The run game came to life. Play calling was balanced. The pass rush came to play and the highly drafted punter delivered in some big spots.
The Chicago Bears got just about everything they could have wanted in terms of complementary football on Sunday and in the end a stingy red zone defense and being plus-two in takeaways was the difference in a 24-18 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Here are 10 thoughts on the Week 4 win.
1. It’s intellectually dishonest to label a Week 4 game in late September as a must-win for any team.
But coach Matt Eberflus and the Bears really needed this one in getting back to .500 at 2-2.
There is a lot of football to be played but you can sidestep putting too much stock in this game while also pointing out the challenges for teams that get off to a 1-3 start. That is what Eberflus and Co. desperately had to avoid here. They were at home, playing a modest opponent that came in with a slew of injuries to key players after flying two time zones across the country and the Bears needed to put an end to a two-game losing skid.
Since the NFL expanded to a 14-team playoff field in 2021, and there’s only three years of data, teams that start the season 1-3 make the playoffs just 12% of the time. The 2021 New England Patriots (10-7), 2021 Philadelphia Eagles (9-8) and 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1) all rebounded from 1-3 starts to qualify for the playoffs. That’s it. Of the other 22 teams that started 1-3 in the previous three seasons, five rallied to finish 9-8 but did not qualify for the postseason: the Cincinnati Bengals a year ago, the Steelers and Detroit Lions in 2022, and the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts in 2021.
In other words, a 1-3 start is generally a harbinger of bad football to come and the Bears managed to avoid that considerable hole — even though it would not have necessarily been a death knell with the Carolina Panthers (1-3) and Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) next on the schedule.
“This is a big win for us,” said tight end Cole Kmet, who noted the difference between being even instead of two games under .500.
The Bears needed this in the worst way because the Rams were shorthanded, almost across the board.
- Quarterback Matthew Stafford is about as good as it gets in the NFL but he was without top wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Los Angeles started at receiver rookie sixth-round draft pick Jordan Whittington, journeyman Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell, a disappointing second-round pick from 2021.
- The Bears are not the only team with offensive line injuries. The Rams have used three starting left tackles and three starting left guards already. They had a former undrafted free agent at left tackle in Alaric Jackson, a rookie sixth-round pick at center in Beaux Limmer and a 2022 third-round pick at left guard in Logan Bruss.
- On defense, the Rams didn’t have a lot of firepower. Outside linebacker Jared Verse, the first-round pick from Florida State, was a force. Defensive holding penalties negated what would have been two sacks for him against Caleb Williams. Los Angeles started Tre’Davious White, the Buffalo Bills’ first-round pick in 2017, at cornerback. He’s a shell of his former self and the Rams signed him to a $10 million, one-year contract as a stop-gap measure. This was only White’s 14th game since 2021 due to injuries. Defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, who is on his second team this year, entered the league as a third-round draft pick. Defensive end Kobie Turner and outside linebacker Byron Young were both third-round picks a year ago. That’s it for starters on defense who came into the league before Round 4.
So, the Bears really had to take care of business against Sean McVay’s well-coached and pesky team and they wound up doing just that.
“I just told them how proud I was of them in terms of them working, partnering with the coaches to improve,” Eberflus said. “I thought we took a big step in that direction this week. Improving on offense, defense and special teams. You could see that during the course of the game, the complementary football of us taking the ball away on defense and then scoring seven points down there. That was really huge.
“At the end of the game, you could feel all three phases, really, to seal the deal.”
For this victory to be meaningful, for the Bears to build upon it, they’ve got to be able to expand on the 131 yards rushing and the big game for D’Andre Swift (93 yards on 16 rushes, seven receptions for 72 yards). It’s really the result the Bears were hoping they would have gotten a week ago at Indianapolis but they’re young in many areas and still finding their way.
The Rams now sit in that uncomfortable 1-3 hole waiting for some key players to return from injuries later in the season. Odds are stacked against teams chasing .500 by at least two weeks with the calendar turning to October.
2. It was an interesting week for the Bears offensively.
Veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis was pretty candid about discussions some key players had with coordinator Shane Waldron in the wake of the rocky start for that side of the ball. The offense has had trouble running the ball, protecting quarterback Caleb Williams and had only three offensive touchdowns through three games.
Basically, Lewis and others implored Waldron to coach them harder, suggesting the first-year coordinator was perhaps walking on eggshells a little bit as he settled into the role with a rookie quarterback and other new parts. Waldron, for his part, identified mistakes he made in a team meeting, letting the players know he was holding himself accountable in the process.
