#_author:Lawrence Jones

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

12th Man A Possible Factor in Bears Loss to Saints

A combination of predictable play calling and very questionable referee work decides the Chicago Bears fate in their week eight matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

The Chicago Bears defensive streak of not allowing a touchdown in nine straight quarters came to an end on Sunday against the Saints. The first touchdown came on the first drive of the first quarter after a penalty on the defense during a made field goal for the Saints. After a 50 plus yard play to take New Orleans past midfield, the Bears defense came up big and forced the Saints to kick a field goal, but a clear offsides penalty by Kyle Fuller during the kick allowed a new set of downs and a touchdown on the very next play. What was supposed to be a Saints lead, 3-0, turned into 7-0 in a matter of seconds. The Bears had a chance to answer back but fails to do so. Although their first couple of possessions on offense resulted in a nice chunk of yards, the Bears were only able to come up with three points after a 27-yard made field goal by Connor Barth. Later in the half, the Saints score again with a one-yard run by Mark Ingram. The Bears had a chance to answer back with another field goal, Barth shanks it wide left and fails to hit the 48-yard field goal. The Bears head into halftime trailing 14-3.

The second half starts off where the first half left off with minimum productivity for the Bears. They start the third quarter with a three and out giving the Saints the ball at the 26-yard line after a 57-yard punt by Pat O’Donnell. The Bears Defense played solid during the first half but comes up even bigger in the second half. The defense goes from allowing two touchdowns in the first half to just two field goals in the second half. The Bears offense showed some light and a will to score after a beautiful 25-yard fade pass to tight end Zach Miller. The touchdown gets negated by the referees upon review (very questionable call) stating that Miller did not maintain control of the ball. I’d advise everyone to look at this play and you be the judge of this call! To make matters worse, Zach Miller suffered an injury on the play that didn’t look pretty at all. Talk about insult to injury! That play leads to a 44-yard field goal by Barth to cut into the lead, 14-6.

The Saints kick two more field goals to extend the lead and Tarik Cohen breaks the plane with a one-yard touchdown leap to bring the Bears to a one-score game. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky and the offense had a chance to tie the game on the last drive, but a miscommunication with him and wide receiver Tre McBride result in an interception by cornerback Marshon Lattimore which ices the game. The Bears fail to come back in New Orleans and falls 20-12.

MVP

The Bears Defense gets this award this week for the boys in blue. As the game progressed the defense seemed to get better. They also seemed to take every drive against them personally. In the first half they allowed two touchdowns, but in the second half, they only allowed 6 points (two field goals). Oh, did I fail to mention they also got two turnovers in the second half forcing two fumbles and recoveries! Although they allowed a couple of big plays down the field during the game, the defense bounced back multiple times forcing the Saints to punt the ball or kick it for three.

This defense has been a force all year thus far! Bear Down Monsters of the Midway!

LVP

Throughout the course of the game, it seemed that the Bears players were competing against more than just the New Orleans Saints. Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains play calling seemed to be very predictable in many people’s eyes. Not only did the defense and coordinators know when a run play or pass play was coming, but so did the fans, viewers and anyone else who was involved with Sunday’s game. It was one play that I can recall that the Bears fooled everyone and that was a pass on first down that resulted in a huge gain, but the very next play resulted in a two-yard loss after a predictable run call. Now, this doesn’t all fall on the OC because the referees played a huge role in this game as well. They missed countless calls (i.e. holding both offensively and defensively) and negating touchdowns that were clearly caught and secured even when an injury was present. There was even a part in the game where running back Tarik Cohen leaped across the plane of the end zone and it took a deliberation to decide if he was in or out. C’mon NFL get it together!

PLAY OF THE GAME

Now we can’t forget about the workhorse of the Bears organization, Jordan Howard! After an excellent punt by Saints punter Wil Lutz to pin the Bears at the five-yard line, a predictable run call to Howard goes for 50-yards in between the tackles putting the Bears in position to score. This play was explosive and couldn’t have come at a better time! Howard finished the game with 23 carries for 102 yards.

WHAT’S NEXT?

BYE WEEK, WEEK 9 (CHANCE TO REGROUP)

WEEK 10, Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

Sun, Nov 12     12pm

TV: Fox

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

2nd Overtime Produces 2nd Victory: Game Recap

The Chicago Bears started the game a bit sluggish in the first quarter. The first couple of drives resulted in pretty good punts by Pat O’Donnell to pin the Baltimore Ravens inside the 20 every time. The second quarter belonged to the Bears as the offense march down the field for a 10-play, 60-yard scoring drive after Connor Barth hits the 24-yard field goal to draw first blood. Later in the quarter, Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains brings a little trickery and a pitch play to Tarik Cohen turns into a 21-yard touchdown pass from Cohen to Zach Miller. But the first half belonged to the Bears defense! A fumble recovery, an interception, two sacks and very physical play allowed the D to own the half. Bears head into the locker room with the lead 10-3.

The second half started out great for the Bears as they continued the momentum. Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky gets his second touchdown of the season with a 27-yard pass to Dion Sims in the end zone. This 14-point lead was short lived after Rainey returns the kick 96-yards after everyone else though the play was dead, though no whistle was blown. The ruling on the field stood as a touchdown and the Ravens cut into the Bears lead 17-10. Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco tries to capitalize on a Tarik Cohen fumble by throwing a touchdown pass to the tight end, but the problem was that he was three yards past the line of scrimmage. That drive resulted in three points and a 17-13 score.

Late in the fourth quarter, the defense comes up big again as Adrian Amos intercepts the deflected ball and takes it to the house for 90-yards and lead extension, 24-13. That marks Amos’ first pick-six of his NFL career. The Ravens answer back Late in the game with a 77-yard punt return by Michael Campanaro. Flacco completes a pass to a wide-open tight end for the two-point conversion and over time is illustrated in Baltimore.

OVERTIME

Chicago wins the toss and starts from the 20-yard line. Penalties and a sack put them in a bad position to punt the ball. As if things couldn’t get any worse, O’Donnell shanks a punt to put the Ravens in good field position at their own 40-yard line. That Monsters of the Midway came out to play in overtime because the Bears D forces a three and out. The ground and pound play by the Bears finally pays off after Jordan Howard rumbles down the field for a 53-yard run down the sideline to put the Bears in scoring position. With a 40-yard mad field goal, Connor Barth seals the deal and the Bears hold off the Baltimore Ravens 27-24 in overtime.

