The Chargers currently trail the Bears 9-7 at the halfway mark.
Here are three things that stood out in the second quarter:
Bent, didn’t break
The Chargers defense allowed a few big plays which gave the Bears a couple of shots to get into the end zone. But Chicago’s offensive woes have given Los Angeles a break when they’ve been in their red zone five times, limiting them to three field goals. Aside from the long carry from running back David Montgomery, the run defense has played well thus far.
Offense starting to show some life
After an underwhelming start offensively, the Chargers needed something. It started with the deep 43-yard pass to wide receiver Mike Williams and then running back Melvin Gordon closed the drive with a 19-yard carry which went for a touchdown. The Bears have done a nice job in their zone coverage to force quarterback Philip Rivers to dump the ball underneath, but offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt made nice adjustments on that scoring drive.
Damion Square is balling
Thin at the defensive tackle position, there had to be someone to step up. It’s been Damion Square all afternoon long. Square has been a key contributor to stopping the run and he’s been a master at sniffing out screens. There’s no doubt that he’s been the unsung hero the past couple of weeks with Justin Jones and Brandon Mebane out with injuries.