If two months from now we can say this was a galvanizing point for the offense, that will be a great thing. I’m usually a little leery when I hear about players-only meetings or leadership council meetings or things of that nature, especially early in the season. You should be too. Often, that’s a signal of turbulence to come and a hint there are serious issues in play.
In this instance, the Bears seem to have wrapped their minds around the idea that it’s going to pull them together and make them stronger. If Williams feels Waldron did a better job getting the plays in from the sideline in a timely manner in this game — that was an issue the week prior at Indianapolis — that will be a step in the right direction.
“We have a lot of good leadership on the offensive side and guys that just want to win,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “So when you put your ego aside like that and you’re willing to kind of be called out on tape or whatever you might be doing in practice, it’s a healthy thing. We all have healthy relationships and that allows us to understand no one is really getting called out like that. It just gets better.
“That was all really good. I think that’s something we have to have every week. We go look at the tape on Monday and then Wednesday it’s gotta almost feel like a loss again. We have to be in that mindset to get better. I thought that was healthy for us.”
Williams said there was irritation when the offense stalled out on its first possession. He hit Kmet with a swing pass to the left on third-and-4 and safety Quentin Lake tackled the tight end for only a 2-yard gain.
“We felt like we should have gotten the third down,” Williams said. “Didn’t happen. Come to the sideline a little frustrated. Take your time, everybody come together, collect all these thoughts and things like that. Come together and communicate from there and get ready to go back out and win the game.”
Communication was the buzzword Waldron and everyone involved used all week. From coach to player and player to coach and if it proves to be a breakthrough, well, maybe the Bears will have something to build upon because they were much more balanced than they were the previous two weeks as Williams attempted 23 passes (there were three sacks) and the Bears had 28 rushes.
“If we’re in a flow, let us just stay in that flow, get going, whether it’s the run game, whether it’s the pass game,” Williams said. “We did kind of both pretty evenly, which is great and what we want to do every week. When it’s not like that, stay in the flow. If we get drives going with the pass game, sprinkle in a few runs. When we get the game going with a few runs, sprinkle in a pass and then keep running the ball.
“I think that was the main point of emphasis throughout the week. Us just having open communication is most important because, like I said before, us having communication, myself being better, we’re communicating. Whether it’s game day, throughout the week or whatever the case may be, that I had to be better, and I think today and throughout the week, as a collective, I think we were all better.”
Waldron ought to be a little more at ease. The Bears adjusted in short-yardage situations to capitalize. They ran the ball better. They avoided a steady diet of third-and-long situations. They took care of the football. They scored three offensive touchdowns.
“This is the NFL, right?” Eberflus said. “It’s a one-week league. You win a couple games, and you’re all that and a bag of chips. You lose a couple, and you’re the other thing. You’ve got to make sure that you’re focusing on your job, focusing on what you do, and making corrections. Either way, you can’t get too high. You can’t get too low. You’ve got to be steady.”
Steady means the Bears can’t be turning to the leadership council for a come-to-Jesus meeting weekly. But if the one they held this past week is an impetus to growth, perhaps it will be meaningful moving forward. That would be the kind of progress the Bears have been hunting.
3. Give D’Andre Swift a little daylight and he looks like an $8 million per year running back.
That was the difference between Sunday and the first three weeks of the season when the running game — across the board — was a mess and Swift looked like a bad fit in an offense without an identity.
Now, we have a feel for the vision general manager Ryan Poles and the coaching staff had for Swift, who carried 16 times for 93 yards after getting 37 rushes for only 68 yards in the first three games. Swift’s start to the season was about as bad as any running back has had over the last 40 seasons but he was given some space and holes against a Rams run defense that has struggled, and he capitalized.
The big moment came early in the fourth quarter after a really nice 22-yard pass to Cole Kmet over the middle. The Bears went no-huddle and called an inside zone handoff to Swift. It was a split-flow zone with Kmet coming back across the formation to kick out outside linebacker Michael Hoecht. Guards Nate Davis and Matt Pryor got really nice blocks at the line and center Coleman Shelton and left tackle Braxton Jones immediately climbed to the second level to seal the linebackers.
Swift popped through the hole, jumped over the outstretched right arm of Hoecht, who was on the ground after the Kmet block, and outraced safety Kamren Kinchens, who had a poor angle. He was gone for a 36-yard touchdown.