Player of the Day

Running back Jordan Howard was a workhorse Sunday, finishing the game with 36 carries for 167 yards. This includes a 53-yard long run in overtime that essentially won the Bears the game. BUT the Bears defense came to play! The consistent play of the D made the game even more exciting as they produced three turnovers and one touchdown. Three sacks, one fumble recovery, a pick six and countless made plays by cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Eddie Jackson. As a matter of fact, the ULTIMATE player of the game goes to Kyle Fuller. His ability to come up and stuff the run or shallow receivers and his impeccable pass coverage Sunday came up very big for the Bears! Oh! Let’s not forget about safety Adrian Amos with the 77-yard pick six off of the Kyle Fuller deflection! Bear Down Chicago Bears!

Play of the Game

Adrian Amos 77-yard pick after displaying the “moves like Jagger” and taking it to the house. Jordan Howard with the 53-yard run up the sideline in over time to put the Bears in scoring position for the win.

What’s Next

Carolina Panthers (4-2) @ Chicago Bears (2-4)

Sun, Oct 22

12:00 PM

Chicago, IL (Soldier Field)

TV: CBS

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Game Recap: Bears vs. Steelers

The first 29 minutes of Sunday’s game appeared to be a football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears, but for everyone who witnessed the game, they can vouch that it was everything but that.

The first two drives of the game resulted in three-and-outs for both teams. Both defenses were flying around and refused to give any ground to the opposing offense. The Bears drew first blood after a three-yard touchdown run from Jordan Howard in the first quarter. The touchdown was set up by a muffed punt recovery by Sherrick McManis at Pittsburgh’s 29-yard line. Later in the quarter, the Bears had a chance to increase the lead to 10, but Connor Barth fails to hit the 47-yard field goal as the ball travels wide right. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger takes advantage of the missed field goal by producing a score of his own as he threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown to tie the game at seven in the second quarter. But on the following drive, the Bears quarterback Mike Glennon produced a two-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Adam Shaheen and regain the lead 14-7. That touchdown was Shaheen’s first in the NFL with plenty more to come, hopefully.

Roethlisberger and company attempted to bridge the gap before halftime but a blocked field goal by McManis ruins that opportunity. McManis blocked the field goal and Marcus Cooper Sr. recovered the ball, taking it 70-yards to what seemed like a for sure touchdown. Cooper Sr. failed to run the ball in as his attempted celebration before getting into the end zone was cut short when the tight end Vance McDonald stripped the ball from the back at the one-yard line and was punched out of bounds by the field goal team. That play resulted in a 24-yard made field goal by Barth to send the Bears into the locker room with the lead. Good thing this is a recap article and not an opinionated piece because you better believe I would have a lot to say about that play!

From that play on, the game became a battle of confusion. The second half was anything but pretty for both teams and their offenses. There were countless dropped passes by the Bears wide receivers and a plethora of batted and deflected passes thrown by the Steelers that made this game sore to watch. Constant flags were being thrown at pivotal times of the game and a couple of “QUESTIONABLE” calls made by the referees. But everything wasn’t all bad as the dynamic duo of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen made the Steelers defense look slightly disoriented through the entire game. With consistent pressure from ground and pound offense and relentless attack by the Bears defense, the Bears get the overtime win over the Steelers.

THIS WIN IS DEFINITELY A CONFIDENCE BOOSTER HEADING INTO A SHORT WEEK VERSUS THE PACKERS ON THURSDAY!

OVERTIME

The Bears win the toss and elected to receive the ball in overtime. Within the first three plays, Jordan Howard exploded with a nice gain to move the chains. A few couple of plays later Rookie RB Tarik Cohen takes runs the ball 60+ yards for the touchdown off of a redirection play to the right. Cohen’s celebration is quickly silenced after he is marked down at the 36-yard line after his foot barely touches out-of-bounds on a nice cut in on the defender. But two plays later, Jordan Howard punched it in from 19-yards out and the Bears win 23-17. This win gave the Bears their first win of the season and the Steelers their first lost in 10 regular season games. Da Bears!

  MVP

For the first time this season this award will be shared!

The Bears Defense was as solid as can be Sunday. They didn’t allow any big plays, they collected a turnover (fumble recovery), limited RB Le’Veon Bell to 61 yards and sacked QB Roethlisberger three times. The Bears defense also held the Steelers high-powered offense to a total of 282 yards.

On the offensive side, it was all on the two-headed monster, the Bears running backs, Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. Howard finally got his breakout game of the season, finishing the game with 23 carries for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Cohen continues to be a “LITTLE” force to be reckoned with as he adds 12 carries for 78 rushing yards. Both backs averaged over six yards a carry totaling 220-yards on the ground. They also contributed in the passing game by totaling 60 yards on 9 targets.

Not a bad day on both sides of the ball!

LVP

This award is easy to give out this week. The Bears receivers couldn’t catch a cold out there on Sunday. There were six balls dropped out there, all of which were very catchable and for the most part in hand completely. There were a lot of complaints during the game about Glennon not taking shots downfield, but the shots that were taken and were supposed to be clear catches resulted into dropped balls. This in return only allowed Glennon to complete ONLY one of his 15 completions to a WR; the other 14 were to the running backs and tight ends. The Bears entered Sunday’s game leading the league in dropped passes. They added five more this week. Get it together fellas!

Play of The Game

Although it was ruled a no score, the speedy and re-directed run by Tarik Cohen in overtime gave the Bears the yards and the spark they needed to finish the game with six points and the win! 23-17 Bears WIN!

What’s Next?

Chicago Bears (1-2) @ Green Bay Packers (2-1)

Thursday, Sep 28

7:25PM

Green Bay, Wisconsin

TV: CBS, NFLN

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Game Recap: Bears vs. Falcons

The Chicago Bears displayed a very impressive effort against the 2016 NFC Champions in game one of the season against the Atlanta Falcons.

Recap

In a game that most expected to be a blowout, the Chicago Bears proved to the National Football League that they are: a team that shouldn’t be underestimated.

