The Chicago Bears defense made sure the fans who sat through the cold at this season’s Soldier Field finale Sunday had a memorable game to watch, even if it was a meaningless one.
The Bears had four takeaways — including two in the first four minutes — and a safety to fuel a 29-3 victory over the New York Giants.
Outside linebacker Robert Quinn had a strip-sack against former Bears quarterback Mike Glennon in the fourth quarter for his 18th sack this season — breaking the Bears record of 17½ set by Richard Dent in 1984.
The Giants recovered that fumble, but outside linebacker Trevis Gipson had two strip-sacks that the Bears recovered. Safeties Tashaun Gipson and Deon Bush had interceptions, and defensive lineman Angelo Blackson added a sack and the tackle in the end zone for the safety.
It was the most takeaways since the Bears had four against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2.
Led by quarterback Andy Dalton, the offense capitalized on the opportunities as the Bears scored their second-most points this season. It was the second time this season the Bears have won back-to-back games, the first coming Oct. 3 and 10 against the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders.
Running back David Montgomery had a pair of 2-yard touchdown runs. The second one capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive to open the third quarter and gave the Bears a 29-3 lead.
Dalton completed 18 of 35 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Glennon — who was filling in for starter Daniel Jones, who has a neck injury — completed 4 of 11 passes for 24 yards with the two interceptions and was sacked four times.
Quinn’s sack also pushed him over 100 for his career. The Bears called a timeout after the play, and Quinn was able to hug teammates while the team put the milestone on the video board.
More Week 17 coverage.
- As Bears tight end Jimmy Graham’s career reaches its twilight, he looks to leave a lasting legacy beyond the football field through flying — and helping
- ‘He knows how to galvanize people’: If the Bears set out on a coaching search next month, Leslie Frazier should be on the radar
- When can the Bears start interviews? And who are some possible candidates? 8 questions about a potential coaching search as the new early window opens.
- Chicago sports communities — from the Bears to the Cubs’ Jed Hoyer — and NFL figures help raise more than $1 million for the son of late ESPN reporter Jeff Dickerson
- Devin Hester, the record-setting returner for the Bears, is among 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Chicago sports in 2021: A look back at the biggest stories of the year
<mark class=”hl_orange”>Here’s how the Week 17 game unfolded.</mark>
Inactives announced
Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is active for the Bears after he came off the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday and was listed as questionable to play.
Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson will play after he said he lost about 10 pounds while battling COVID-19. He returned to practice Wednesday.
And nose tackle Eddie Goldman (finger) and left tackle Jason Peters (ankle) are also active after they were listed as questionable.
But Bears quarterback Justin Fields is inactive as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury. Bears coach Matt Nagy said Friday that Andy Dalton would start and Nick Foles would be the backup, but he left open the possibility Fields would be active.
Now Fields will look to potentially make his final appearance of the season in the Week 18 game against the Minnesota Vikings, if he recovers in time.
Also inactive for the Bears are cornerback Duke Shelley (heel), offensive linemen Elijah Wilkinson and Lachavious Simmons and tight end J.P. Holtz.
Wide receivers Kadarius Toney, John Ross and Collin Johnson, linebacker Oshane Ximines and center Billy Price are inactive for the Giants.
Halftime: Bears jump on Giants early
The Bears defense had two takeaways in the first four minutes of Sunday’s game against the Giants at Soldier Field to fuel a 22-3 halftime lead.
The Bears took a 7-0 lead 18 seconds into the game.
Outside linebacker Trevis Gipson had a strip-sack of Giants quarterback Mike Glennon. Bilal Nichols scooped up the football and returned it 12 yards to the 2-yard line.
On the Bears’ first offensive play, David Montgomery scored on a 2-yard run.
On the Giants’ next drive, Glennon threw a pass to Kenny Golladay that Artie Burns broke up and Tashaun Gipson intercepted. Gipson returned it 31 yards to the Giants 24-yard line. On fourth-and-2, Andy Dalton hit Darnell Mooney with a 4-yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead.
Bears outside linebacker Robert Quinn, who is trying to break Richard Dent’s franchise record of 17½ sacks in a season, didn’t get many opportunities.
Glennon completed just 1 of 2 passes for 4 yards and was sacked twice, the other by defensive lineman Angelo Blackson.
Quinn was taking down Glennon on third-and-7 late in the first quarter when Glennon avoided the sack by completing a shovel pass to Devontae Booker for a 4-yard gain.
Giants kicker Graham Gano made a 38-yard field goal with 7:45 to play in the second quarter to cut the Bears’ lead to 14-3.
Bears kicker Cairo Santos added a 21-yard field goal with 1:01 to play in the half to make it 17-3. His kick came after Dalton threw incomplete twice in the end zone, on first-and-goal from the 10 and third-and-goal from the 4.
The Bears defense came up big after the Giants thought Santos’ ensuing kickoff was going into the end zone. It instead bounced down at the 2 before Pharoh Cooper picked it up and returned it to the 5.
Booker was stopped for a loss of 3 yards to open the drive, and Derrick Kelly was called for a false start to push the Giants to the 1. Blackson then took down Booker in the end zone for a safety.
Santos made a 44-yard field goal as time expired in the half to make it 22-3.
Mooney was removed from the game by officials for medical reasons late in the second quarter. He returned in the third quarter.
Robert Quinn sets a Bears record
Bears outside linebacker Robert Quinn broke the team’s single-season sack record with a fourth-quarter sack of Giants quarterback Mike Glennon.
Quinn’s 18th sack of the season broke the record of 17½ held by Richard Dent since 1984.
Quinn had gotten close on a few plays earlier in the game, and he finally came through when he had a strip-sack of Glennon with 8:34 to play.
It also pushed Quinn over 100 sacks for his 11-year career.
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment