Second-half rout of Jags keeps Bears squarely in playoff hunt
The final minute of the first half must've left Bears fans perplexed.
First there was Mitch Trubisky's baffling interception, thrown into heavy coverage. Moments later there was an interception from linebacker Roquan Smith, a play that ended with Smith holding his shoulder following an awkward collision.
If Trubisky throwing ill-advised passes into a sea of opponents is the one thing Bears fans fear most these days, losing their Pro Bowl-snubbed inside linebacker to injury should be No. 2.
Yet, even through the chaos of the final minute of the second quarter, the Bears calmed themselves down and played one of their best halves of football in the second half. They scored 21 points in the third quarter and held Jacksonville to zero, on their way to a 41-17 win at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
"There wasn't really too much said [at halftime]," Trubisky said. "Everyone knew what they had to do. But we just went out and did it and it made for a fun third quarter."
Trubisky said he has to make a better decision on the interception. After scrambling outside the pocket, he tossed a pass into a crowded end zone. With the team already in field goal range, and kicker Cairo Santos riding a hot streak, it's a throw he simply shouldn't have tried.
"I knew it was a 50-50 ball, everything's happening within split milliseconds and it turned out to be a bad decision," Trubisky said.
One mistake didn't spiral into two, though. For the most part, Trubisky stuck with the script that helped the Bears win their previous two games.
In the third quarter, Trubisky went 11-for-13 passing for 114 yards and a touchdown. Running back David Montgomery ran for 46 yards and a touchdown on 9 carries. Smith did return, and even snagged a second interception.
Montgomery had another superb effort. The second-year running back has played the best football of his career over the last month or so. He finished Sunday with 95 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
Montgomery said the third-quarter success - which was unheard of for this offense for most of the season - comes down to trust and confidence in the offense.
"We all have to have the same mentality," Montgomery said. "We all have to be on the same page so when one person says, 'Let's attack, let's attack, let's do that,' that's what we all do."
The Bears did that and put away a bad Jaguars team, which has now lost 14 consecutive games and locked up the No. 1 draft pick in the spring.
More importantly for the Bears (8-7), they still have hope for the playoffs.
Beat Green Bay next week, and the Bears are in no matter what else happens. If the Bears lose next week, they need the Los Angeles Rams to beat the Arizona Cardinals.
Beating Green Bay is no easy task. The Packers crushed the Bears, 41-25, a month ago. But the opportunity is there, and this offense has made great strides since then. It's also possible the Packers could rest some of their starters in preparation for the playoffs.
"We know what's at stake [next] weekend," Trubisky said. "We're going to enjoy the win tonight and then start preparation [Monday]. It just sets up for an opportunity to finish up our season strong against a rival like this. It's a must-win game just like these last couple of games have been."
It's remarkable that the Bears find themselves in this position after losing six consecutive games earlier in the season. They needed the San Francisco 49ers to beat the Cardinals on Saturday, which happened, to put the Bears in control of their own destiny.
Trubisky is as superstitious as any fan, it seems. He said he didn't watch the 49ers win Saturday, although he kept an eye on the score.
"I know when I watch games, it won't work out the way I want it to," Trubisky said
Bears fans can relate.