The Bears defense immediately faced an uphill battle when the Atlanta Falcons marched down the field on the first drive and scored. The drive didn’t end in a score in the end zone but through the uprights as Falcons’ kicker, Matt Bryant, hits a 48-yard field goal eight minutes into the game. With 4:15 left in the first quarter, the Bears answered back with a 54-yard field goal made by kicker Connor Barth. Early in the second quarter, the Falcons answered back with a five-yard touchdown run from Devonta Freeman that put the Falcons up 10-3. But in college-like fashion, the Bears answers back with a wild cat set! Quarterback Mike Glennon lined up as a receiver and rookie running back Tarik Cohen lined up in the quarterback position. With Cohen and Jordan Howard in the back field, Cohen hands the ball to Howard who runs it in from four-yards and ties the game at 10 heading into the half.

Both the Bears and the Falcons failed to score on their first drive of the second half, but just under halfway through the third quarter, the Falcons regained the lead with a 28-yard field goal by Bryant. As if a three-point lead wasn’t good enough, the Falcons increased the lead to 10 after quarterback Matt Ryan heaves a pass to a wide opened tight end, Austin Hooper, for an 88-yard touchdown reception. Well, the boys in blue must have taken that play as a smack in the mouth because on the very next drive Glennon and the offense put together a nine play, 75-yard scoring drive and a pass to Cohen for a 19-yard pass, 20-17 Falcons lead. After another made field goal by Bryant, the Bears had a chance to upset the NFC Champs with a scoring drive at the end of the game. Glennon and the Bears drove 74-yards down the field to get within the five-yard line. Glennon took three shots at the touchdown but failed to make it in. The Bears drive finished with a nine-yard sack on Glennon and the Falcons beat the Chicago Bears, 23-17 in game one.

MVP

With his NFL debut, fourth round draft pick running back Tarik Cohen is today’s most valuable player! Cohen showed up and showed out in Sunday’s game, finishing the game with five attempts for 66-yards rushing, eight receptions for 47-yards and one touchdown, and he even added an extra 45-yards after three punt returns. His most notable play on Sunday was a five-yard loss turned into a 46-yard gain after the Falcons defense forced Cohen to redirect. Cohen’s agility and speed proved to be a problem for the Falcons and their very good defense. To top it off, Cohen set a franchise record for most yards in a debut game with a total of 158-yards. Looking good for the future!

LVP

This category is going to be quick and sweet. The Receiving corp of the Bears seems to be a problem. Yes, a lot of the blame can go on Mike Glennon and his inability to extend plays, but at the end of the day, it’s the receivers job to get open and get deep. Underneath routes are great and can be a force, but when that is the only threat you have as a team, you become one dimensional. The receivers need to show a presence downfield.

Play Of The Game

The 88-yard touchdown catch and run was pretty impressive for the Falcons, BUT THIS IS NOT THE FALCONS’ PAGE. So, we are going to go with the Barry Sanders-like run from Tarik Cohen in the second quarter. Cohen starts left tackle where it is immediately shut down, but he then shifts direction and out runs the defense to the other side of the field for an extra 46-yards and the first down. That play set up the first score of the game for the Bears to tie the game at 10 heading into halftime.

What’s Next?

Chicago Bears (0-1) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0)

Sunday, September 24

12pm

TV: Fox

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Game Recap: Preseason Game 4 – Bears vs. Browns

Hello…  Is Anybody Home?

The Chicago Bears fail to put up any points in their final preseason game against the Cleveland Browns.  Here’s how it Didn’t happen.

RECAP

Great anticipation and high hopes were in store for the fourth and final preseason game for the Chicago Bears. Rookie first round draft pick,  Mitchell Trubisky, got a chance to start for the first time in his NFL career. With all eyes on him the mood of the game quickly changed from high hopes to loud booing from the Bears fans in attendance at Soldier Field.

The first three drives for the Bears were all plays to the Running Backs. That’s right, all nine plays were hand offs. Oh yea, and if you haven’t guessed it already,  the only time the Bears put the ball in the air  the ENTIRE first quarter was when the Punter, Patrick O’Donnell came out with the punt team. Trubisky didn’t get a pass play call from Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains until well in the second quarter. Those drives produced less than 40 yards of Offense and 0 points through the first half.

The rest of the game belonged to three-year veteran Connor Shaw. The play of Shaw and the Bears Offense was anything but rejuvenating as the game seemed to turn from a NFL preseason game to a Thursday night scrimmage between the C squad and the D squad.

All in all the Browns scored 25 unanswered points to win the game 25-0 in Chicago. The Bears finish the preseason at.500 with a record of 2-2. Two wins away and two losses at home.

MVP

The terrible play of both teams kind of overshadowed a thought of someone for this category,  but to be honest it wasn’t that hard. The Bears defense started out strong and attacked the Quarterback gathering  a couple sacks and heavy pressure and rookie Tight End Adam Shaheen got it going in the second half, but this award goes to Pat O’Donnell, the punter. O’Donnell mustered up nine punts for a whopping 414 yards and averaged about 46 yards per punt. He may need some ice after that performance. BEAR DOWN!

LVP

Short and sweet, John Fox and Dowell Loggains are this week’s LVP’s. It just seemed like they never gave the guys who were trying to make the roster a chance to showcase their talents. Also they played the whole Trubisky start too safe. Five passes in two quarters of football? C’mon man!

PLAY OF THE GAME

Late in the fourth quarter Connor Shaw throws a bomb to three-year tight end MyCole Pruitt. Pruitt finished the game with 3 receptions for 63 yards.

WHAT’S NEXT

Atlanta Falcons @ Chicago Bears

September 10, 2017

Sunday @12pm ct

Soldier Field

TV: Fox

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Bears Bring The Heat: Preseason Game Recap

From start to finish the third preseason game against the Tennessee Titans belonged to the Chicago Bears on all three phases.

Recap

The start of the game was seen in familiar fashion as the Chicago Bears elected to defer their rights to the ball until the second half. This proved as a tremendous opportunity for the defense to set the tone and raise a little hell for Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans offense. After a quick drive kill, the defense forces the Titans to punt the ball which resulted in the Bears offense being pinned at their own four yard-line.

The first Drive for Quarterback Mike Glennon and the Offense was comprised of an almost even mixture of runs and passes. The Bears offense drove down in dominant fashion, by producing a couple of key third down conversions through the air and constant ground and pound. Glennon finished the first Drive with a one-yard play action pass to a wide open tight end,  Dion Sims, to draw first blood in the game. That touchdown topped of a 15-play 96 yard drive for the Bears.

