A Bear-y Good Thanksgiving – Chicago Defeats Detroit
by MADDIE TOPLIFF
Not only is my appetite for pumpkin pie satisfied, but the void in my heart that needed a Bears win has been filled as well. That means Chicago is 6-6, baby. No longer a losing record — at least until next week rolls around. But take each word of this to heart, readers. This is the last column installment until the spring.
A Giant Recap
Hope you didn’t forget about last week’s Giants game. Was it pretty? No. Did we win? Yes. The Giants now sit at 2-10 on the year after Sunday’s loss to the Packers. You have to admit that it would’ve been hilarious to watch the Packers lose to them. But of course, Aaron Rodgers racked up four touchdowns. I hate that guy. The good news is that our quarterback recovered from his mysterious hip injury.
Trubisky throws a turkey
No, this isn’t bowling. But it was Thanksgiving, and Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky did throw three touchdowns. Yeah, it’s possible. We all know that Trubisky has struggled all season, which has come as a shock to many after last year, blah blah blah. Nevertheless, we are thankful that we had QB1 available to us on Turkey Day. Last year, we beat the Lions on Thanksgiving, but that victory was thanks to backup Chase Daniel because Trubisky was on the sidelines.
This year, it was the Lions that offered up a backup quarterback. Veteran Lions QB Matthew Stafford has been nursing a back injury for a couple weeks now, and a couple reports have said that the Lions are considering keeping him out the rest of the season. The QB is adamant about returning, but is it worth it to chance it when your team’s playoff hopes are dead? I’m leaning toward “no.” It was announced after Thursday’s game that the Lions are officially kicked out of the postseason.
Heated start
The first of Trubisky’s touchdowns came inside the first five minutes of game time, which we haven’t seen in a while. Our opening possessions have been dismal lately. WR Allen Robinson II caught this one. Unfortunately, Detroit answered back with two touchdowns and a turnover before the end of the first quarter. We entered halftime with a seven-point deficit 10-17.
Second-half standouts
In typical Bears fashion, the game was undecided until the last couple of minutes. Despite an early interception, Kyle Fuller offered outstanding pass coverage, and David Montgomery was on his best running back behavior, even catching one of Trubisky’s touchdown passes. We held the Lions to only a field goal and came away with a 24-20 victory.
Lessons learned
-Don’t underestimate a backup’s arm.
-Trubisky should move out of the pocket more.
-One play can keep you in the game.
Maddie’s Monster of the Game
If you didn’t see Fuller’s monster tackle at the top of the fourth quarter, go watch it right now. That man saved the entire game.
Divisional roundup
Same old, same old. NFC North: Current standings:
1st place: Packers
2nd place: Vikings
3rd place: Bears
4th place: Lions
Playoff picture
Well friends, it’s almost time for me to say bye bye and Beardown until next semester. But before I leave, we have to talk about what’s ahead for our favorite NFC North team. There’s only four games left in the regular season, and our schedule is not easy breezy. We play the Cowboys, the Packers, the Chiefs and then the Vikings. My guess is that we will barely beat out the Cowboys and beat the Vikings to rule out the season. I think we’ll end 8-8, which won’t totally knock us out playoff contention as long as the rest of the NFC helps us out. Let me know if you believe differently.
You can look forward to a recap as soon as second semester starts. But until then, remember to cheer loud and proud for your team in Chi-town. Beardown to all, and to all a good night.