An absolute heartbreaker in Chicago today, the Chicago Bears fell to the Denver Broncos 31-28 in a stunning collapse. While the offense finally put their talent together, the play calling and 4th quarter execution were the downfall of the Bears this afternoon.
The first half went extremely well, with quarterback Justin Fields performing absolutely outstanding. Answering a ton of criticism, Fields made quick decisions, read the defense, and made accurate throws all half. He went into halftime throwing 16/17 for 230 yards and 3 passing touchdowns, his only incompletion coming from a Hail Mary at the last second. With the Bears leading 21-7 at halftime, it was finally looking up.
However, the second half was a complete disaster. The offense scored once more in the third quarter, but was stifled in the fourth. One of the major turning points of the game was early in the 4th quarter, when Fields was sacked and tried tossing away the ball, but ended up fumbling it away for a Broncos touchdown. Fields often panics with the ball and needs to work on holding it and taking the sack instead.
Overall Reaction: Bears lose to Broncos 28-31
The offense of the Bears actually looked great today, despite a few mistakes. Justin Fields made quick and correct reads often, connecting with wide receiver DJ Moore 8 times for 131 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Cole Kmet also had a great game, catching 7 passes for 85 yards and 2 touchdowns. One of the few mistakes made on the offensive side was the Fields fumble returned for a touchdown in a critical situation, allowing the Broncos to tie up the game late. In addition, many people are criticizing head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy for their play calling down the stretch. Not giving Fields more opportunities to throw when he was throwing extremely well today caused the Bears to stall on a late drive and turned the ball over on downs instead of taking a field goal.
The defensive side of the ball held up pretty well, although giving up critical drives late in the game. Only allowing 7 points in the first half, the Bears defense seemed to be swarming and overwhelming the Broncos, as Jack Sanborn and T.J. Edwards both made plays to pressure the ball. Rookie cornerback Terell Smith had an underrated game, ending with 1 pass deflection and 1 tackle for loss to go along with 5 total tackles. However, the defense conceded in the second half, giving up points in nearly every drive. While the defense doesn’t possess a ton of talent, they have to improve drastically, especially late in the game.