On the following possession the defense holds up their end of the bargain by forcing yet another punt. Now we all know that a game is not complete with out the help of the special teams,  so the Bears special teams showed up with a score of its own after defensive lineman Roy Robertson Harris gets his paw on the ball to block the punt and rookie tight end, second round draft pick, Adam Shaheen attempts to recover the ball before it left the end zone. After review the ruling was deemed a safety and the Bears special teams advanced the score in the first quarter 9-0. After a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter the Bears went into the half leading 12-0.

In the second half Marcus Mariota and the Titans finally put points on the board with a 3-yard power run by the big running back Derrick Henry. Bears rookie quarterback,  Mitch Trubiski answered back later in the fourth quarter with a 45-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie wide receiver Tanner Gentry. The Bears hold on to win it 19-7, advancing their preseason record to 2-1.

MVP

Although the Bears quarterbacks did very well and made head coach John Fox’s decision on who to start more difficult, this week’s Most Valuable Player award goes to the entire first team defense. The defense produce an impressive first half feat as they shut out the Titans offense to head into halftime. The defense displayed great coverage on the receivers by limiting yards after catch, pretty good pressure from the defensive line and of course excellent defense against the run. The Bears defense also got three sacks on the quarterback in this from the relentless pressure from Akiem Hicks, Lamarr Houston and rookie linebacker Isaiah Irving. Also, for the third game in-a-row linebacker turned safety, Nick Kwiatkoski, leads all defensive players with five tackles.

The Bears defense continues to produce and get stronger every week. It makes us wonder if the MONSTERS are back in town. Bear Down!

LVP

This week’s Least Valuable Player award goes to not someone but something. For the past three or four years INJURIES have played a huge factor in Chicago Bears football. This epidemic is still lingering and is threatening the Bears ability in major ways. Unfortunately the Bears lost key players this week,  including veteran wide receiver Cam Meredith who is out for the season with a torn ACL. We wish everyone a safe and speedy recovery. Injuries are always a hard pill to swallow. Damn those injuries!

PLAY OF THE GAME

The Bears special teams comes alive! Late in the first quarter the Bears special teams gets a blocked Punt that turned into a safety. With excellent pressure up the middle, defensive lineman Robertson – Harris blocks the punt forcing the safety as the ball travels out of the back of the end zone. It’s always good news when special team plays effect the numbers on the scoreboard. This marked the second week in-a-row that the Bears special teams displayed special talent.

What’s Next

Cleveland Browns (3-0) @ Chicago Bears (2-1)

Thursday, August 31st

7PM ct

Chicago, IL  Soldier Field

TV: NFL Network

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Bears: Close but no cigar in loss to Packers

The longest rivalry in the history of the National Football League produced everything you would want out of a football game. The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers put on a tight and entertaining game. Chicago dropped a nail-biter at home with a last-second field goal by Mason Crosby.  With their heartbreaking loss today, the Bears end up with an all-time record of 94-94-6 against the Pack. Here’s the story:

The Chicago Bears showed a lot of heart and tenacity, coming back from a 17-point deficit. With the exception of a terrible third quarter, the Bears showed the world why they are the top competition for the Packers.

Both teams went into the locker room tied at the half 10-10, but the second half is where the showdown truly happened. The third quarter belonged to the Packers ,as they dominated the quarter from start to finish. Bears quarterback Matt Barkley gave the ball away three times in the quarter. The Packers took advantage of that by scoring on two of those drives. The score ended up being 27-10 Green Bay at the start of the fourth quarter.

With a valiant effort and resilient play, Matt Barkley and the offense rallied their own 17 unanswered points. Jordan Howard scored with 1:27 left in the fourth quarter. The defense had a chance to send the game into overtime with a solid showing. But in true Aaron Rodgers fashion, he and Jordy Nelson connected on a 60-yard bomb to set up the last-second field goal.

AROUND COVER32

Power Rankings: Who’s making a late-season push?

Mailbag: What’s up with all the “cheating”?

QB Rankings: A big shift in this week’s rankings

The Chicago Bears fall to the Green Bay Packers 30-27 in what is considered their most competitive game all year. Bear Down!

MVP

The Most Valuable Player Award goes to the offensive line. The line always gets overlooked in every situation in the game, but today they demanded their respect. The Bears’ offensive line really delivered today, as they only allowed one sack. Barkley only got touched five times, which is an impressive feat. The line also had limited penalties, although the ones they did commit put the Bears in some do-or-die situations. The Bears offensive line helped create a total of 449 yards on offense; which is pretty impressive, considering there were three turnovers. The guys in the trenches got it done on Sunday!

LVP

Let’s change this category a little bit: the Least Valuable Player Award goes to the ticket holders in Chicago. Only 44,000 people were in attendance at Soldier Field. The Bears organization and box office reported that over 16,000 ticket holders did not attend the game. That is unacceptable, if you ask me! You have the oldest rivalry in NFL history taking place in your city, and you have tickets for the game and you still don’t make it? Okay, I’ll cut them some slack because the weather was awful – it was a bone chilling nine degrees in Chicago during the game. For the fans that did show up though, Bear Down to you all!

Stats of the Game

Matt Barkley: 30/43, 362 yards, 2 TD

Jordan Howard: 17 carries, 90 yards, 1TD

Alshon Jeffery: 6 receptions, 89 yards 1 TD ALL IN THE 4TH QUARTER

Cameron Meredith: 9 receptions, 104 yards

Deonte Thompson: 8 receptions, 110 yards

What’s Next

Washington Redskins (7-5-1) @ Chicago Bears (3-11)

Saturday Dec. 24, 2016

12:00 pm CT

Chicago, IL.,  Soldier Field

The post Bears: Close but no cigar in loss to Packers appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Recap: 49ers can’t handle the snow, Bears win 3rd game of the year

Wet, cold and snowy weather appeared to be just what the doctor ordered this Sunday. The Chicago Bears used team play and these favorable weather conditions to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 26-6. Matt Barkley and Jordan Howard had career days in the win and helped the Bears put a tally in the win column.

