Bears Dominate Early, Take Christmas Eve 27-16 Win Vs Cards
December 24, 2024, 10:57 PM CST
The Bears bounced back from last week's defeat in Cleveland to take down the Arizona Cardinals, using a 21-point first half to jump on top 21-7 by the break, and in the end, ultimately secure the game to move to 6-9 on the year. The win ensures that we will not be eliminated from playoff contention this week, however, the chances of us qualifying remain very slim. We would need to win out, the Rams and Seahawks lose out, and the Vikings win next week and then lose in Week 18 to even come close. That's not even everything that would need to happen, but one can always dream. Back to this game, the Bears jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter thanks to rushing touchdowns from Justin Fields and Khalil Herbert, and also a receiving touchdown by Marcedes Lewis. Herbert's TD was his first rushing touchdown of the year, and Lewis' TD was his first touchdown on the year and first as a Bear. The Cardinals would get a touchdown just before the two-minute warning to go into halftime down 21-7. The two teams exchanged field goals in the third, and the Cardinals would get a touchdown about midway through the fourth. They failed on the two-point conversion attempt though, but would get the ball back with a chance to take the lead. They ended up turning the ball over on downs though, and Cairo Santos would hit a 29-yard field goal on the ensuing drive with 1:02 left in the game to ice the Bears 27-16 victory. Khalil Herbert had a season-best 112 rushing yards on 20 carries today after D'Onta Foreman was ruled out with a personal issue. Cole Kmet was on track for a career day, with four catches for 107 yards in just a quarter and a half, but he was injured on the fourth catch and missed the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Justin Fields' performance, in the best way to put it, was mid. 15/27 for 170 yards with a touchdown and interception. He had 9 carries for 97 yards to help out at least, but you would expect better through the air against one of the worst defenses in the league. The defense held their own as the Cardinals tried to fight back, and the Bears enter the final two weeks of the season looking to avoid double-digit losses, starting with their final home game next week against the Falcons in a game that I will be at. Also, as I am writing this, the Patriots have beaten the Broncos, meaning that the 2-13 Panthers are just a loss away from giving us the number one pick, and once again, control of the NFL offseason.
Khalil Herbert had his best game of the season vs Arizona
Bears Overwhelm Falcons In Snow Despite Elimination
January 1, 2024, 12:30 AM CST
Happy New Year to all my readers! I'm excited for 2024, as I have big plans to take the website even further as I begin college in the fall. But this article isn't about the New Year. Instead, we look at the Bears 37-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons. I was in attendance for this one, with it being just the second Bears regular season win that I've been in attendance for. The game played in the snow despite the forecast saying it would stop before kickoff, was in Bears control from the start. Two missed Younghoe Koo Field Goals allowed the Bears to jump out to a 14-0 lead, which they did on a DJ Moore receiving touchdown and Justin Fields rushing touchdown. This would be Moore's only touchdown of the game, though he did finish with 9 catches for 159 yards as well. The Falcons immediately responded to the Fields touchdown with a 75-yard Tyler Allgeier score on a screen pass. But the Bears would go on a long drive and finish it off with a Roschon Johnson two-yard rushing touchdown. Cairo Santos attempted a long Field Goal before the end of the first half, though it fell short and was almost returned for a touchdown. The Bears were up 21-7 going into the locker room and came out of the break by going on a quick drive that would result in a chip shot Santos Field Goal. Koo and Santos would exchange Field Goals on their ensuing drives, making it 27-10 going into the fourth. Taylor Heinecke would run for a touchdown to make it 27-17, but another Santos Field Goal and a Khalil Herbert one-yard rushing touchdown would put the game away late and finish off 2023 with a win. It also caps off a five-game home win streak the Bears put together after losing their first three, and hope to continue that momentum heading into next season. Herbert's touchdown was the cap to another great performance, as he ran 18 times for 124 yards. The second half of the game was dominated by Bears interceptions, 3 of which to be exact. The fourth, TJ Edwards' pick, came late in the first half. But Tyrique Stevenson snagged 2 picks, and Kyler Gordon snagged one before doing a flip in the endzone and his now signature Spidey celebration. While it was a great win for the Bears, they were unfortunately eliminated from playoff contention. One other thing did go their way, the Steelers beating the Seahawks. However, a missed Giants Field Goal late for the win against the Rams meant that the Packers and Vikings had to tie to keep the Bears alive. Green Bay won 33-10, but that doesn't mean the Bears don't have anything to play for next week. At 3:25 on CBS, they will go to Green Bay with the chance to play spoiler, as all the Packers need is a win to get into the postseason. A loss, and they'll be in trouble. And the Bears are hungry for revenge after the Week 1 drubbing that the Packers laid on us. The Monsters are coming to Green Bay hoping to get their first win over the Packers since 2018 and their first at Lambeau since 2015.
DJ Moore catches a touchdown as portrayed by one of the best NFL photos you'll see all season
Bears Can't Play Spoiler, Lose 17-9 To Packers In Final Game
January 7, 2024, 10:15 PM CST
Well, if you thought the Bears were going to walk into Green Bay and pull off an upset of the Packers and keep them out of the playoffs, you were mistaken. The score says it was a one-possession game, but it never felt close. The Bears never even sniffed the endzone, having to settle for three field goals instead. The score could've been even higher for Green Bay had they not missed multiple opportunities to add to their lead, including a missed field goal in the first quarter after Tyrique Stevenson knocked the ball out at the last second to save a touchdown, and another almost touchdown that Packers WR Bo Melton could not hang on to. Dontayvion Wicks caught the two Packers touchdowns as the Bears failed to stop the Green Bay offense much at all. Jordan Love threw for 316 yards and Aaron Jones ran for 111 yards. Not having Pro Bowl Corner Jaylon Johnson in action today hurt the defense. The offense couldn't even move the ball, with Justin Fields only totaling 175 yards (148 passing, 27 rushing) and Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson combining for just 48 yards rushing. The best Bears play came when Tyrique Stevenson forced a Jordan Love fumble to give the team good field position that set up the third Cairo Santos field goal. With this loss, the Bears finish the season at 7-10, which isn't quite bad after the 0-4/2-7 start we had. Green Bay, unfortunately, gets a playoff spot with their victory. The Bears now turn their attention to the offseason, where they have a lot of decisions to make. Does Matt Eberflus stay as head coach? Will the team stick with Justin or select Caleb Williams at one? A lot of uncertainty is in our future. What I know is that I trust Ryan Poles in whatever direction he decides to go. The team is set up for a good 2024, as their 4th-place schedule means they'll have some rebuilding teams to face next year. This team can truly make the playoffs next year if they play their cards right. As for my future, I'll continue to cover the Bears as things are just getting started. Rookie grades will drop over on perspectives tomorrow, and I hope to get my first NFL Mock Draft and NFL Draft Position Preview out to you guys later this week as well. But as always, Bear Down!
Jaquan Brisker celebrates a fumble recovery