March 29, 2024


News

With three turnovers, four sacks in win over Carolina, Bears defense proves tough again

The Bears offense punted on its final two real possessions of Sunday's 23-16 win over the Carolina Panthers. Neither of those drives lasted more than five plays.

They provided no help for the Bears defense.

No matter. The Bears defense responded with a turnover on downs and a DeAndre Houston-Carson interception of Carolina quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to ice the game.

It was another impressive display. The Bears completed their day with three takeaways and four sacks. Those last two fourth-quarter possessions were the quintessential Bears 2020 defense: It might allow some points, but the defense will force stops when it matters most.

Houston-Carson’s interception all but ended the game. It was Houston-Carson who broke up Tom Brady’s final pass a week earlier against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I’m realty proud of him,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said. “What a role player for us on this team. On defense, special teams, he’s just a quiet leader that does things the right way. He’s come up so big in these situations, and that’s what it’s all about.”

The Bears were the No. 1 red-zone defense in the NFL entering Week 6. They held the Panthers to one touchdown in three trips to the red zone. They held Carolina to 3-for-13 on third downs.

“It’s just a testament to the guys we have,” Bears safety Tashaun Gipson said. “I think it’s one of those things where guys know in those situations that this is what being a part of the Bears defense is all about. It’s a collective effort between the group of men.”

The defense set the tone from the beginning. Gipson intercepted Bridgewater on the Panthers’ first drive. Bridgewater and the Panthers picked on rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson all game long. On that play, Johnson came through to deflect the pass into the air. Gipson grabbed it and set up the Bears with great field position.

It led to a touchdown for rookie tight end Cole Kmet moments later.

In the second quarter, cornerback Kyle Fuller had the best red-zone stop of the day, tackling Bridgewater one-on-one in space at the 1-yard line. The play was designed to create a one-on-one matchup. Fuller simply won that battle.

“That play’s routine for a guy like Kyle, but that’s a tough tackle for anybody,” Gipson said. “I don’t care how skilled you are. He came up and he made a huge play.”

The Bears failed to capitalize on their other takeaway. Safety Eddie Jackson forced a fumble in the third quarter, recovered by defensive tackle Akiem Hicks at the Carolina 22-yard line. Quarterback Nick Foles threw an interception the next play.

Outside linebacker Khalil Mack, defensive tackle Bilal Nichols and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. each had a sack. Outside linebackers James Vaughters and Barkevious Mingo each contributed half a sack.

Bridgewater entered the game completing more than 70% of his passes on the season. He was just 16-for-29 (55.2%) for 216 yards with a pair of interceptions on Sunday.

The Bears didn’t allow Carolina running back Mike Davis much room (18 carries, 52 yards). Receiver DJ Moore found space a few times, totaling 93 yards on five catches.

It was far from a perfect performance. Twice the Bears were called for having 12 men on the field. Hicks earned a penalty on 4th-and-3 when he jumped early, giving the Panthers a new set of downs deep in Bears territory. There a number of pass interference penalties (the Bears were penalized 10 times total Sunday).

Following the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, Bridgewater looked to Moore on a 4th-and-2. Moore beat Bears defensive back Buster Skrine, but Bridgewater sailed the pass too high.

Sometimes a little luck helps.

“I felt like we did play well, but there's always going to be room for improvement,” inside linebacker Roquan Smith said. “We're just taking each week and enjoying it today and we're focused on our little improvement.”

But when the Bears needed stops, they earned them.

Sean Hammond

Sean Hammond

Sean is the Chicago Bears beat reporter for the Shaw Local News Network. He has covered the Bears since 2020. Prior to writing about the Bears, he covered high school sports for the Northwest Herald and contributed to Friday Night Drive. Sean joined Shaw Media in 2016.