The Chicago Bears started the game against the San Francisco 49ers with a ground-and-pound mentality as Matt Barkley and the offense neglected to throw the ball for majority of the first half. The first completion for the Bears came within the last two minutes of the first half, but what a two-minute drill it was. They marched down the field to score the first touchdown of the game off of a Jordan Howard run. That touchdown was definitely a momentum builder for the Bears, because they went into the half with the lead 7-6.

The second half belonged to the Bears: they rallied off 17 unanswered points to take the lead 24-6 early in the 4th quarter. Their combination of pass plays and run plays kept the 49ers on their heels. Barkley used the two-minute drill at the end of the first half to display his ability to pass in the snowy conditions. The Bears took full advantage of his ability and had a more balanced pass-to-run ratio in the second half. The Bears won their third game of the season in pretty good fashion. Barkley picked up his first NFL win as a starter and Howard had a career high of three touchdowns in one game. Bear Down, Chicago Bears!

MVP

I’m going to take this opportunity to give all of the players and coaches who contributed to this win some love. Defensively, we are going to pay homage to Akiem Hicks and Nick Kwiatkoski. They were all around the ball and definitely impacted the flow of the game. Hicks finished with 10 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble, while Kwiatkosky finished with seven tackles and two deflections.

The offense had a rocky start, but all it took was a late two-minute drill to build momentum and they didn’t look back. Matt Barkley threw for 192 yards, with five of those passes over 20 yards. Jordan Howard had a career high day with three touchdowns. Joshua Bellamy finished with four receptions for 93 yards and Cameron Meredith ended up with three recptions for 67 yards.

Let’s not forget about the coaching staff though. John Fox, Vic Fangio and the rest of the staff showed patience and confidence in both the offense and defense. They used the weather conditions to their advantage.

LVP

This award has to go to the special teams, since they allowed the 49ers to block a punt to set up a field goal. However, they made up for it throughout the course of the game by not allowing many yards on kick/punt returns.

Stat of the Game

Matt Barkley: 11-18, 192 yards, 97 QB Rating

Jordan Howard: 32 attempts, 117 yards, three TDs

Joshua Bellamy: Four receptions, 93 yards

Akiem Hicks: 10 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble

Play of the Game

Matt Barkley completed two passes in a row to Deonte Thompson for a total of 19 yards to start the two-minute drill at the end of the first half. These passes were marked as the first completions for the Bears in the game. This also marked the start of a takeover, as it helped playcalling by proving that the ball can be passed in wet and snowy weather.

What’s Next

Chicago Bears (3-9) @ Detroit Lions (8-4)

Sunday, December 11, 2016

12:00p.m. CT

Ford Field, Detroit Michigan

TV: Fox

The post Recap: 49ers can’t handle the snow, Bears win 3rd game of the year appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Recap: Almost isn’t good enough for the Bears

Despite a valiant effort for a comeback in the second half, the Chicago Bears were one or two drives too late. They move to a dismal 2-9 record.

The Chicago Bears drew first blood when quarterback Matt Barkley and tight end Daniel Brown both got their first NFL career touchdown. But reminiscent to past games, a decent start by the Bears was short lived. Mariota and the Titans’ offense answered back with, not one, but two consecutive scores to take the lead early in the first half. The Bears’ defense looked to be in rare form: they allowed 21 points in the first half and had a few costly penalties. Chicago went into the locker room at halftime down 21-7.

The Bears showed a little life at the beginning of the second half by recovering a surprise onside-kick. That drive ended in a interception thrown in the endzone by Matt Barkley to Meredith. Barkely never gave up though, as his will to win kicked in in the second half. He threw over 30 passes in the final two quarters. Unfortunately, the Bears came up short as three receivers all dropped potentially game-winning touchdown passes that hit them in between the numbers. The Bears lose at home 27-21 and their record continues to decline.

AROUND COVER32

Winners and Losers: The Giants and Dolphins are back with 5-game win streaks

Draft Preview: Breaking down the best cornerbacks in this year’s class

Mailbag: Is it time for everyone to go for two?

MVP

In his very first NFL start, Matt Barkley put the team on his back. He rallied off a very impressive second half to try and comeback from a 20 point deficit. Barkley threw two interceptions, but didn’t let that get to him. His confidence built up each quarter of the game, as he threw over 50 passes for a total of 316 yards and 3 touchdowns. Barkley stood out in this game as leader of the team but unfortunately the Bears receivers couldn’t catch good footballs. Barkley showed a never-say-die attitude and is this week’s Most Valuable Player.

LVP

The Chicago Bears’ defense earns this award this week. I could count on one hand how many times Mariota was under pressure, let alone touched. Allowing long completions and arm tackles appeared to be the game plan for the defense. The defense has been playing solid ball all season long, but I guess they took the day off. The Bears defense tightened it up in the second half; they only allowed field goals. The problem though, is they only forced the Titans to punt FOUR times through out the entire game. The defense turned the pressure on a little too late in this one. I guess there’s always next week.

Stat of the game

Matt Barkley: 28/54 for 316 and three TDs, Marquess Wilson: eight catches for 125 yards and one TD, Jordan Howard 18 carries for 84 yards

Play of the game

Matt Barkley’s six-yard touchdown pass to Deonte Thompson to bring the Bears within one score late in the fourth quarter.

What’s Next

San Francisco 49ers @ Chicago Bears

Soldier Field

Sunday, December 4, 2016

12:00 pm CT

TV: Fox

The post Recap: Almost isn’t good enough for the Bears appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Recap: Bears lose to Giants 22-16

The Chicago Bears surrendered a ten-point lead in a 22-16 loss to the New York Giants. They continue to be BAD NEWS.

The Chicago Bears fired on all cylinders in the first half, with few hiccups along the way. They headed into the locker room at halftime with a 16-9 lead over the New York Giants. Cutler and Miller connected for the first touchdown of the game and Jeremy Langford also added to his stats with a one-yard rushing touchdown.

Both kickers for each team started the game off rusty: Connor Barth and Robbie Gould both missed extra points. They both made up for it though, by hitting 40-plus-yard field goals.

The second half was anything but a reflection of the first. The Bears apparently left their chemistry in the locker room at halftime. The defense allowed two touchdowns on the first two drives of the second half, and the offense failed to score through the rest of the game. Barth also missed a 52-yard field goal in what seemed to be the only opportunity for the Bears to score. Essentially, the Chicago Bears were beat up in the second half AGAIN and continue to hold the last seed in the NFC North. Sad to say, but the Chicago Bears have taken over the 100-year burden of the Chicago Cubs. So Bears fans, 77 more years to go and we will shake the curse. Bear Down!

