The Chicago Bears used three touchdowns in three different quarters, to turn back the San Diego Chargers 22-19 at Qualcomm Stadium. The Bears only led once in this game and that was near the tail end of the contest. But as the saying goes, better late than never.
Both teams before this game and after it, were fighting for their playoff lives. The Chargers (2-7 overall, 0-1 AFC West) may have a harder time reaching the playoffs because of the aggregate amount of injuries that they have suffered this season. Shoot, they had to try to win this game with receivers who were hard pressed to make the team back in the preseason portion of the Chargers 2015 schedule.
As for the Bears (3-5 overall, 0-3 NFC North), they hadn’t won a game before tonight since October 11, 2015 when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 18-17. That comes out to 28 days in which the Bears went without a win. The fact that they went on the road and beat a decimated by injuries, but game San Diego side, says something about the Bears.
Quarterback Jay Cutler (27 of 40 for 345 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 pick) had all those passing yards, but none of them came easy. As many times during this game, the Chargers secondary put the clamps on his number one receiver Alshon Jeffery. Plus, that secondary allowed the Bears to get their yards in choppy amounts. Jeffery did latch onto 10 passes for 151 yards, but he never scored and he had to work for just about every yard he got.
San Diego got on the board first, when on 2nd and 6 from the CHI 14, quarterback Philip Rivers (26 of 40 for 280 yards, 1 touchdown pass and no picks) took the snap and looked to his left where he found running back Danny Woodhead (6 catches for 78 yards and 1 score) wide open, with the back taking Rivers’ pass into the end zone for a score. With 6:50 left in the first quarter the Chargers took a 7-0 lead.
The Chargers started the scoring in this game with an offensive touchdown, but in the second quarter they added to their lead with a defensive touchdown. On 2nd and 7 from the SD 38, Cutler took the snap and fired towards his right where Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett stepped in front of Jeffery and intercepted Cutler’s pass at the CHI 32. Verrett then took the theft down the sidelines and in front of the Bears bench untouched for a 68 yard pick-six. That was the second interception of Verrett’s two-year career and the first pick six of his career. His theft gave the Chargers a 13-0 advantage with 9:58 left in the second quarter.
Then two plays later, Jeffery atoned for his earlier route getting jumped by Verrett by beating Verrett for a 47 yard reception down the right sideline, with the receiver going out of bounds at the SD 33 yard line. That big reception set up a Cutler 1 yard touchdown pass to tight end Martellus Bennett (8 catches for 57 yards and 1 score) who was all alone near the top right corner of the end zone. With 6:53 left in the second quarter the score went to 13-7.
Then the Chargers extended their lead to 16-7, when placekicker Josh Lambo knocked through the uprights a 31 yard field goal that helped send the game into halftime.
Bears rookie running back Jeremy Langford (18 carries for 72 yards and 1 score) cut into the Chargers’ lead, when he powered into the end zone on 3rd and goal from the 1 yard line early in the fourth quarter. With 14:02 left in the game the score moved to 16-14.
Chicago took their first lead of the night deep into the fourth quarter, when Cutler on 2nd and 10 from the SD 25, took the snap and then stepped up in the pocket where he zoomed a pass downfield towards tight end Zach Miller (2 catches for 23 yards and 1 score). Miller extended his right arm high into the air and caught the pass with that right arm, then he took himself into the end zone. On the next play, Langford carried the ball into the end zone for a contested (by the officials) two-point conversion run. With 3:19 left in the game the Bears took a 22-19 lead.
That touchdown reception by Miller ended up being the last time either team scored in this game.
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