3 and out: Final home game gave some bright spots
The Bears built a 19-point halftime lead and cruised to a 29-3 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday. Here's what you need to know:
3 moments that mattered
1. Leaving Soldier Field on a high note: Matt Nagy is likely coaching his final game for the Bears next week, but he was able to depart, at least in front of the home fans, on a positive note. The Bears didn't win enough this season and slugged their way through some rough games. Yet, the Bears were demonstrably better than the product Giants coach Joe Judge brought with him Sunday, and it's possible he gets another season while Nagy probably won't.
2. King of the Hill: In perhaps one of the greatest individual turnarounds in one year - from potential free agent bust to becoming the Bears' single-season sack record holder with his fourth-quarter sack of Glennon - Robert Quinn, with 18, passed Hall of Famer Richard Dent's previous record set in 1984. It's a remarkable story and one that should be commended.
3. Hello, old friend: Less than 20 seconds into the first quarter, Trevis Gipson smashed former Bears backup quarterback Mike Glennon for a strip sack. Bears defensive lineman Bilal Nichols returned it to the Giants' 2-yard line. Montgomery then needed one rush to make it 7-0 Bears in the game's opening 18 seconds. The next possession, the Bears coaxed an interception, which was capped by Andy Dalton's fourth-and-goal touchdown to Darnell Mooney for the initial 14-0 lead.
3 things that worked
1. Defense bears down: Glennon completed one pass for 4 yards, was sacked twice, allowed 2 turnovers and had a safety as the Bears built a 19-point halftime lead. Glennon threw his third pass of the game with 6:46 left in the third quarter while down 26 by that point. Gipson had his second strip sack in the third quarter and the Bears had 4 total takeaways. That's ultimately a credit to defensive coordinator Sean Desai and his players to put the clamps down in their final home game.
2. Mooney's accomplishment: Following his first quarter touchdown catch, Mooney had the most catches by any Bears player, regardless of position, in their first two seasons in the league, per Bears PR. Mooney has obviously been a genuine bright spot this entire season and should be a building block in a wideout room headed for a rebuild in the offseason.
3. Gipson shines: Gipson had his first multi-sack game of his career on Sunday. Gipson, who now has 6½ sacks and 4 forced fumbles, has consistently been a solid rotational piece. He added to that resume Sunday.
3 things that didn't
1. Dalton's return: Dalton's tenure as a Bear has certainly been somewhere between uneven and poor. From designated starter from the moment he signed to relegated to the bench following an injury and in and out of the lineup again, the veteran wasn't impressive in the wake of Nick Foles' performance in Seattle last week. Dalton finished with 173 passing yards, 1 touchdown and an interception.
2. Where was Teven Jenkins? With all due respect to Jason Peters, a likely Hall of Fame tackle when his career ends, this would've been a solid game to get snaps in for Jenkins at left tackle. He eventually did in the fourth quarter. Jenkins hasn't played particularly well in his limited snaps due to penalties and nagging injuries, but the Bears arguably don't have enough tape to determine where he fits at either tackle next season. Larry Borom, meanwhile, continues to produce at right tackle.
3. Allen Robinson: Robinson showed some signs of life in the second half with four catches, but it's been beyond clear for the majority of the season Mooney effectively passed him on the depth chart. We'd be surprised if he returned to the Bears in the offseason and wonder what he'll command on the open market in arguably his worst season since 2017.
What's next?
The Bears close the regular season on the road in Minnesota at noon Sunday. The Vikings won the team's first meeting this season, 17-9, at Soldier Field.