AROUND COVER32

QB Rankings: Is Mariota really this good?

Draft Preview: Breaking down the best linebackers in this year’s class

Mailbag: What’s next for Romo?

MVP

Jordan Howard has been the most consistent Bear this year. This didn’t change in this game, as he tallied 77 yards on 17 carries, averaging 4.5 per carry. Although a lot of the yards gained were in the first half, the play of Howard has constantly done the work to put the Bears in a position for success. This is why he receives this award this week and probably will for weeks to come.

LVP

Simply put, the Chicago Bears as a whole failed to get it done after surrendering a ten-point lead. The defense continues to struggle with injuries and the offense continues to not know their identity. It’s a sad season for the Chicago Bears organization, team and fans. Bear Down…LITERALLY.

STAT OF THE GAME

Tight end Zach Miller ended the game with three catches for 61 yards and one touchdown, all of which were in the first half. He broke his foot later in the game.

What’s Next

Tennessee Titans (5-6) @ Chicago Bears (2-8)

Soldier Field, Chicago

Sunday, November 27

12:00 pm

TV: Fox

The post Recap: Bears lose to Giants 22-16 appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Recap: Bears revert to their normal selves

The Chicago Bears still appear to be in bye week mode, as their first game of the second half of the season results in a loss.

From start to finish the Bears lived a nightmare. The Chicago Bears seemed to be in a Freddy movie, but the star in this one was Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bears were simply out-coached, out-played and out-hustled in this one. The Bears compiled five turnovers and a safety to result into more than half of Tampa’s points. The only excitement that came from the Bears sideline was a 55-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass at the end of the first half.

As if giving up five turnovers wasn’t enough, the Bears defense spend more than half of the time on the field on one drive. Everything that could have gone wrong this week has for the Bears. Kyle Long, Bobby Massie and Eddie Goldman all left with injuries, multiple penalties and turnovers, wide open receivers behind safeties, and a safety to add icing to the cake. The Chicago Bears lose on the road to fall to a record of 2-7.

AROUND COVER32

NFL Pickems: How do you pick such an unpredictable league?

Mailbag: Just how bad is the NFL officiating?

QB Rankings: A shakeup in the top five

MVP

Not much to put in this column, but the Bears defense can not be discredited. The Bears D put up a lot of pressure on Jamis Winston and sacked him four times. The defense also came up with an interception by safety Harold-Jones Quartey. The defense looked to be the only light on the field for the boys in blue. Although the score said 36, not all of it fell on the defense. The only thing left for this defense to do is continue to develope their identity and and form unity for seasons to come. Bear Down!

LVP

Jay Cutler, John Fox or BOTH can fulfill the requirements of this category. Cutler proved to be uncomfortable in this game when he threw two picks in the first quarter. Not only did he throw two interceptions, but they were on back-to-back drives. One of those picks was returned for a pick six. Cutler also fumbled the ball on a sack when the Bears seemed close to a score. Let’s not forget the fumble that led to a safety in the third quarter. What a day for a “starting quarterback.” Now, talks all over the NFL will be about what the future will be for the Chicago Bears and WHO will be included in their future. Thus far, Cutler and Fox looks to be packing their bags.

The Bears offense was definitely the “C’mon man” moment of Sunday’s game. What does the future hold for Chicago?

STAT OF THE GAME

Although Danny Trevathan finshed the game with 13 tackles, we have to share this column with him and Leonard Floyd. Trevathan finshes with 13 tackles and with four assists and Floyd finishes with five tackles, two assists and 1.5 sacks.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Cutler heaved a 55-yard Hail Mary at the end of the first half that resulted in the only Bears touchdown of the game. Cutler ran around in the pocket and heaved a bomb towards the end zone. The ball was deflected, but Cameron Meredith sniffed it out at the back of the end zone for six points.

WHAT’S NEXT

Chicago Bears (2-7) @ New York Giants (5-3, Pending Monday Night Football)

Sunday

November 20

12:00pm CT

TV: Fox

The post Recap: Bears revert to their normal selves appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Recap: The Monsters come out to play on Halloween

The Chicago Bears showed a hint of their old Monster of the Midway tradition as they laid all the tricks out on Monday Night Football on Halloween.

The Chicago Bears came out the tunnel ready to get a win at home Monday. The return of quarterback Jay Cutler proved to be just what the Bears needed to defeat the 5-1 Minnesota Vikings.

Usually I would report on the differences of halves played by the Bears, but this week I’m left with no choice but to talk about the game as a whole. The Chicago Bears dominated the game from start to finish. Monday’s game could be considered the best game the Bears have played in the last three years. This is not an exaggeration!

AROUND COVER32

Highlights: All the best plays from Week 8 of the NFL season

Headlines:: The top storylines from Week 8 that you may have missed

The Bears finished the game with a QB rating above 100, over 150 rushing yards, receptions over 100 yards, and the defense only giving up one touchdown and 250 total yards. The Bears were really firing on all cylinders through the entirety of the game. With their win on Monday, the Bears add a tally in the win column and advances their record to 2-6. The Vikings looked as if they were the last place team and the Bears looked as if they lead the division as the Bears got the win 20-10 on Monday Night Football. Bear Down Chicago Bears!

MVP Normally there would be one or two players named in this category, but today we will give this award to the Bears entire on-field team. Finally, we’re able to look at John Fox and coaching staff in a positive light. The play calling on all three levels were on point. The defense remained at the right place at the right time, the offense made the right adjustments to maintain and takeover the game and the special teams kept Bradford and the Vikings offense with a lot of field to gain. Quarterback Jay Cutler had one of his best games as he finished with a QB Rating of 100.5. Rookie running back Jordan Howard the best game of his career with over 150 yards rushing and a TD. The defense was lights-out, as they sacked Bradford four times and only allowed 10 points the entire game.

The Chicago Bears, as a whole, showed up and showed out on Monday Night Football, at home, on Halloween. The Monsters came out to play!

