week slow down his resurgence as he carried the ball 18 times for 129 yards and a touchdown. 56 of those yards came on a left outside run that he took all the way to the end zone.

Swift is proving to be the team's "X Factor" on offense. When he gets going, so does the rest of the offense. It was evident last Sunday when the Bears could barely keep a drive alive past midfield for much of the game. Once Swift got going, things turned around in a hurry. His early-season struggles appear to be a thing of the past.

Stock down: TE Cole Kmet

It should be a crime that Cole Kmet had just one target on National Tight End Day. On a day where tight ends around the league set a record for most receptions by the position group on a single day (177), Kmet accounted for one that went for 14 yards. Even without the Hallmark holiday, his usage was baffling last Sunday.

This is the same player who got things started in London with two impressive touchdown catches. Kmet has failed to connect with Williams just three times this season, catching 27 of 30 targets. He's as reliable as they come and needs to be more of a priority in the passing game.

Stock down: HC Matt Eberflus

The pitchforks are out, the torches have been lit, and an angry mob of Bears fans is figuratively marching to Halas Hall to demand the team fire Matt Eberflus following his mismanagement of Sunday's game. The good vibes from a week ago have vanished following the Hail Mary loss, and players are openly questioning the coach's decisions that led to the loss. That's usually not a recipe for success.

The mistakes were numerous. Eberflus allowed offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to call a run to Doug Kramer, elected not to challenge a close catch, kept the sidelines open for the easy yardage on the penultimate play, and didn't call a timeout or have his players ready on the infamous Hail Mary. His stock is at the lowest it's been this season, and he'll need to dig his way out soon. Otherwise, the team could unravel in the coming weeks.

Stock up: DE Montez Sweat

It's been a negative few days for the Bears, so why not end with a positive? Defensive end Montez Sweat made plenty of noise in his return to Washington since he was dealt in last year's trade deadline. Sweat totaled four tackles, two for a loss, one sack, and three QB hits in Sunday's loss. He was relentless, and his pressures threw Daniels off his game multiple times.

Though it was a productive day, it came with a cost. Sweat got banged up during last Sunday's contest and was limited the rest of the way. His injury isn't serious, though, and perhaps Sweat's homecoming will help catapult him over these next few weeks. He'll need it to get after Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who hasn't been sacked in three straight games.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears Stock Exchange: Who's up, who's down entering Week 9?