NEWSLETTER
After a nightmarish ending to their season-opener, the Chicago Bears put an emphasis on finishing. And in an attempt to show (and not just tell) you they aren’t the same ol’ Bears, “finish” is exactly what they did.
Behind the strength of a relentless defensive effort and enough of a showing by the offense to find the end zone when it mattered most, the Bears beat the Seahawks by a 24-17 score that might not have been as close as it looks.
Chicago’s defended its home turf by hounding Russell Wilson to the tune of six sacks, two fumbles (one lost), and an interception. Prince Amukamara’s pick-six was a much-needed turnover forced by a Bears defense that appeared to be reeling late in the fourth quarter. That it came from Amukamara, who hadn’t picked off a pass since the 2015 season when he was still a member of the New York Giants, made it all the more sweet. While that was a pretty big play for Amukamara – it was his first defensive touchdown as a pro, after all – it meant everything for a defense that positioned itself to make something happen when it needed it the most.
As for the offense, it was an uneven showing that suggests a group that still needs to fine-tune its efforts.
Mitch Trubisky started strong as he engineered a 96-yard touchdown drive on the team’s first offensive possession that was capped by a nifty pass to tight end Trey Burton. Trubisky also completed a lengthy drive in the third quarter that spilled into the final period and ended with a beautifully executed 10-yard touchdown strike to Anthony Miller. Those were the types of plays you dream a quarterback makes in crunch time and Trubisky made them. Huzzah!
Trubisky finished the night having completed 25 of 34 passes (73.5 percent seems good!) for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, a pair of first-half interceptions by Shaquill Griffin dragged Trubisky’s passer rating down to 83.0 It’s clear the second-year quarterback still has much growth to make – there were some dodgy throws mixed in there – but there are flashes of upside that make it easy to dream of what the finish product could ultimately look like.
The Bears are 1-1. It is the first time they have avoided an 0-2 start since 2014 and only their second home win in September in the team’s last seven contests at Soldier Field. Things are looking up for Chicago’s football team, which will take its show on the road in search of its first 2-1 start since 2014. Bear. Down.