LVP It was hard to find a prospect for this award on the Bears sideline, so I figured we’ll do something different this week. This week’s LVP award goes to the referees of the game. Even though the game was called fairly for the most part, there were still a couple of penalties called against the Bears that could have been crucial to the game. For instance, the chain of calls against the defense that helped Bradford and company move into scoring position in the second quarter. Not to mention a couple of bad spots giving the Vikings the first down on 3rd and goal at the three yard-line. Even with those calls and questionable spots, the Bears defense did what they had to do and got out of that drive only allowing three points.

Stat of the Game Jordan Howard 26 carries, 153 yards, 5.9 yards per carry, 1 touchdown

Play of the Game Jordan Howard rumbled 69 yards down the field in the first quarter against a stingy Vikings defense. This was the start of an epic day for the young running back as Hall of Fame Bears running back Gale Sayers watched from the press box. The name Jordan seems to associate itself very well with the city of Chicago, doesn’t it?

What’s Next Week 9 Bye week for the Bears Week 10: Chicago Bears(2-6) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) Sunday, November 13 12:00pm CT TV: Fox

The post Recap: The Monsters come out to play on Halloween appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Another one in the loss column for the Bears

The Chicago Bears have turned into the “Bad News Bears” as they drop yet another game against a supposedly subpar team. Here’s the story.

A tale of two halves was the determining factor of the game in Chicago as the Bears surrendered the game in terrible fashion to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The entire first half belonged to the Bears, as their offense produced over 200 yards and the defense gave up zero points. Hoyer and the offense drew first blood as they put up three points after taking advantage of a goal line interception by Tracy Porter. The following drive was even sweeter – the offense was able to reach the end zone with a one-yard rush by rookie running back Jordan Howard to increase the lead 10-0. The Bears defense held the Jags to less than 100 yards in the first half. The Bears were able to go into the locker room with a shut out lead at the half.

The second half was totally different and unfavorable for the home team. Dropped passes, very poorly thrown balls and failure to score in the red zone proved to be very costly for the Bears. Failed third down conversions were also a factor to a virtually non-competitive second half. The defense also played a role in the land slide by allowing big plays from Bortles and Co. at much needed times. One of the Jaguars’ scoring drives took only five plays to go 75 yards. Three of the plays in that drive resulted in 20 yards gained.

That being said, the Bears lost another heartbreaker in Soldier Field, allowing the Jaguars to steal the game in comeback fashion. The Bears continue to be the low team on the totem pole and their 1-5 record shows it.At first the blame was placed on Jay Cutler, but I wonder who the blame goes on now?

MVP

Although the Bears lost today, there is still a MVP to be named in this one. The Chicago Bears’ defense really put up a fight. They came up with two turnovers, both of which lead to scores. Excellent play by Willie Young, Akiem Hicks and Tracy Porter gave the Bears a shot to win. Young recorded two sacks and a forced fumble. Hicks displayed his run-stopping capabilities and sniffed the ball out for his first fumble recovery of the year. Porter came up with a touchdown-saving interception in the first half that stopped an 85-yard drive by the Jags.

The Bears’ defense kept the Jaguars under 275 yards passing and only 54 rushing yards for the day. If they had gotten the win, this would have made an impressive day for the D.

The defense fought hard and produced turnovers to help the offense produce points. With that effort, they have won the MVP award for the week. Not quite the Monsters of the Midway, but the fight is in them. Bear Down, Chicago Bears!

LVP

John Fox and the entire coaching staff will hold this award down again this week. They are constantly getting out coached game after game. Week after week, fans and players are placing the blame and pointing fingers at them. A lot of fingers have been pointed at starting quarterback Jay Cutler, but Cutler has been out for the last few weeks. Brian Hoyer has been more consistent than Cutler as far as statistics go , but has been just as inconsistent at winning games as Cutler.

One thing that remains consistent is the coaching staff. No matter how many player changes and injuries there have been, the coaching situation still has remained the same, so this week’s LVP goes to Fox and staff. With a short week of practice, we will see just how much the coaching plays a factor when the Bears face the Packers on Thursday. Something has to give, and I’m afraid that it may start with the higher ups!

AROUND COVER32

Winners and Losers: 3 up and 3 down

NFL Mailbag: Quarterback controversies and low ratings

Stat of the Game

Wide receiver Cameron Meredith is the big time player of the day with pretty good stats. With White out with an injury, Meredith has become the number two receiver for Hoyer. Meredith finished today’s game with 11 receptions for 113 yards.

Play of the Game

In the second quarter, Tracy Porter came up with a touchdown-saving interception. This pick appeared to be pivotal, as it ended an 85-yard drive by the Jaguars. This also forced Bortles to go two-for-11 on passes thereafter until halftime.

What’s Next

Chicago Bears (1-5) vs Green Bay Packers (3-2)

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wiscounsin

7:25 pm CT

CBS

The post Another one in the loss column for the Bears appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Recap: The Bears finally get in the win column

The Chicago Bears Finally gets one at home and this season as they beat the Detroit Lions 17-14. Here’s the story.

The Story

The Chicago Bears finally shows life in the early parts of the game as they score a touchdown on the second drive going 10 plays for 82 yards. That scoring drive marks the first time a Bears offensive drive has gone over five minutes all season. The fun didn’t stop there because it was the defenses turn to show what they were made of and that they did! Allowing only 21 yards in the first quarter and one first down appeared to be a statement to their NFC North conference rival the Detroit Lions.

Although there was only one touchdown scored in the first half, Chicago’s consistent play sent them into the locker room with a lead.

After a great defensive stop by the Bears goal line defense, they then marched 75 yards to put up six more. This was the beginning of domination of the game. The Bears offense comes up huge as a whole and the defense was spectacular as they get yet another takeaway in the fourth quarter.

The Bears break a win streak by the Lions, beating them for them for the first time in seven meetings. Chicago also get their first win at home in 52 weeks, beating the Lions 17-14 after a late Lions’ punt return and two-point conversion.

MVP

Normally we will have one person who has impacted the game in a positive way to be our Most Valuable Player, BUT for this week that’s just not the case. The Bears Offense has earned the title MVP today. Everyone from the Offensive Coordinator to the Offensive Line were pretty solid today. Although they didn’t put up a lot of points as everyone would like, their consistent play and balanced offense got the job done today!