“I saw somebody on the ground, and then I kind of lifted my leg up,” Swift said. “And after that, it was just: Run.”
Said Davis: “I felt like I got a good push. But you never know what is going on behind you. So, I kept pushing and pushing. I had sweat down my eyes and I couldn’t see anything. I heard the crowd get loud. I looked back and saw Swift was up at the 10, the 5, touchdown. It was cool.”
Said Pryor: “I washed my guy down and then I just saw Swift cut and at that point, I’m, ‘Go! Go! Go!’ I thought they were gonna swipe his legs but he took off. Swift is a great runner. I’m just happy he was out there.”
Kmet said it was the fourth or fifth time the Bears leaned on that run.
“We had a lot of good runs on that,” he said. “So, it was just a matter of time before one of those was going to pop. It was great. I cut (Hoecht). Swift burned him and the seas parted.”
If Swift was pressing after the first three games, he didn’t admit to it. But I don’t think anyone would have been surprised.
“I know who I am. I know what I can bring to this team,” Swift said. “When we’re not having success, I take it upon myself to go ahead and find different ways to be better.
“That’s what I think about every single day, every time I step on the field. God allowed me to do so, so that’s my mentality every day. I’m just gonna go put my head down and go to work. That’s all I know. I’m just getting started.”
There were still a couple of times when it looked like Swift tried to bounce the ball when he perhaps should have chosen a different path. The touchdown run was really good because when he can get going north-south, he can scoot. That’s evidence right there of what Matt Eberflus referenced in March when he praised Swift for having home run ability.
Maybe more impressive were the seven receptions Swift had for 72 yards, including a 27-yard gain on a screen pass — the first big one of those the offense has hit this season. Swift is the fifth Bears running back since legendary Walter Payton (five times) to have 90 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards in a game.
- Matt Forte, Dec. 9, 2013: 102 rushing yards/73 receiving yards, 45-28 win over the Dallas Cowboys
- Thomas Jones, Sept. 26, 2004: 110/71, 27-22 loss at the Minnesota Vikings
- Anthony Thomas, Nov. 4, 2001: 96/71, 27-21 OT win over the Cleveland Browns
- Neal Anderson, Dec. 17, 1989: 119/90, 40-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers
Catching the ball as an outlet and as a receiver in the pattern is a critical part of Swift’s game. That’s why they went out and paid him in free agency. He had a big day and Roschon Johnson still took a goal-line touch from him and got a touchdown, which makes sense. Let him play downhill. That’s what he does and it’s nice to have.
It’s clear the Bears were focused on finding ways to get Swift going. They had him on the field for the first eight offensive snaps and there was a better rhythm — across the board up front — with the ground attack.
“I know what I can do,” Swift said. “I know what God has instilled in me. So if I keep that mentality every time I go into work, I’m gonna be alright. We just did a better job of executing. It takes 11 people to do so and I feel like we were clicking a bit.”
Said right tackle Darnell Wright: “Swift was eating. He was doing his thing. It’s our job to set him up and let him do his thing — get jiggy.”
4. In the maturation process for quarterback Caleb Williams, this was a good showing as he avoided the four turnovers that marred his previous two outings.
The final line — 17 of 23 for 157 yards and one touchdown with five rushes for 12 yards — isn’t going to stand out at the end of the season. But the effort came in a victory, he played clean football and he avoided some of the pitfalls that put the offense in a hole in previous games.
“When you don’t have two turnovers that’s the most important thing,” he said. “When you have a defense like us, you’ve got a punter and a kicker that we have, you’re not turning the ball over, it goes a long way. You’re going to win a lot of games. Handling myself appropriately last week, understanding ways that I need to get better. Steady growth throughout the season is extremely important for myself but also for the team. Not turning the ball over, decision-making and things like that, I think I would have to say it was a little better.”
Some of the subtle decisions Williams made included being more comfortable with outlet throws and checkdowns, curbing the urge to extend the play, looking for an escape hatch in the pocket and creating outside of the structure. That’s a real strength of his game and there is a time and place for it. But he looked more comfortable operating within the structure of the offense and living for the next down, which is a legitimate hurdle for a lot of young quarterbacks.
“We always talk about how big checkdowns are, especially on third downs,” he said. “Whether it’s third down and long, third down and short or medium. Being able to steal a third down is kind of what we call it, whether you’re running, as a run or scramble or whatever. Things like that are fun to checkdown and stealing it that way. I think we did well with that as a group.”
