The Chicago Bears had a “Victory Monday” on Christmas, free to benefit from the vacation after rolling over the Arizona Cardinals 27-16 on Sunday. The Bears have received 4 of their final six video games and proceed to construct confidence and momentum down the stretch of the common season.
Players had each Monday and Tuesday off because the group turns its consideration to a Week 17 dwelling recreation towards the Atlanta Falcons. Coach Matt Eberflus addressed reporters Tuesday in Lake Forest. Here are three issues we discovered from that session and from Sunday’s victory.
1. As the Bears protection continues its resurgence, the checklist of great contributors is rising.
Cornerback Kyler Gordon had one other lively outing Sunday and continues to ascend in his second season. Pass rusher Montez Sweat has been an apparent catalyst of the group’s enchancment over the previous two months.
Nose deal with Andrew Billings has been a sturdy chief up entrance, significantly as a tone-setting run stopper. And linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards proceed to make an influence in the midst of the protection.
The Bears protection is quick changing into one of many league’s higher models, and for apparent causes, the group wish to preserve its core intact past this season. Eberflus was requested Tuesday for his impressions of cornerback Jaylon Johnson and security Eddie Jackson, who face unsure futures in 2024.
Johnson is within the last 12 months of his rookie contract and shortly will resume extension talks with the entrance workplace. Jackson, who’s ending his seventh season with the Bears, could possibly be a cost-cutting casualty this offseason with an $18.14 million salary-cap hit for 2024.
The worth of these two gamers to the secondary and the complete protection isn’t misplaced on Eberflus.
“Both guys have been great. True pros,” Eberflus stated. “They have carried out all the things we’ve got requested them to and have each risen. … Where their future goes to be, we don’t know all that proper now. We’d actually like to have them right here.
“They are both so smart when it comes to football. They are high-intelligence guys. And that certainly helps our young players, our first- and second-year players, to be able to develop their understanding of the game.”
2. Defensive deal with Justin Jones continues to provide up entrance.
Jones raised his season sack complete to 4 1/2 when he threw down Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray for a 9-yard loss early within the first quarter. Jones’ preliminary push towards left guard Elijah Wilkinson was stopped partially due to the penetration Billings bought towards heart Hjalte Froholdt.
“When I got off the ball and made my move, all I saw was Big Bill and I was like, ‘Oh, snap!’” Jones stated. “So I looped around and saw the hole. At that point, I was like, ‘Whoa!’”
After circling to his left and round Wilkinson and Froholdt, Jones had Murray in hassle.
“When he saw me,” Jones stated, “he just dropped. I said, ‘Yeah! I need that. I’ll take that.’ Those are the best ones. You don’t even have to do much. However they come, I need them all.”
Jones had solely three sacks in 2022 and another by way of the primary 9 video games this 12 months. But he appears to be considered one of many Bears defenders seeing better alternative and elevated manufacturing because the group traded for Sweat in Week 9.
Jones is also thrilled with the Bears protection’s enchancment towards the run, climbing from thirty first within the league in 2022 to No. 1 this season.
“Huge,” Jones stated. “We’ve got the pieces now. I can’t say enough about (Billings). And everything comes from the way you stop the run. When you can take away that, they have to change their whole game plan.”
3. Sunday’s efficiency was a combined bag for quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields propelled the Bears to an early lead when he completed a 74-yard landing drive with a 3-yard scramble within the first quarter, making an alert resolution to tuck and run when the left aspect opened up.
Fields jump-started that drive together with his longest completion of the afternoon, a 53-yard shot to tight finish Cole Kmet in single protection towards security Jalen Thompson. Kmet had measurement benefits of seven inches and 72 kilos on Thompson, and Fields acknowledged a chance to offer considered one of his most dependable playmakers an opportunity in a one-on-one scenario.
“You just throw it up there,” Eberflus stated. “He trusts Cole to be able to either come down with it or knock it down, and (Kmet) came up with it. It was a great catch.”
Added Fields: “(Thompson) was just panicking there. He wasn’t even looking back at me. I looked up, gave Cole a shot and he came down with it. Cole does a great job with extended plays.”
The Bears’ longest run of a 250-yard dashing day additionally got here from Fields, a 39-yard scramble within the fourth quarter. That was a part of a 97-yard dashing contribution from Fields.
Still, the quarterback’s total efficiency was a bit bumpy. Against a Cardinals protection that got here in permitting a 103.8 passer ranking, Fields’ ranking was 71.5, the worst posted towards Arizona in 15 video games. Six quarterbacks have posted a ranking above 100 towards the Cardinals, with Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford doing it twice.
The Bears’ 170 passing yards was the third-lowest complete the Cardinals have allowed this season.
Fields’ fourth-quarter interception — with the Bears forward 24-10 and contained in the pink zone — additionally was problematic. He put an excessive amount of air below a cross throughout the sphere to working again Khalil Herbert on a nook route.
Herbert had gained separation from linebacker Tyreek Maddox-Williams, and Fields figured Thompson can be flat-footed and out of the play as he lined tight finish Robert Tonyan within the flat to the identical aspect. Instead, the Cardinals security broke as Fields launched his throw and intercepted the ball in the long run zone.
“I’ve got to see that,” Fields stated. “And if I were to do it again or if I had that over, I would just drive that ball to Khalil. Because the defender who had him got caught up a little bit and was trailing behind.”
Situationally, Eberflus acknowledged that was a expensive error with Fields miscalculating the risk-reward.
“There’s a balance there for sure,” Eberflus stated.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com