Bears tough it out at end against Rivers

Midway through the third quarter, Sunday’s game was looking as if it would be the Bears’ least impressive victory in a five-game streak — if they were able to win at all.

They were tied at 17-17 at home against an inferior Chargers team that was playing without three starting offensive linemen.

But then the Bears took over. The offense scored touchdowns 54 seconds apart and the defense, unimpressive much of the day, didn’t allow a single yard from scrimmage in the fourth quarter. It helped that the Bears’ offense controlled the ball for 14 minutes and 25 seconds in the final 15 minutes. But the defense did come up with both of its interceptions in the fourth quarter.

Strong safety Major Wright had an interception for the third straight game, the first 3 picks of his career. Corey Graham, filling in for injured nickel back D.J. Moore, got an interception for the second straight game.

Playing their best when it mattered most lifted the Bears to 7-3, as they kept pace with their NFC North foes in Green Bay and Detroit, who improved to 10-0 and 7-3 respectively. The Chargers are 4-6 and have lost five straight.

“We knew that Philip Rivers is a great quarterback,” nose tackle Anthony Adams said. “We ended up toughing it out at the end. We rose to the occasion and played a great game … toward the end.”

But Adams knows more is expected from a defensive line that the Bears consider one of their best units, especially when it faces an undermanned O-line. Rivers threw 31 passes, some of them after deep drops, and he wasn’t sacked once, completing 20 for 280 yards.

Shutting down the Chargers in the fourth quarter was impressive, but the first three quarters didn’t win the Bears any style points.

“I’m pretty sure coach (Rod) Marinelli won’t care about it,” Adams said of the big finish. “If we’re not getting to the quarterback, he’s going to chew us out, so we have to get ready for the chew-out session (today).”