The Chicago Bears evened their record this week to 2-2 after defeating the Detroit Lions 24-14. Andy Dalton sat this game out, again, as Justin Fields led the team with 209 passing yards and a 64.7% completion rating by the end of Sunday’s game.
However, it was clear that running back David Montgomery was the star of the game. He ran for 106 yards and demonstrated extreme toughness as he barreled through defenders for 2 touchdowns. He exploited the gaps in the Lion’s defense on his 23 rushes and averaged 4.6 yards per run.
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney also had a great game as he caught 5 out of his 7 targets, one of which being an incredible snag early in the first quarter that set the tone for the rest of the game. All of this totaled for 125 yards including a 64 yard long reception later in the first quarter.
Clearly, the Bears offense was able to work around the Lion’s zone defense and, quite honestly, playing man to man would have fared them better as they could have shut down Mooney and wide receiver Allen Robinson on their sideline routes.
It was not only the Bears offense that took over, but the defense that played incredible and took control over Jared Goff, sacking him 4 times all by different players. Not only this, but the defense had two takeaways in the form of fumble recoveries that prevented the Lions from scoring in the first half.
The Bears defense did all of this without defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, who is arguably in the top three defensive players. Hicks left the game with a groin injury after playing one snap in the first quarter. Shockingly enough though, the defensive thrived without him
Speaking on injuries, Montgomery left the game in the fourth quarter after suffering a gruesome knee injury. There were reports however that said it was not an ACL tear, but instead hyperextension during the play, causing the running back extreme pain that took him out of the rest of the game. The Bears have made it clear they will not make a statement until after Wednesday’s practice, according to the Chicago Tribune, which does not give fans much hope on his return for week 5 versus Las Vegas.
Overall, the Bears took over. They were able to dominate from early on in the game due to their stellar offense. Not only this but the Lion’s offensive fumbles, incompletions, and lack of offensive line allowed for the defense to take control.
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