Happy Victory Monday, Bears fans!
The Bears had 34 first downs on Sunday. The Jets ran 32 plays.
That’s reportedly the first time since 1999 that an NFL team had more first downs than its opponent had offensive plays.
By the way, seven of those Jets plays came on third down … and none of them went for a first down.
What a run this Bears defense has been on. May your week be as quick and efficient as this Dennis Allen squad.
POSTGAME SHOW
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THE TAKEAWAY
All things are possible if the o-line and defense keep playing this way
I think there was a sizable portion of the Bears fanbase that wanted to hit the panic button over how Tyson Bagent played in Sunday’s game.
I personally think he played mostly fine, but I’d be missing the forest for the trees even if I didn’t think that.
Bagent is filling time for the Bears until Caleb Williams returns, just as Case Keenum was doing against the Eagles last Monday night.
The Bears walked out of both games with decisive victories and didn’t trail in either contest. They’re 3-1 as they leave the season’s first quarter and all three wins have come with a different quarterback.
If Williams weren’t set to come back in the near future, I could see fretting over Bagent’s windup and long-term potential.
But that thankfully isn’t the case.
Instead, we’re seeing just how good the Bears offensive line really is, no matter who’s under center.
I got the feeling early on that the Jets defense was in for a long day on the beautiful Lake Michigan lakefront. Despite some early wins by the Jets defense at the goal line, you could just tell it would be one of those days when Joe Thuney, Darnell Wright and Co. would start slowly sucking souls.
And that’s exactly what happened. The Bears ran 89 plays, 54 of them runs, and held the ball for almost 43 of the game’s 60 minutes.
The accumulated stats showed how wide the gap was between the two teams, even if the final score didn’t. The Bears put up 492 yards of offense to the Jets’ 157 and we’ve already gone over the first down totals.
Combine that domination with a defense that’s been getting off the field and the Bears are going to win many more games than they lose this season.
No matter who’s playing quarterback.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kyle Monangai was drafted in the seventh round. Do you know who else was drafted in the seventh round? Bo Jackson. I’m not making any direct comparisons, just seems like something you should know.
Thanks to D’Andre Swift being benched for an ongoing case of the fumbles, Monangai turned into the offense’s true bell cow for the first time since last year’s game in Cincinnati. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry with a long run of 26 yards and his one-yard touchdown plunge on 4th-and-goal got the Bears on the board in the first quarter.
A five-yard touchdown run in the third made the score 20-6 and effectively iced the game. Monangai did leave the game in the fourth with a thumb injury and the team expects to learn more today.
TURNING POINT - THIRD QUARTER
Defense holds Jets to a field goal
At no point did I ever really think that New York would walk out of Soldier Field with a win on Sunday.
Yet there was a brief moment in the third where it might’ve turned bad: Swift’s inexplicable and unforced fumble at the Bears 28-yard line gave the ball to the Jets with New York trailing 13-3.
Instead, the defense held Geno Smith and the Jets offense to just three points and the Bears responded with a nine-play, 72-yard touchdown drive that ended with Monangai’s second touchdown.
The Jets would add a 58-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and almost double their offensive yardage in the process, but it was too little, too late.
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QUOTABLE
Probably one of the easiest NFL games I ever played in. I’m not sore at all.
THREE STANDOUT STATS
89 plays
The most run by the Bears since the 1997 team got their first win of the season in Week 9 against the Dolphins. 50 of the 87 plays in that game were passes thrown by Erik Kramer.
643 passes
The number of attempts the Jets faced in their 20-game run without an interception, a drought that ended when Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Bagent in the second quarter.
0 punts
Tory Taylor never saw the field. It was the Bears’ fourth punt-free game in the Super Bowl era. and the first time the Bears didn’t punt since a 38-17 loss to the Packers on September 28, 2014. Neither team punted in that game.
🤝 Brad Biggs
NEXT UP
Green Bay Packers (2-2)
Next Sunday • Lambeau Field • Noon (Fox)
Opening Line - Bears -1.5, O/U 43.5
It’s officially Packers week! Green Bay held on for a 17-14 win in Tampa on Sunday and couldn’t put away a Bucs team that was starting Jalon Daniels at quarterback. Two fourth-quarter turnovers kept Tampa Bay in the game. Jordan Love was 22-for-30 for 197 yards with two touchdowns and one pick.
It’s going to be hard not to feel confident this week, but this has to be the first time the Bears are favored at Lambeau since 2006, right?
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FIVE RANDOM THOUGHTS
I don’t think D’Andre Swift will stay in the doghouse long, but it won’t be a fun week for him at Halas Hall.
Dayo Odeyingbo is on pace for a motivated ~12-sack season and yes, that would do just fine. I have a feeling Austin Booker might be right on his tail all season.
How upset would you have been before the season if I told you that Luther Burden, Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland only combined for one touchdown through four weeks? (The trio had a pretty good day on Sunday, though, combining for 16 catches and 214 yards.)
All positivity aside, it’s still pretty crazy the Bears only posted 23 points out of that dominating performance.
Drew Brees needs Adam Amin to return from the baseball playoffs more than the Bears need Caleb back. What a bad, bad broadcast Fox put up on Sunday.
EXTRA POINT
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