Williams identified DJ Moore singled up on linebacker Christian Rozeboom for a 9-yard touchdown late in the third quarter that staked the Bears to a 17-9 lead. He identified what the coverage was going to look like pre-snap and it played out like a dream — having Moore singled on a linebacker.
That came after a miss late in the second quarter. Moore was outside streaking to the end zone on third-and-15 from the Rams’ 22-yard line. He got behind cornerback Cobie Durant and Williams threw a fastball that was way off the mark. It looked like Moore slowed down a little. Something was off and that is a timing play they will have to sort out. Maybe Williams put heat on the throw because he feared a safety would close on the play near the goal line, but something was askew.
And the downfield passing game remains a work in progress. Moore had three catches for 22 yards and wide receivers totaled 12 targets, seven receptions and 51 yards. That’s not the production the Bears envision.
But the offense desperately needed the running game to get going. They’re still a little disjointed in the passing game. There are too many times when Williams drops back and no one is open and he is double-clutching the ball in the pocket. They have a lot to work on in that regard, but what helped them here was he didn’t have to throw 50 times or anywhere near that number. They had balance on offense and they were able to control tempo when they wanted to and they won a football game.
Williams also kept the ball on zone reads twice, sliding down the first time after a 7-yard gain. That was a critical element to put on tape for upcoming opponents. Williams is athletic and he can turn the corner and pick up positive yardage. It keeps the backside defender honest and should help the rest of the running game profit moving forward.
“It’s on tape now,” Cole Kmet said. “Huge. I think he does a good job protecting himself for the most part. I thought he played an unbelievable game too. I know everyone wants the 300-plus yards, three touchdowns. But that’s NFL football what he played today. He did a really good job of keeping us in rhythm.”
There’s a lot to work on, a lot to smooth out entering Week 5 just as there will be going into Week 15. Playing turnover-free football is not insignificant and staying within the structure of the offense is a plus.
“Overall, I’m getting more comfortable,” Williams said. “I think just getting more in the flow of football, the rhythm throughout the season, the rhythm of the week. Just getting more comfortable and being more consistent with myself throughout the week, I think, is kind of what I’m feeling. Then us just building, us communicating, like I said before. Building on the things, whether it’s good or bad. I think we’re doing that well.”
5. We got a pretty good look at why the Bears said Tory Taylor — the punter — could be a weapon when they drafted him in the fourth round (No. 122 overall).
He was the second-highest drafted punter since the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Bryan Anger in the third round in 2012. Only Mitch Wishnowsky of the San Francisco 49ers (No. 110 in 2019) has been chosen higher since.
Taylor unloaded a beautiful 66-yard spiral in the fourth quarter that rolled out of bounds to pin the Rams on their own 8-yard line with 8:47 remaining in the game. It was into a steady 16 mph wind, too. Also impressive: this is what Iowa Hawkeyes special teams coordinator LeVar Woods told me back at the Senior Bowl that Taylor needed to get better at — nailing spirals.
It’s easy to ask why the Bears didn’t consider taking a lottery ticket on an offensive lineman or a pass rusher at that point in the draft. That’s a wait-and-see pick. Now, the Bears have a rookie punter who looks to be developing into one of the best at his craft.
“Sometimes I think people get a little bit scared kicking into the wind but I don’t really mind it,” Taylor said. “Because if you hit the right ball, you can actually use the wind to improve your hang time.
“It was really one of those things, last week, it was pretty (crap) to be honest. It wasn’t good enough. I had the chance to help the team last week and I didn’t. Just wanted to go in the game and be myself and really fortunate enough to have (special teams coordinator Richard Hightower) and all the rest of the specialists look out for me as well.”
Later, Taylor uncorked a booming high punt with the Bears kicking from the Rams’ 43-yard line. It hung up so long that personal protector Jonathan Owens was able to cover it at the 8-yard line after a perfect setup and bounce, which is something Poles marveled at when watching Taylor perform at the Senior Bowl.
“The way he kicked today was truly special, especially with the wind in there,” long snapper Scott Daly said. “Just realize how tough it is. Each punt is a little bit different. I think he wanted to work on the rotation and the spin to where he can really control it and cut through that wind and that’s what he did to really drive that ball. He did an awesome job.”
Owens, a veteran special teams player, was in amazement afterward.
