Staley Da Bear
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- Mar 16, 2019
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Brandon McManus gave the Broncos a 3-0 lead with a 43-yard field goal on the game’s opening possession. Quarterback Joe Flacco completed 6-of-6 passes for 41 yards on the drive, mostly on short, quick throws.
The Bears tied the score 3-3 early in the second quarter on Eddy Pineiro’s 40-yard field goal. The kick capped a 14-play, 64-yard drive that was sustained by Adam Shaheen’s 9-yard reception from Mitchell Trubisky on third-and-eight and David Montgomery’s nine-yard rush on third-and-three.
Pineiro’s 52-yard field goal gave the Bears their first lead of the game at 6-3 with 5:10 remaining in the second quarter.
The Bears were much more balanced on offense in the first half than they were Sept. 5 in a Week 1 loss to the Packers. They had 16 rushes for 59 yards, while Trubisky completed 9 of 14 passes for 82 yards. However, his only two pass plays that gained more than 11 yards picked up 18 and 16 yards.
The first half ended with the Bears not having scored a touchdown on 17 possessions over six quarters this season.
The Bears finally ended their touchdown drought with 1:14 left in the third quarter as Montgomery dove in from the 1 on third-and-goal, barely breaking the plane. The Bears’ first TD 103 minutes 46 seconds into their season extended their lead to 13-3.
The Bears ran the ball on all nine plays of their 80-yard touchdown drive. Cordarrelle Patterson produced the longest gain, taking a pitch in the backfield and racing 46 yards to the Broncos’ 22.
Montgomery’s TD was the fourth straight play the Bears ran from either the 1 of 2. They were given new life when cornerback Chris Harris Jr. was penalized for holding receiver Allen Robinson II on a third-down incompletion from the 2.
The Broncos answered, cutting the deficit to 13-6 on McManus’ 32-yard field goal with 13:37 remaining in the fourth quarter. The kick came after Eddie Goldman drew a questionable 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.
After the Bears went three-and-out, the Broncos marched from their own 24 to the Chicago 2. On third-and-goal, Kyle Fuller intercepted Flacco’s high pass intended for receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the right flat with 4:45 to play.
The ball sailed over Sanders to Fuller, who deflected the ball into the air and then picked it off. The Bears’ first takeaway of the season couldn’t have come at a better time.