3 and Out: Slipping ‘n Sliding to a Win
Bears' defense stars in the opening game victory, kickstarting the Eberflus era
Remember in the film “The Day After Tomorrow,” when it rained for three days?
That's what the new Bermuda grass at Soldier Field looked like it had been through after the Bears' 19-10 upset victory over the San Francisco 49ers to kick off the 2022 season.
One might could even consider the stormy conditions as a candidate for player of the game, but more realistically the unified defense should really be considered the real stars in this win. In the middle of a lot of classic “Bear Weather,” the defense looked a bit “monstrous” early on when cornerback Jaylen Johnson, who happens to wear the No. 33 in honor of former Bear great Charles Tillman, unleashed a Peanut-like punch to knock the ball out of the hands of Niners Pro Bowl wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Rookie safety Jaquan Brisker recovered the football, which set the tone for a massive day for the defense and several high-profile rookies. Defensive end Dominque Robinson also made his professional debut Sunday and had a big game, recording 1.5 sacks along with seven total tackles.
One other thing that stood out in the win was the game played by veteran strong safety Eddie Jackson. Early in the second quarter, the 49ers struck first when Samuel steamrolled Jackson to go in a the rushing touchdown, putting San Franciso up 7-0. Redemption came in the third quarter, with the 49ers on their own 41. Niners quarterback Trey Lance threw a low pass intended for Jauan Jennings but Eddie Jackson got even lower, collecting the ball and making a 26-yard return deep into Niners territory.
Soon after Khalil Herbert scampered in the end zone from 3 yards out, giving the Bears their third touchdown of the second half and securing the game at its final score.
2nd Half Heros
The Bears made their way back into the locker rooms at halftime to the sounds of some booing from the Soldier Field faithful. The offense was abysmal in the first half, giving many that “here we go again” feeling all Bears fans are too accustomed to. The Bears ended the 2nd quarter with 68 total yards, no points and no clear evidence of why any would come soon.
Fortunately, quarterback Justin Fields and the Bears were able to emerge with some high yardage plays by the end of the third quarter, leaving San Francisco stunned and stuck in the ever-developing mud.
Things began going the Bears way after Fields once again escaped chaos in the backfield and found a wide-open Dante Pettis for a 51-yard touchdown with 5:32 left in the third. Chicago scored the final 19 points of the game unanswered, with two other scores coming from wide receiver Equanimous St. Brown flaring into the end zone and reeling in a Fields pass from 18 yards out early in the fourth, and Herbert’s later score to clinch things.
A fun development across the NFL Sunday saw Chicago’s St. Brown scoring just seconds apart from his brother, Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, doing the same for the Detroit Lions.
HITS is Waterproof
All off-season long first-year head coach Matt Eberflus established his “HITS” philosophy at Halas Hall. An acronym that stands for Hustle, Intensity, Takeaways, and (playing) Smart, HITS made an effective debut in the Bears lexicon on Sunday, showing that this team right away has the personnel to execute said philosophy and to do it even in the rainy conditions that befell Soldier Field.
“The rain affected us a little bit, the guys handled it well,” Fields said after the game.
The second-year signal caller threw for two touchdowns and 121 yards on 8 of 17 completions and looked steadier overall in a game where he was being compared to another potential hot-shot young QB in San Francisco’s Lance.
When asked what discipline the team leaned on to stay focused, Fields made mention of “mental and physical stamina.”
“I'm proud of the defense, proud of the o-line, just proud of everybody today,” Fields said.
This was certainly a memorable victory for the Bears as a whole but it had to be extra special for Eberflus, who picked up his first win as an NFL head coach in his first real try.
Eberflus was asked after the game about what he felt as the clock expired and he kept his expression plain.
“It's a happy feeling,” Eberflus said. “It was exciting for the first victory. I'm excited for the guys too. I'm excited for everybody.”
‘Flus also knows that despite the win, plenty of work is ahead.
“It's not perfect. We have a lot of work to do, and we have to get better as the season goes.” Eberflus said.
There will be an immediate chance to get better in Week 2 in front of a national audience while being challenged by the Bears’ closest rival.
Looking ahead to Week 2: The Bears (1-0) visit Lambeau Field Sunday night to take on the Green Bay Packers (0-1).
Saul Rodriguez is WARR Media’s associate producer and lead Bears reporter