Chicago Bears Stock Exchange: Who's up, who's down after Week 2?

The Chicago Bears are now 1-1 after another poor offensive performance, which resulted in a 19-13 loss to the Houston Texans last Sunday night. Caleb Williams and the offense seemed to have figured some consistency out early in the game, putting together better drives, yet were still unable to score touchdowns offensively.

Week 2 felt much of the same from an offensive standpoint, and there's not much optimism for anyone around that side of the ball. The defense and special teams once again played a pivotal role in keeping the Bears in a competitive game, one that showed to be much closer on paper than it was on the field. After two weeks, here's who raised their stock and who lowered it after the loss to the Houston Texans.

Stock up: K Cairo Santos

Through two weeks in the NFL, field goal kickers have been very much on display and playing a key role in getting teams their victories. Santos is tied for seventh in the league lead with five field goals made, three of which have come from 50-plus yards, as he remains perfect on the young season. If it wasn't for the consistent play of Santos, the Bears offense would be blank minus the one Khalil Herbert touchdown on the season.

Having your kicker as your most consistent point scorer for the season speaks volumes about how bad the offense has been to begin the season. However, getting Santos into a groove early this season could help once things do come together on offense and the team can find ways to be consistently scoring both touchdowns and field goals.

Stock down: C Coleman Shelton

It's tough to single out one player on the offensive line, as they've all played bad collectively as a group, but there is a sort of domino effect here. Shelton has continuously been put in bad positions trying to protect Williams and because of this, he is causing other linemen to have to try and help out, opening the way for defensive pass rushers to get to Williams often.

There's really not a player or narrative to spin the offensive line positively, they've all been bad. But it feels as if when watching the game film, Shelton is getting bullied whenever the defense wants to and it's having a ripple effect on the entire offensive line. No one on the unit gets a break for their bad performance, but Shelton and the right guard position, currently occupied by Nate Davis with Ryan Bates on injured reserve, have been inexcusably bad to begin the year.

Stock up: DT Gervon Dexter Sr.

Recording his second sack of the 2024 season, Gervon Dexter Sr. continues to show growth in his game in just his second year. All the attention is deservingly put on Montez Sweat and what he can do for the pass rush, and while he hasn't recorded a sack, there's no denying he's opened up opportunities for his teammates. In Week 1 it was Darrell Taylor getting to the quarterback and getting two sacks, and against Houston, Dexter got his second straight sack of the season.

There are not many negative talking points when it comes to the defense, but to see continued growth from players around Sweat on the defensive line, builds even more excitement. On the season, Dexter has gotten a sack in each game, five tackles, two of which were tackles for loss, and three QB hits. If the Bears continue to get other players rushing the quarterback, it will make their defensive line and even tougher challenge than just focusing on the superstar ability of Sweat. Dexter has been on fire to start the year.

Stock down: OC Shane Waldron

The big coordinator hire from Seattle this past offseason was heralded for his work with quarterback Geno Smith who many labeled as an afterthought until Waldron resurrected his career. Waldron was coming with new weapons at receiver, two pass-catching tight ends, a stable of running backs good in their own way, and Williams at quarterback. All those weapons and the team has 343 yards of total offense in two games, and Williams has yet to throw a touchdown pass. Unacceptable.

There was plenty of optimism and excitement surrounding the Bears offense in 2024, but Waldron and the entire unit have failed to show any signs of encouragement or production. In the court of public opinion, Waldron won't have much longer to prove himself before fans and critics start to question whether or not he was the right hire for the job. The weapons are there, but the play calling and execution has not been.

Stock down: RB D'Andre Swift

No one on offense will be seeing their stock rise after the first two weeks, and while a lot of Swift's issues can be contributed to the offensive line, his overall numbers are just downright ugly. He's rushed for 48 yards in two games, averaging 2.0 yards per rushing attempt so far, and has yet to score a touchdown, like Williams has yet to throw for one.

Really, anyone on offense could fit here but Swift gets chosen because his backup, Herbert has scored the lone touchdown of the season. If Swift's struggles continue, he may have to look over his shoulder to see if Herbert will get called upon for bigger opportunities to succeed on offense. It's certainly not all his fault by himself, he's got no offensive line to run behind or create holes for him, but Swift's backup scoring means he's going to have to put his foot on the gas and create plays for himself to keep his status as the RB1 for the Bears.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears Stock Exchange: Who's up, who's down after Week 2?