“Man, incredible,” he said. “He puts some English on it. Makes it die. Backspin. Really it’s more side spin because it just kind of dies when it hits the ground. I don’t know what he does but keep doing it. That’s setting up field position for our defense right there. Amazing.”
6. Really productive game for the defensive line and we got another glimpse at why the trade for defensive end Darrell Taylor is paying off.
Montez Sweat is the guy who makes this group go and he had a sack, forced fumble (that set up a score) and a pass deflection. It was Sweat’s second straight game with a sack and he has 14 1/2 since the start of last season, the fourth-most in the NFC.
Tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. picked up a sack as well and had two hits on Matthew Stafford. Dexter’s three sacks tie him with Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants and Bryan Bresee of the New Orleans Saints for the most among interior linemen in the league going into Week 5.
Taylor picked up a quarterback hit on Stafford on the Rams’ final play, spinning into his face and forcing a poor throw along the Los Angeles sideline that was easily picked off by strong safety Jaquan Brisker to seal the game and end a comeback bid.
.@JaquanBrisker seals the deal
: #LARvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/rSyKSXTfE5
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 29, 2024
Taylor passed the credit to defensive end DeMarcus Walker. The Bears had Walker lined up wide on the play with Taylor inside over left guard Logan Bruss.
“Sometimes on the field we are making some calls (just before the snap) so we can get the best possible pass rush situation,” Taylor said. “DeMarcus was like, let’s do this certain type of thing. That’s why I go inside and he’s outside and, you know, I was lined up over the guard and I know I am faster than him. I was just using my ability and my speed to win and that’s what I did.”
Walker stayed wide on left tackle Alaric Jackson leaving Taylor with a clear 1-on-1. He put a spin move on Bruss, who was caught in quicksand, and Taylor was immediately in Stafford’s grill.
“Literally just a slight adjustment,” said Taylor, who missed the first two practices of the week with an illness. “DeMarcus called it. He seen it. That’s how I was able to win.”
Taylor now has two sacks, three QB hits and a forced fumble through four games, playing primarily in pass-rushing situations.
“The passion he brings, that’s why we got him,” Matt Eberflus said. “We got him because he fits right in. When he walked into the room, he fit. The way he practices, the way he plays. So he brings it. He just has to learn our system. He’s doing that and doing a good job with that.”
7. Barring a complete turnaround for Nate Davis, it’s likely the Bears will part ways with him after the season, a move that will put the team in need of a starting guard.
What Ryan Poles cannot do is allow that likelihood to impact evaluations elsewhere on the line.
Davis is signed through the 2025 season but guaranteed money in the deal is up at the end of this year and it’s easy to speculate which direction this is headed for him. What Poles and the Bears cannot afford is to be swayed into a contract they aren’t totally comfortable with for Teven Jenkins to avoid heading into the offseason potentially needing two starting guards.
In other words, the Bears cannot misevaluate or overvalue Jenkins with the idea they would be better off needing to replace only one starting guard.
This is not an indictment of Jenkins but a reminder that these have to be wholly independent evaluations. It’s somewhat timely. Jenkins, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, and his representation have attempted to kickstart contract negotiations since the end of last season. Jenkins has been pretty candid about the situation and said at the outset of training camp the Bears said he would have to wait until after the bye week — which follows the Oct. 13 game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in London — to revisit the matter.
“Last I was told,” Jenkins said in late July, “I’ve gotta wait until after the bye week to reconvene about it.”
The first order of business will be to determine what kind of shape Jenkins is in. He left the game early in the second quarter after a zone read keeper by Caleb Williams. Jenkins pulled to the right — Williams went the other direction — and he fell to the ground after engaging outside linebacker Michael Hoecht. Jenkins was ruled out with a rib injury. Davis entered at right guard and Matt Pryor switched to left guard.
Poles is pretty serious about keeping contract situations for players private so one can only speculate how this situation will play out. The Bears could be in the market for more than two starters to add to their offensive line after this season. It’s been a problem area. The range of needs and wants for 2025 — and there is a difference between the two — will shift with 13 games remaining in the regular season, but it’s impossible to think fortifying the O-line will not be at the top of the to-do list come March. It’s just a matter of how much work will need to be done in the trenches.
Jenkins, 26, has started the first four games of a season for the first time in his career. Durability has been a consistent question for the 2021 second-round draft pick. He started 2023 on injured reserve with a calf injury and missed Week 16 with a concussion. He missed significant time in training camp in 2022 and injuries cost him four games that year. Back surgery sidelined him for the first half of his rookie season in 2021. Now, we await word on his availability in the immediate future.
