Chalk Talk: Was Fuller’s knee down?

[Staley Da Bear]

When was the last time the Bears faced Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in their first two games of the season like they did this year?
Paul K.
Oak Forest, Illinois


You have to go all the way back to … last year. Yes, the Bears have opened each of the last two seasons with back-to-back games against Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. Last year it was the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers and the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson; this year it was Rodgers and the Broncos’ Joe Flacco, who won the Super Bowl with the Ravens. In both cases, the Bears lost to Rodgers in the opener and rebounded with a Week 2 win. It appears that their rematch against the Packers Dec. 15 in Green Bay will be the Bears’ only other game this season versus a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. The Bears are scheduled to host the Saints Oct. 20, but Drew Brees likely will still be sidelined following thumb surgery. They will also host the Giants Nov. 24 and veteran Eli Manning has been replaced by rookie first-round pick Daniel Jones.


On the final catch by Allen Robinson before the game winning field goal, it looked like he intentionally dove at the legs of a Denver Broncos defender which appears to be an extremely heads up veteran move to ensure he is down by contact immediately. Can you confirm if that was intentional by Allen Robinson?
Jose C.
Orlando, Florida


It may have looked like Bears receiver Allen Robinson II dove at the Broncos defender to draw immediate contact, but I spoke with Robinson about the play and he said that that wasn’t the case. If a player gives himself up by going down to the ground, the play is over and a timeout can be called immediately, even if he is not touched by a defender. That’s exactly what Robinson did, an extremely heads-up moved that gave Eddy Piñeiro a chance to win the game with a 53-yard field goal, which you probably know by now is exactly what happened.