Quarterback Brian Hoyer finished the game with 302 yards and two passing touchdowns with a QB rating of 120.1, rookie RB Jordan Howard finishes with 111 yards on the ground with 21 yards receiving and WR Eddie Royal finishes the game with 111 yards receiving and one touchdown. The offense finished with over 400 yards of total offense for the first time since I could remember!

AROUND COVER32

Fantasy Football Five sleeper picks for Week 4

NFL: Bold predictions for Week 4’s games

QB Rankings: Wentz & Prescott climb into top five

Injuries: Updates on Gronk, Dez, Russell Wilson

LVP

Although the Bears came out with the win, there still were mistakes that could have been costly for them and could have possibly lost the game. The costliest mistake was the breakdown of the special teams in the fourth quarter. With just under three minutes’ left in the game, the Bears punt team gave up an 85-yard punt return and a two-point conversion to cut the lead from 11 to three points. Had the Bears OLB Sam Acho not recovered the onside kick, we could have seen extra minutes and possible another L. The Bears special teams unit is this week’s Least Valuable Player.

Play of the Game

The Chicago Bears defense turned this section from Play of the Game to PLAYS of the Game! In the first half Bears defense holds Matt Stafford’s offense to just 21 yards in the first quarter and only 99 yards’ total. Rookie CB Jacoby Glenn records his first NFL interception in the first half and rookie CB Deiondre Hall also comes up with his first NFL interception in the second half to virtually ice the game.

What’s Next?

Chicago Bears (1-3) @ Indianapolis Colts (1-3) Sunday, October 9 12:00 p.m. CT Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN TV: FOX

The post Recap: The Bears finally get in the win column appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Bears don’t show up in Dallas: Week 3 Recap

The Chicago Bears dropped game three against the Dallas Cowboys thanks to a horrid first half performance. In the end the final score was 31-17 and the Bears are now 0-3 for the season.

The Story

A combination of injuries, young talent and suspect play calling was the story for today’s game on the visitor side of the field. The first-half against the Cowboys was maybe one of the worse performances by the Bears offense and defense in years. The Bears’ offense first three drives resulted in three-and-outs with only 39 yards total. The rest of the half was no better as they entered the Locker room at half time down 3-24. On the other side of the field, the Bears defense were totally man handled by the Cowboys on virtually every drive in the first half with only one drive ending in a punt.

The second half appeared to be a lot better for the Bears as they score on a 63-yard drive after the defensive takeaway in the third. The Bears then scored again in the fourth to try and cut into the lead but came up short after QB Brian Hoyer fumbles on the second to last drive of the game for Chicago. The Bears played better as a whole in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as they lose game three 17-31 to the Dallas Cowboys. This marks Chicago’s second consecutive year starting a season with a 0-3 start.

MVP

The brilliant and most consistent play of seventh year TE Zach Miller kept some hope going. Miller had the most receptions in the game with eight and the most receiving yards for the Bears with 78. Miller’s two touchdowns in the game gave the Bears a fighting chance and helped Hoyer reach over 200 yards passing in the game. Zach Miller finished the game eight receptions for 78 yards with and touchdowns which makes him today’s MVP.

LVP

Although it may be difficult to lead a rebuilding team that is full of young talent, John Fox and his staff has to take the blame sometimes. It’s clear that Fox and staff are without the talent needed, but they are also being flat-out out coached. There may be a lack of communication or a lack of vigor, but something needs to happen to get everyone on the same page. This loss marks the second consecutive time the Bears have started the season 0-3 in the two years that Fox has had control of the helm. Everyone needs to be held accountable and that includes the coaching staff.

AROUND COVER32

Fantasy Football: Five sleeper picks for Week 3

NFL: Four bold predictions for Week 3

Injuries: Big names will sit out this week

QB Rankings: Cam Newton #1 after two weeks

  Play of The Game

After a 49-yard catch and run by the Cowboys’ Terrance Williams, cornerback Jacoby Glenn stripped the ball and safety Adrian Amos comes up with the fumble recovery and returned for 10 yards. This play lead to a 63-yard scoring drive and sparked a little fire onto the Bears side line.

What’s Next?

Detroit Lions (1-2) @ Chicago Bears (0-3)

Soldier Field, Chicago IL

Sunday, October 2

12:00pm CT

The post Bears don’t show up in Dallas: Week 3 Recap appeared first on Cover32.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Bears go down in Houston

BEARS VS TEXANS THE STORY The game could not have started out any better for the Chicago Bears as an interception by veteran CB Tracy Porter set up a 75 yard scoring drive to take an early lead in the first quarter. The Bears also found the end zone at the end of the first half when Jay Cutler threw a laser to Eddie Royal to regain the lead heading into halftime 14-10.

A second half opening drive interception thrown by Cutler to Kevin White appeared to be the momentum shift of the game. The Bears offense couldn’t keep up with the Texans in the second half, which ultimately led to a 23-14 loss on the road in Houston.

AROUND COVER32

Fantasy Football: Five sleepers for Week 1

Injuries Updates for opening week of the season

Hard Knocks: The Rams have not changed

Power Rankings: Where each team stands going into Week 1

MVP

Despite the loss, there is still a most valuable player in this one for the Bears. Alshon Jeffery showed why he remains the number one receiver in Chicago after pulling in four receptions for 105 yards. All 105 yards came in the first half and were key to the Bears heading into halftime with the lead. Four receptions with five targets and 105 yards for Jeffery in week one.

LVP

The Bears offense definitely earned the dishonor of being this week’s least valuable players. In the first half, the Bears started off with control and ended the half on top, but I’m not sure if they came out of the locker room with the rest of the team in the second half. Accumulating less than 100 yards of total offense and zero points in the second half, the Chicago Bears offense earns the title of LVP.

STAT OF THE GAME

During the off-season, talks between the Bears organization and Alshon Jeffery began to look scarce, but Jeffery’s play in game one solidifies his intent to work hard and play hard for as long as he is on the football field. Alshon Jeffery receives his second nomination on a positive note this week as his four receptions for 105 yards makes the Stat of The Game nomination. If he keeps this up, he will see his third consecutive season with over 1000 yards!

PLAY OF THE GAME

Tracy Porter’s interception in the first quarter turned into a 75 yard score by the offense to give the Bears an early lead.

UP NEXT

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears

Monday September 19

7:30 CT

Soldier Field, Chicago, IL ESPN

The post Bears go down in Houston appeared first on Cover32.