My thought is if the Bears were not ready to pay Jenkins before the start of this season, there hasn’t been enough on film through the first month to move them in that direction as soon as the bye arrives. Maybe I am wrong, but the line has been a mess and in talking to pro scouts and watching the action, it seems like left tackle Braxton Jones has probably been the best lineman to this point. Jones had a tough time with outside linebacker Jared Verse in this game too, struggling with power rushes.
That doesn’t mean an evaluation of Jenkins cannot shift as we get deeper into the season. There’s no deadline for a deal here. The Bears could act at any time and if Jenkins gets in a groove and begins playing at a high level — he’s proven capable of that in the past — the team could consider something at a later juncture.
Provided Jenkins remains healthy, he’s likely to get a pretty good contract. The market for guard pay has really taken off. Landon Dickerson (Philadelphia Eagles), Robert Hunt (Carolina Panthers), Samuel Cosmi (Washington Commanders), Quinn Meinerz (Denver Broncos), Jonah Jackson (Rams) and Kevin Dotson (Rams) all signed deals this year ranging from $16 million to $21 million annually. Four guards are earning more than $20 million per season and another three are at $18 million or more.
A position where some teams would try to go on the cheap has turned into a spot where elite players are coveted and richly rewarded. Some clubs put a huge premium on being stout from guard to guard — valuing that as highly as they would a blind side blocker at left tackle — because they want an interior that is capable of keeping the pocket clean to allow the quarterback to step up and make plays.
I think that is going to be a goal for the Bears. It matches some of what the Kansas City Chiefs did when Poles was there in building and rebuilding a line for superstar Patrick Mahomes. Caleb Williams is 6-foot-1 so building a line that can create space in the pocket for him makes a lot of sense.
Jenkins could very well wind up being part of that plan. Davis will not be in long-range plans unless he gets another opportunity and his play changes dramatically. The Bears made an error in signing Davis to a $30 million, three-year contract in free agency in 2023. What they can ill afford to do is make a mistake with Jenkins.
Maybe it reaches the point where the Bears tell Jenkins it’s something they want to process and evaluate after the season. The team would hold exclusive negotiating rights with him until mid-March. He’d have to weigh any offer at that point against what he believes could be available on the open market in free agency where, again, I think he could wind up getting good money provided he remains healthy.
There is only one franchise tag/transition tag designation for offensive linemen. The collective bargaining agreement does not distinguish between tackles, guards and centers. Over The Cap projects the franchise tag figure for O-linemen to be near $25.2 million in 2025 and the transition tag to be about $22.9 million. While the Bears used the franchise tag to create more negotiating time with cornerback Jaylon Johnson earlier this year, those projected figures seem high for Jenkins, at least based on what we’ve seen through four games.
8. Doug Kramer is waiting for his opportunity to play center, but he was thrilled to line up in the backfield as a fullback.
Kramer was the lead blocker for Roschon Johnson on the 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that put the Bears ahead 7-6. Johnson followed right behind Kramer to the right side and wound up falling on his lead blocker in the end zone.
“Doug did a good job all week of kind of letting me know what his mindset was and I just kind of knew what it was,” Johnson said.
What was that mindset?
“Downhill, knock somebody back, knock it forward,” he said.
In the fourth quarter, the Bears lined Johnson up in the I-formation behind Kramer again. Kramer kicked out outside linebacker Byron Young to create more than enough space for Johnson to gain 3 yards on third-and-1 with the Bears running out the clock.
“I knew I wasn’t getting the ball,” Kramer said. “We just game planned for short yardage and goal line and all that type of stuff. It’s a play that we’ve talked about before and in past years we’ve had other linemen in similar roles.”
Kramer said he wasn’t sure if the situation would arise in the game a week after the Bears had a disaster at Indianapolis with four plays inside the Colts’ 5-yard line that didn’t lead to points.
“I was worried about doing my job and getting the ball in the end zone,” he said.
Kramer said it’s the first time he has lined up in the backfield since being briefly moved around a little bit on the freshman team at Hinsdale Central.
“It felt pretty good out there,” he said. “I gotta watch it. We’ll see.”
Teammates were pretty fired up for him and the new wrinkle in the short-yardage offense.
