Bears Blitz

Published by Matt Eurich on November 1, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

After a shaky start in the first half against the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears put together a solid all-around effort in the second half on Sunday afternoon. Despite Chicago’s efforts in the final two quarters, the team fell to 2-5 on the season after losing 23-20 at Soldier Field.

The two teams went into halftime tied at 10 points, and the Bears were able to jump out to a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter following a touchdown run by quarterback Jay Cutler. Chicago allowed a touchdown to rookie wide receiver Stefon Diggs late in the fourth quarter, and following a stumble on their ensuing possession on offense, the Bears gave the football back to the Vikings with a little more than a minute left on the clock.

The Vikings quickly moved the ball down the field, and kicker Blair Walsh nailed a game-winning 36-yard field goal as time expired to seal Minnesota’s first victory in Chicago since 2007, per WGNRadio.com’s Adam Hoge:

The Bears did a lot of good things in Week 8, and ChicagoFootball.com’s Hub Arkush thought the Bears came up just short:

Despite the loss, Chicago put together a solid all-around performance that it can build off of in the future.

After a Slow Start, Offense Came to Life in Second Half

The Bears were without starting center Hroniss Grasu and left tackle Jermon Bushrod on Sunday, and the team was forced to use its fifth different combination along the offensive line:

The Bears struggled to get into a rhythm early, and offensive coordinator Adam Gase leaned on short passes and screens to take pressure off of his offensive linemen in the first half.

Cutler completed 10 of his 13 passing attempts for 72 yards with a touchdown, while running back Matt Forte carried the ball eight times for 35 yards. In total, the Bears mustered just 103 total yards of offense in the first two quarters. 

Gase opened up his playbook near the end of the first half, and Cutler connected with Jeffery four times for 43 yards with one touchdown in the first two quarters.

When the team came out for the second half, Chicago started to move the football down the field both through the air and on the ground, but Forte suffered a knee injury and missed the rest of the game.

Forte finished the game with 41 yards on 10 carries, and his replacement, rookie Jeremy Langford, finished with 46 yards on 12 carries. 

Chicago marched 55 yards down the field on nine plays on their next possession, but kicker Robbie Gould missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt.

Minnesota tied the game on a field goal on its next possession, and Cutler and the offense took over on the next drive. Chicago ran 14 plays and held onto the ball for a little more than 8.5 minutes before Cutler dove into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

Cutler’s dive into the end zone impressed ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert and Matt Bowen:

The Bears took a 20-13 lead before Minnesota orchestrated a long touchdown drive on its ensuing possession. Chicago got the ball back with slightly less than two minutes to go, but following a five-yard gain on first down and an incomplete pass to receiver Marquess Wilson, Langford missed an open catch on third down.

The Vikings moved the football down the field on their next possession, and Walsh kicked the game-winning field as time expired.

Even though Chicago stumbled at times on Sunday, the offense flashed its potential. The injury to Forte forced Langford to play a bigger role, and despite his drop late in the game, he played well considering the circumstances. 

Jeffery abused veteran cornerback Terence Newman all afternoon, and he finished the game with 10 catches for 116 yards with one touchdown.

Chicago’s offense did not do the team any favors in the first half, but it proved in the second half it has the ability to hang with some of the league’s better defenses. 

Defense Played Well Until the Final Minutes of the Fourth Quarter

Chicago’s defense held the Vikings to 327 yards of total offense on Sunday, but it struggled to slow down Minnesota’s offense late in the game.

Running back Adrian Peterson gained 103 yards on 20 carries, but he failed to make any big splash plays. He was still one of the best players on the field on Sunday, but the Bears did a nice job of keeping him out of the end zone.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had his share of ups and downs on Sunday afternoon, and he finished Week 8 with 187 passing yards on 17 completions with one touchdown and one interception. Chicago struggled to put pressure on Bridgewater throughout the game, but its secondary did a nice job of keeping Minnesota’s receivers in check until late in the fourth quarter.

Undrafted rookie Bryce Callahan took over at nickelback for the struggling Sherrick McManis this week, and the former Rice standout played well all afternoon. He suffered an injury late in the game, and the Bears were forced to put McManis back in at nickelback.

With the Vikings trailing the Bears 20-13, McManis lined up opposite of Diggs out of the slot. Diggs was able to create separation with his speed, and Bridgewater hit his rookie receiver for a 40-yard touchdown.

“I gotta do my job,” McManis said about Diggs‘ touchdown after the game, per Hoge. “That was my guy.”

Chicago’s defense held its own for the first 58 minutes of the game on Sunday, but it gave up 10 points to the Vikings in the final two minutes.

The secondary showed some improvement after struggling the first few games of the year. Cornerback Kyle Fuller came away with the secondary’s first interception of the year, but veteran Antrel Rolle missed an opportunity to end the game with an interception late in the fourth quarter.

Chicago’s defense did a nice job of limiting Peterson’s big-play potential all afternoon, but the unit could not hold on for the victory on Sunday.

The Bears played well on both sides of the football in Week 8 and had a chance to come away with a victory, but the final minutes of the fourth quarter proved the Bears are not ready to compete with some of the NFL‘s best just yet.

Statistical information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.

Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Follow @MattEurich.

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