December
10, 2018
Many
prognosticators thought this would be a high-scoring game with the Los
Angeles Rams coming out on top. This couldn’t have been further from the truth.
The Bears beat the Rams and their juggernaut offense 15-6. Before a national
TV audience, the Bears showed that they
are legit Super Bowl contenders.
The
defense put together by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was the reason the Bears won .This was a true
team effort as the Bears bottled up one the most explosive offensive teams in
the league. The numbers tell the story.
The
Rams average 34.9 points per game and were held to six, three coming after an
interception returned deep into Bear territory. Rams quarterback
Jared Goff completes about 60 percent of
his passes and had only thrown seven interceptions coming into Sunday’s
game. Under relentless Bear pressure and
good coverage, Goff went 20-44 with four interceptions, each by a
different player. The Bears lead the league with 25 interceptions. Leading rusher and
MVP candidate Todd Gurley had one of the worst game of his career. He carried
the ball 11 times for a measly 28 yards. The Rams are unlikely to face a better defense this
year than the Bears.
There
were many key plays on defense. After trading field goals, sensational
rookie linebacker Roquan Smith got his first interception with a nice return, setting
up a field goal that put the Bears ahead 6-3. The Rams
would tie the game going into the second half at 6-6.
I was
expecting the Rams to get in sync, reeling off first downs and scoring multiple points The Rams had the ball to start the
second half. After a penalty on the kickoff the Rams were backed up to their ten yard line]
On the first play of the second half, Leonard Floyd tackled Gurley
for a seven-yard loss. On the ensuing play, nose
tackle Eddie Goldman crashed through the Rams’ offensive line
and sacked Goff for a safety, giving the Bears an 8-6 lead.
On the punt after
the safety the Bears were at their 19 yard line. Behind the tandem of running
back Jordan Howard and wide receiver Allen Robinson, the Bears moved
the ball to the Rams’ two-yard line. I have criticized
Coach Matt Nagy all year. However, he is very good on goal line
calls. He puts in four defensive players in what looks to be a power run
by Hicks. However, quarterback Mitch Trubisky rolled out and completed a
touchdown pass to reserve offensive tackle Bradley Sowell. I don’t know if many Bears fans have heard of him. Bears
15, Rams 6.
.
Although
that was the final score, there was still more drama left.
That’s all the
offense. Trubisky was off-target and was intercepted three times. The
Rams did have a chance to cut it to a one-possession game. Kicker
Greg Zuerlein attempted a 40-yard field goal that hit the upright. At
this point you knew the stars were aligned for a Chicago victory.
However, the game wasn’t over. An interception of another Trubisky
bad pass gave the Rams the ball at midfield. On the very
next play, Kyle Fuller intercepted Goff. The Rams got the ball back
and with a little more than four minutes remaining, had a fourth down with four
yards needed for a first down, Hicks sacked Goff and
the Bears had the ball at the Rams’ 26 yard line. Cody
Parkey missed a field goal, giving the ball back go the Rams. But
with just over two minutes remaining, safety Prince Amukamara sealed the victory with Goff’s fourth interception.
.
I think this
was Nagy’s best-coached game. The pass-happy coach
stuck with the run and his forgotten running back Jordan Howard
rewarded him with 101 yards on only 19 carries. Trubisky will get better, they have a running game and with this
defense the Bears can make a deep run in the playoffs.
Finally, I was
sorry to see that Chicago Tribune sportswriter Steve Rosenbloom wrote his last
column Sunday. His analyses were spot-on and
he always made me laugh. In his report of this game, he might have written “Vic Fangio your table is ready.”
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