The Bears finally notched their first win in almost a year, just hours after news broke that Bears legend Dick Butkus died at 80. The NFL world knew Butkus as a player and an icon. Dick Butkus was the definition of grit, and teams legitimately feared him. After news broke that Butkus had died, the Chicago Bears played the best game they could. Whether it was the spirit of Butkus lighting a fire in the team or maybe, the Bears had decided that enough was enough. Either way, both sides of the ball looked completely different, and the Bears looked like another team.
The offense lit up the day, specifically D.J. Moore, Justin Fields, and Khalil Herbert. D.J. Moore played the game of his life, as Justin Fields connected with him on eight passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Fields threw four total touchdowns on the day while passing for 282 yards. The Bears didn’t just dominate the passing game; Khalil Herbert ran for 76 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Herbert was also Chicago’s highest-graded player on offense. Unfortunately, Herbert had an ankle injury and will likely miss a few weeks. The offense looked like a completely new team, and if they can build off of it, they might be able to start putting tallies in the win column.
The offense did its job, and surprisingly, the defense did as well. The Bears notched two turnovers in the game and a handful of sacks. Despite being without most of their secondary, the defense stepped up. Rookie Gervon Dester was the Bears’ highest-graded player per PFF, even though it was his first start in the NFL. Lineman Andrew Billings also had an impressive game, helping out a depleted secondary by getting to the quarterback. The defense had begun to soften a little in the second half, but they stood their ground and held the Commanders to only 20 points. With almost the whole starting secondary back this upcoming week, the defense needs to piggyback off this wind and terrorize some offenses.
Despite the Bears win, the NFL lost a legend. Butkus’ legacy will live on through his gritty play and iconic personality. The Bears could cause a turning point in this season, and if the Bears could honor Butkus in any way, it would be to win for him. Maybe Butkus could swing a few wins in the Bears’ favor from football heaven, but if they keep playing like they just did, I think Butkus will be content watching the Bears kick ass from above.
