Mixed emotions floating around Chicago as the Bears pick up their fifth straight win, but lose starting quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken thumb in the process. He will most likely miss at least the rest of the regular season, and the injury comes at a time when Cutler may be playing his best football. With the Green Bay Packers looking unstoppable, the 7-3 Bears find themselves in a battle for a wild card spot in the ultracompetitive NFC.
For the San Diego Chargers, time is running out on their typically magical month of November. Historically, the month where the Chargers make their playoff push, this November has been a disaster, as Sunday marked their fifth straight loss. Missing their best defensive player, as well as three-fifths of their offensive line hasn’t helped their cause, but if they can put together a late-season run, they still have a shot in the wide open AFC West.
San Diego – Three Performances of Note
Hold onto the Ball
After his first carry went for 23 yards, the day turned sour for Ryan Mathews (-2.5). He followed up with only 14 yards on his next 12 carries, including two fumbles. Lucky for Mathews, his first fumble was recovered by left tackle Brandyn Dombrowski, but the second fumble proved costly. With the Chargers down seven with 5:41 to go in the third quarter, Mathews had the ball punched out by cornerback Charles Tillman. Two plays later, the Bears capitalized with a touchdown for their second score in less than a minute and the Chargers never recovered. Mathews started the season with a series of strong games, but his recent struggles have coincided with the team’s losing streak.
Strength in the Middle
The Chargers split the nose tackle duties, and the results paid off. Defensive tackle Cam Thomas (+1.6) saw his most extensive playing time of the season playing 43 snaps. He played the nose in base 3-4 formations and he was a key part of the Chargers’ holding running back Matt Forte to only 2.9 yards/carry. Thomas may finally be tapping into his potential, as his 6’4” 330 lb frame screams run stopping nose tackle. He did a nice job holding the point in the running game. Thomas was replaced on passing downs by incumbent NT Antonio Garay (+3.2), who played a season-low 21 snaps. He made the most of them, picking up a QB hit and a pressure on his 16 pass rushes. If Thomas continues his strong play on running downs, Garay may be able to stay fresh and wreak havoc on passing downs with his quickness off the ball.
Jackson Bounces Back
With tight end Antonio Gates fighting injury, wide receiver Vincent Jackson (+1.5) has been the most important target for struggling QB Phillip Rivers. Jackson was coming of his worst game of the season against the Oakland Raiders where he only caught one of the six balls thrown his way. He did a great job of bouncing back on Sunday catching seven of nine passes for 165 yards. He beat Charles Tillman on the “go” route three separate times, two of which came on rare Chicago blitzes. Jackson then used his great size to get to get inside Tillman for a touchdown at the 11:04 mark in the third quarter. It wasn’t all great for Jackson as he did have a drop and he got a lazy on a route which led to a Rivers interception with 9:39 to go in the fourth quarter. It was a key play which may have sealed the fate for the Chargers, but overall, Jackson made life difficult for the Bears' secondary.
Chicago – Three Performances of Note
Cutler-to-Knox Connection
As mentioned, the Bears faced a sea of emotions after watching Cutler (+8.6) play his best game since joining the franchise. Cutler did a beautiful job of running Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz’s offense, particularly the staple downfield throws. He was 5-for-8 on throws beyond 20 yards and graded at +6.0 on such plays. The beneficiary of the vertical passing game was Johnny Knox (+1.3) who made the most of his three receptions by picking up 97 yards. The duo was at their best in the third quarter starting at the 7:14 mark. Cutler heaved it up, and Knox made a great adjustment to come back and catch the slightly underthrown ball for a 42-yard gain that set up a touchdown run. They hooked up again a couple minutes later at the 5:01 mark when Cutler stepped up in the pocket and threw one of his classic off balance throws toward the back of the end zone. With the ball in a perfect spot, Knox once again showed great body control and made the catch in between two Chargers defenders. Unfortunately for the Bears, Cutler will not be able to build on this performance and the fate of the season may lie in the hands of backup QB Caleb Hanie. Bears fans remember Hanie nearly leading a comeback in relief of Cutler in last year’s NFC Championship game, so we’ll see what kind of success he can have over an extended period of time.
Mixed Bag for Tillman
Someone had to try and cover Vincent Jackson and that assignment went to Charles Tillman. He followed Jackson all over the field, but got torched for five receptions for 101 yards and a -3.0 coverage grade. As mentioned above, Tillman made his presence felt in the running game, as his +1.6 grade attests. He made a great play in run support, stopping Ryan Mathews for no gain at the 11:54 mark in the first quarter, and then made the play of the game with the forced fumble on Mathews. Tillman was being blocked by Jackson, but as Mathews ran by, he literally punched the ball out of his hands. To top it off, Tillman scrambled and recovered the fumble. The Chargers were able to move the ball effectively, but the Bears won the turnover battle which proved to be the difference in the game.
Interior Line Woes
It’s not really news to discuss the struggles of the Bears' offensive line, but it must be mentioned. Most of the mainstream media like to discuss the poor pass protection, but they have been equally bad when run blocking. Left guard Edwin Williams (-3.6), center Roberto Garza (-3.0) and right guard Chris Spencer (-1.2) all graded negatively in the running game and were a big factor in Matt Forte’s subpar day. It’s amazing that Forte is still in the race for MVP given the combination of injuries and general terrible play up front. It’s reminiscent of Adrian Peterson putting up great numbers despite poor run blocking from his lines for the Minnesota Vikings the last two years. Forte is still second in our Elusive Rating at 57.3, but at some point, the Bears would love to make his job easier by opening some holes for him.
Game Notes
– The Chargers ran just four plays in the fourth quarter, two of which were interceptions.
– The Bears missed only one tackle on the day
– Like Cutler, Rivers had a strong day throwing downfield, hitting on 4-of-6 for 144 yards.
PFF Game Ball
He may have been left out of the starting line-up but his form was as strong as ever. Two defensive stops in the running game and an impact as a situational rusher saw another strong game from Antonio Garay.
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