“Happy for Doug,” right tackle Darnell Wright said. “Maybe he gets a pass (in the future). I think Doug has hands.”
I thought John St. Clair was the last offensive lineman to score a receiving touchdown for the Bears. He did it as a tackle-eligible back in Week 2 of the 2007 season in a 20-10 win over the Chiefs at Soldier Field. But I had forgotten Bradley Sowell’s 2-yard touchdown reception in a Dec. 9, 2018, victory over the Rams at Soldier Field. The last lineman to score a rushing touchdown for the Bears was a defensive player. Akiem Hicks had a 1-yard touchdown run in a 30-27 overtime loss at the New York Giants in that same 2018 season when then-coach Matt Nagy was getting fancy with a handful of gadget plays.
“I have good hands,” Kramer said. “But I am going to worry about blocking people as opposed to catching balls.”
If the struggles persist on the interior of the offensive line, you have to wonder if Kramer will get a shot at center. The closer Ryan Bates gets to returning from injured reserve — I think that could be after the bye week — maybe the less likely it is. They don’t want to go through three different centers — Coleman Shelton, Kramer and possibly Bates in a short period of time.
But why else have Kramer around?
The Bears drafted Kramer in the sixth round in 2022 and he spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a lower leg injury. He suffered an injury to his right (snapping) thumb in the preseason finale last summer that landed him on IR. After being activated and subsequently waived, Arizona claimed him. When the Cardinals cut Kramer, the Bears brought him back to the practice squad.
So, the team has invested considerable time in Kramer and the Hinsdale Central/Illinois product has improved. He was solid in preseason this year and it was an easy decision to keep him on the 53-man roster. Remember, that was before Bates went to IR with the arthritic shoulder/elbow situation he’s dealing with.
If Shelton is having a rough time, why not try Kramer? Eventually, it makes sense to see what the Bears have. Shelton has struggled because he’s not that big. He’s listed at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds. Kramer — 6-2, 300 — isn’t very big either. But again, if the Bears are going to roster him and the starter is struggling, at least see what he can do, right?
“He’s smart, he’s tough, he’s got great hat speed (quickness) and he just attacks every day,” offensive line coach Chris Morgan said. “He’s a really smart football player and it’s cool to see him grow. He’s maxing it out.”
Kramer gets a few reps with the first team in practice. That’s standard but you’re looking at maybe three snaps with the starters a day.
“My job is to be ready if anything happens to (Shelton),” Kramer said. “That’s what I think about. I think about getting ready for that moment.
“Really just gotta make the most of the reps you get. Try to maximize each rep. If you get three reps in a day, all three have to be perfect. Being harsh on yourself watching film and try to watch the starter and put yourself in his shoes. You’re trying to correct mistakes before they happen to you. Just have to work hard. Individual is really important. Scout team going against (Andrew) Billings and (Gervon Dexter Sr.) every day. They’re really good. Our linebackers are studs. Going against them every day helps you improve.”
Kramer said he’s tinkered with just about everything in his routine, from diet to sleeping patterns, strength and conditioning and bodywork over the last couple of years in an effort to find a program that helps elevate his performance.
“I’ve changed everything,” he said. “I’ve found things that I like, mobility stuff. My diet has changed. No fried food. No drinking. I try to eat super clean. Lot of vegetables and proteins. Try to stay pretty strict with what I am doing.”
Maybe it will lead to a chance later this season. Otherwise, you have to wonder why the team has invested so much time with him.
“Doug’s doing a good job,” Morgan said. “We’ve got lots of options. We’re trying to put the best five out there. He’s earned everything he’s got. He’s grown every day he’s in the building. His opportunity might come sometime. He’ll be ready when it does.”
9. Big game for strong safety Jaquan Brisker with the interception and a sack that came earlier in the game off a blitz.
He finished with a game-high 12 tackles, eight of them solos.
“Finally, right?” Brisker said of the sack. “Finally. I have been waiting for that all year. Finally, (Matt Eberflus) dialed it up, a great call to push the quarterback back and got the sack and shot the bow and arrow.”
Brisker said he hadn’t necessarily been lobbying for more chances to rush the quarterback but it is a skill he’s shown before. He led the defense with four sacks as a rookie in 2022.
Brisker almost had an interception in the end zone earlier in the game but officials ruled he went out of bounds and did not establish himself back in the field of play before the catch. That came at the end of a bizarre sequence as he was also called for unnecessary roughness for hitting wide receiver Tutu Atwell out of bounds.
