Bears first-team defense opens with strong performance
Through three quarters Thursday night, the Bears defense had permitted just 144 yards of total offense and had not allowed the visiting Denver Broncos any plays longer than 14 yards.
But the team's second- and third-stringers then gave up 137 yards in the fourth quarter and allowed 14 points in the final 6:01 of the 24-17 loss.
Until then, the defense had allowed just 3 points, with the Broncos' first TD coming on an interception return.
"Defensively, we played pretty well really up until late in the fourth quarter," coach John Fox said. "Yards-wise, it was pretty lopsided and we obviously gave up two big plays (late)."
Inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, starting in place of Danny Trevathan (knee), led the Bears with 6 tackles, including a team-best 5 solos.
But the Broncos' No. 3 quarterback, undrafted Kyle Sloter, tied the game with a 47-yard TD pass to Isaiah McKenzie on a third-and-18 play.
"We had 10 guys on the field," Fox said, "so it was basically a screw-up in the substitutions."
With 1:49 left, Denver's No. 5 running back, rookie De'Angelo Henderson, scored on a 41-yard run on a third-and-22 play.
Electric rookie:
Even though he picked up 17 yards on his only punt return, rookie running back Tarik Cohen was impressed by the speed of the Denver Broncos' coverage.
"I didn't even return punts in college," said the fourth-round pick out of North Carolina A&T. "It's way faster."
Cohen also rushed for 39 yards on 7 carries (5.6-yard average).
"He's lightning in a bottle," offensive left tackle Charles Leno said. "He's quick, agile, really hard to tackle and to see out there for defenders. Good for us. I know the type of defense we have, and the problems he gives our defense. I knew he could do it to anybody."
Band on the run:
Benny Cunningham led a strong Bears rushing attack with 41 yards on 7 carries, including a 1-yard TD, as he made a strong showing in his bid to earn a backup spot in a crowded Bears backfield behind starter Jordan Howard.
With Ka'Deem Carey (31 yards on 4 carries) and Tarik Cohen also running well, last year's top backup, Jeremy Langford, could be the odd man out, depending on the severity of Carey's quad injury.
Langford has been out since the first week of training camp with a sprained ankle.
"I thought we ran the ball very efficiently," coach John Fox said of the 173-yard effort on 36 attempts (4.8-yard average).
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