The fortieth landing catch of Marcedes Lewis’ profession was pretty simple. No, it didn’t unfold precisely as designed Sunday with the veteran tight finish unable to disengage from linebacker Jesse Luketa the way in which he wished. But after Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields faked an inside handoff to Roschon Johnson and an end-around give to Darnell Mooney, a sport of playground soccer broke out.
Fields’ most well-liked learn — DJ Moore on a shake path to the left — was taken away. And Lewis was unable to launch cleanly into his nook route. But Fields and Lewis each used their eyes and instincts to improvise. The quarterback purchased time on the transfer to his proper and his tight finish discovered a patch of empty area.
As Luketa peeled off and charged Fields to remove a attainable scramble, Lewis sat down behind the “O” in Soldier Field’s north finish zone.
“All I did was just play football,” Lewis mentioned. “I went where (Luketa) wasn’t.”
Fields threw a fastball.
Touchdown Bears. Touchdown “Big Dog.”
Center Lucas Patrick was the primary Bear into the top zone and, face masks to face masks, gave Lewis an energized celebratory woof.
“I’ve been barking for the Big Dog since 2018,” mentioned Patrick, who was teammates with Lewis for 4 seasons in Green Bay. “You have no idea what that guy means to this offense and this team. He’s amazing. It’s the leadership he provides, the insight into the game. It’s how hard he works and what he does to get ready and stay ready. How can you not celebrate a guy like that?”
After Sunday’s 27-16 Bears victory, Lewis shared the small print of the reception that made him, at 39 years and seven months outdated, the second-oldest participant in NFL historical past to catch a landing move. (Hall of Famer Jerry Rice made the final of his 197 profession TD grabs at 42 years and a pair of months outdated.) But then Lewis informed reporters contained in the Bears locker room at Soldier Field that his landing, whereas good and all, was removed from probably the most satisfying a part of his Christmas Eve.
“I put a lot of good stuff on film in the run game today,” he mentioned with a large smile. “The touchdown is cool. But I think throughout the entire game, I liked what I put on film.”
Indeed, within the 35 snaps Lewis performed, he was a serious contributor to a bruising Bears floor assault that posted a season-high 250 dashing yards.
“I can’t wait to watch the film,” Lewis mentioned. “That’s something we talk about all the time. It’s about imposing our will. Especially in December. Teams don’t want to come out here and play. So let’s give them a reason to quit and aim to be the most physical team every time we step on the field.”
On Thursday, Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy wasn’t stunned to be taught of Lewis’ delight within the contributions he made as an in-line blocker.
“That’s the immeasurable stuff that’s just huge in holding a team together, holding a unit together, holding a position group together,” mentioned Getsy, who grew shut with Lewis throughout their time along with the Packers.
When the Bears signed Lewis to a one-year contract early in coaching camp, they did so with the idea that his expertise and professionalism could possibly be tone-setting inside a younger locker room. Lewis hasn’t lasted 18 seasons within the NFL with no devoted plan for caring for his physique plus a targeted method to dealing with his obligations each day.
Even earlier than Lewis joined the Bears, fellow tight finish Robert Tonyan lauded him as a trusted mentor who helped him get his personal profession off the bottom in Green Bay. “Marcedes is like a big brother,” Tonyan mentioned in late July. “He has always been there for me. He seriously taught me everything on and off the field. Handling finances, family, whatever it is. … This is a guy who is 10 years older than me, who has experienced a lot. He has taught me so much about mentality, about how to carry yourself, about routine and how to take care of your body and how to lead.”
When Lewis arrived in Lake Forest in August, he knew the Bears could be relying on him to be a useful resource for youthful gamers. But Lewis additionally wished it identified instantly that he would contribute to the offense, primarily as a tricky, bodily, prepared blocker. He reiterated that sentiment after Sunday’s sport, happy with the contributions he made to a profitable effort.
“It just means the work is working,” Lewis mentioned. “I’m not here just to have a jersey and be all rah-rah. I’m here because I can still play ball.”
Getsy has appreciated how Lewis’ work habits and method have supplied extra gas to Cole Kmet, who’s having fun with a productive season in Year 4 of his profession climb.
“(Cole) has Marcedes there to lean on, to see what kind of professional he is, to see the mentality he brings, all that stuff,” Getsy mentioned. “Those intangible issues are what had me (over the summer season) saying ‘This dude’s going to make a distinction, an influence (right here).’
“On top of it, he’s out there still doing his job at an elite level at his age. That’s all really cool stuff. People have that immediate respect for his presence but even more so for the mindset he brings to that room every single day.”
Added Patrick: “In this game, the greatest thing you can achieve is saying that you have the respect of your teammates. Well, he has the respect of the whole organization. There’s not a single person here that doesn’t respect what he’s about. When he speaks, everyone listens. And the message echoes. Because the only way you play as long as he has is by doing things the right way.”
With two video games remaining, Lewis has continued urging his teammates to push themselves for a robust end, to take satisfaction in grinding via the top of Week 18. During a curler coaster yr, he has additionally inspired teammates to take care of a wholesome emotional equilibrium.
“You get too low? You’ll fall into depression,” Lewis mentioned. “You get too high? You’ll get embarrassed. So it’s about finding your zone and staying in that zone. I think this whole entire year we’ve been jelling, coming together and understanding what it means to win a day. You can’t win games on Sunday, if you can’t win the day. It’s how you carry yourself. Your attention to detail in meetings, in the locker room. It’s how you treat people around the building. All that stuff adds up.”
On Sunday, Lewis discovered the top zone. And it added to a Bears victory.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com