“I didn’t hear the whistle blow and he was still within the whites so I just hit him like I usually do,” Brisker said of the flag and the call.
What was he thinking after the penalty that moved the Rams to the Bears’ 25-yard line?
“I owe the team one,” he said. “Just get my mind right. Stay locked in, stay focused. Try to get the ball at some point today.
“It felt good getting a game-winning pick, especially on Matthew Stafford. Really, I just give credit to the coaches. Before we went out there they told us what we were going to run and I trusted what they said.”
Eberflus was a little more aggressive with pressures and got returns on the risks he took.
“Field position played a factor into it for sure because they were there on the plus side,” Eberflus said of the call to send Brisker with the Rams second-and-10 at the Bears’ 36-yard line. “So we wanted to do a good job of knocking them back.
“Jaquan was outstanding today. He really is a passionate guy, and that’s why he’s one of our first draft picks. It was Kyler (Gordon) and him. Those two guys embody who we want to be as Chicago Bears. Passion, tough, come to work every day and those guys are workers.”
10. If there is one area for concern for the defense right now, it has to be stopping the run.
The Bears have gone from being the best in the league to being squarely in the middle of the pack with mostly the same personnel.
A week after Jonathan Taylor ran for 110 of the Colts’ 150 yards at Indianapolis, Rams running back Kyren Williams nearly reached triple digits. Williams had 94 yards on 19 carries and Los Angeles ran 26 times for 119 yards (4.6 yards per carry).
Entering the Monday night game with Seattle at Detroit, the Bears are 17th in the league allowing 121 yards per game. The Baltimore Ravens are way out in front with a 57.8 yards per game average and nine teams are limiting opponents to less than 100 yards per game.
In the same scheme with most of the same personnel, the Bears are getting different results. The biggest change up front was the departure of Justin Jones in free agency. He was basically a nose tackle playing three technique next to nose tackle Andrew Billings last season. That gave the Bears two run-stoppers in the middle.
Gervon Dexter Sr. has gotten a bigger role and while he’s really taken a big step forward as a pass rusher — which is what the Bears have been seeking — he’s not as advanced right now against the run. More problematic, some of the reserves the Bears are playing in waves have really struggled against the run. Opponents have taken advantage of rookie defensive end Austin Booker.
Billings remains fantastic but I have to believe this is something Matt Eberflus wants to get cleaned up. If the Bears can, it’s going to create more pass-rushing opportunities.
10a. Congratulations to Marcedes Lewis, who played in his 272nd regular-season game, moving out of a tie with Jason Witten for the most by a tight end in NFL history. Matt Eberflus awarded him a game ball afterward and Cole Kmet noted that Lewis played a solid role in some outside zone runs that got going.
10b. With 224 yards passing, Matthew Stafford moved past Eli Manning for the 10th-most yards in NFL history. Stafford has 57,025. The Bears’ all-time franchise leader in passing yards is Jay Cutler with 23,443.
10c. Defensive end Jacob Martin, who suffered a toe injury on the first day of practice in full pads in July, is eligible to be activated from the injured reserve as early as this week. Not sure when that will happen but Martin was designated to return and the team will likely want to use most of the 21-day practice window to evaluate him when they do make that move. Martin has some experience in the scheme and looked good in the offseason. He could provide some more depth.
10d. Tough break for Stephen Carlson. The tight end was surprised at the beginning of last week when the Bears promoted him from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. They opted to have Carlson fill the spot created when running back Travis Homer was moved to injured reserve with the idea being he could help a little on special teams. It was the shot Carslon was looking for. An undrafted rookie from Princeton, Carlson entered the league with the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and appeared in 25 games with seven starts for them. He caught a touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield in his third game and found spots to chip in on special teams. A torn ACL in the preseason during 2021 derailed him before he caught on with the Bears last year, spending the majority of the season on the practice squad but appearing in the Week 10 game against Carolina and getting one snap on special teams.
Carlson was genuinely excited about the latest opportunity when I chatted with him before practice on Wednesday. The chance was short-lived. He suffered a collarbone injury at the end of Thursday’s practice and X-rays revealed a fracture. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday. If there’s an upside to this, it’s better financially for Carlson to be on IR while on the 53-man roster than as a member of the practice squad.
10e. The Bears opened as a 4-point favorite over the Panthers for next Sunday’s Soldier Field game at Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas.
