After being the victim of losing in agonizing fashion, the Chargers were due to be on the other side of the spectrum at some point. That came on Sunday when they witnessed the Bears miss a 41-yard field goal, which resulted in a win for Los Angeles.
Here are four takeaways from the Chargers’ 17-16 victory over the Bears.
Joey’s turning up the heat
Bosa put the defense on his back yet again on Sunday. Right off the bat, he made his presence known, sacking quarterback Mitchell Trubisky during the Bears’ opening drive. He also came up with a sack on a critical third-down late in the game, forcing Chicago to punt.
Him and Melvin Ingram created mismatches which made it difficult for Chicago’s offensive line to handle. Bosa forced Trubisky rush a few throws, making life easier for the secondary and he also was a big contributor against the run to limit running back David Montgomery early on.
Bosa finished with seven tackles, four tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and two sacks.
Feels good to have Russell back
The Chargers offensive line was in need of a boost after losing center Mike Pouncey and guard Forrest Lamp to injuries. Offensive tackle Russell Okung returned to the playing field after missing the first seven weeks, and he helped give quarterback Philip Rivers that extra breathing room that he’s needed.
Okung was solid in pass protection, not giving Bears linebacker Khalil Mack any ground all afternoon. Even though the run blocking was lackluster yet again, he aided in opening up a hole on running back Melvin Gordon’s rushing touchdown.
Okung left in the fourth quarter with a calf injury and didn’t return to the game. The veteran left tackle said that he doesn’t think it’s anything serious and he should be practicing this week in preparation for the matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Run defense is still an issue
Coming into yesterday’s game, the Bears ranked No. 28 in the NFL in rushing yards per game (70 YPG). However, the Chargers allowed them to have their best rushing performances this season, letting them finish with 152 yards on the ground.
Running back David Montgomery scampered for a long carry of 55 yards and it was resulted in a lack of push from the interior part of the defensive line and misjudged angles to the football from the second and third levels of the defense, which has been an ongoing problem.
Coverage being exploited
The run defense is the main issue for the Chargers, but their coverage has been a problem in recent weeks, as well. The pass defense ranks among the best in opposing yards per game, but that doesn’t necessarily tell the full story.
Linebackers Thomas Davis and Denzel Perryman have particularly been the notables as they have been getting beat on a consistent basis because opposing positional players are simply too fast for them.
The Cover 3 defense that defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is a scheme he’s implemented for the longest time, but offenses are exploiting it by attacking the flats, seams and the middle of the field in front of an in between the dropping linebackers.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky didn’t have the best game overall statistically, but he did have a few big plays in crucial situations because of the openings due to the soft coverage.
