Alec Ogletree is almost certain to retain the title of starting linebacker once Danny Trevathan returns from injured reserve.
Ogletree covered the run extremely well, having a hand in holding Joe Mixon to 69 yards and a 3.5 yard average per carry. He also tipped a ball into the air, allowing Angelo Blackson to intercept the ball for Burrow’s third interception of the game.
There will be plenty of run-game to cover next week against the Cleveland Browns behind power duo Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
The defensive line performed to expectation and no more than that.
Considering the Bears have north of $60 million per year invested in their starting defensive line (Mack, Quinn, Goldman, Hicks) and the Bengals have just under $23 million per year invested in their offensive line, the Bears should win the day.
And they did just that.
Mack and Quinn showed a pulse in their game, combining two sacks and two quarterback hits. Quinn’s first sack should be credited to Sean Desai, for intelligently lining both Mack and Quinn on the same side to create an overload of chaos.
The line did so well they were able to create an interception that ended up in the hands of Blackson. They put plenty of pressure on Burrow, sacking him four times for 28 total yards.
They will have quite the challenge next week against the best offensive line in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns.
Robert Quinn has 2.0 sacks on the day, his most as a Bear and the most since Oct. 13, 2019 at the Jets as a member of the Cowboys.
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) September 19, 2021
The Safeties
Eddie Jackson gave us a roller coaster of a performance, after unanimously dropping the ball (no pun intended) in week one.
Jackson made some crucial plays, for example, stopping Joe Mixon on third and short and blowing past Chase’s attempted block.
Jackson also forced Tee Higgins to cough up the ball in the third quarter, just after the Bears had punted the ball away. The fumble was recovered by Jackson’s partner in crime, Tashaun Gipson.
On the other hand, the two had their weak moments. Jackson blew dep coverage in the fourth, giving Chase his 42-yard touchdown. Gipson was called for a taunting penalty early in the game, giving the Bengals a fresh set of downs.
While the last level held their own and made some important plays, they need to keep it together. As I have mentioned in the past, the rest of the defense will need to make up for the lack of talent the team has at its corners.
Bottom Line
The Bears made some thrilling plays to support the offense in this one. The Bengals are an up-and-coming offense in the NFL, and the Bears kept them to just 17 points. The defense will have a tough matchup next week with the Browns.
Not only does Kevin Stefanski’s offense have the best running back duo in the game with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but they have the most talented offensive line in the NFL along with plenty of weaponry for Baker Mayfield.
Desai will need to be cognizant of the Browns’ offensive firepower next week to get the defense in line and support an offense that put up just 20 points to one of the bottom-tier defenses in the NFL.