Eberflus reacts to win over Rams |
CHICAGO - It took until the fourth game of the season, but the Chicago Bears got their second victory of the season in a 24-18 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Throughout the week, head coach Matt Eberflus said the team emphasized playing complementary football, and that showed on Sunday. “During the course of the game, the complementary football of us taking the ball away on defense and then scoring that seven points down there. That was really huge. At the end of the game, you could really feel that all three phases really to seal the deal on the game. So, you get those stops on defense, the offense really does a great job with the clock at the very end and then we get that interception. Great punt and pin. The punter was great today. (Rookie punter) Tory (Taylor) was awesome, switching the field several times, using him as a weapon and he was excellent,” Eberflus said. “Excited for a couple guys. (Running back D’Andre) Swift had a really nice game today. So, I was excited for him. He’s been working his tail off. He always stays positive. But again, that’s not just him. That’s the offensive line working the double teams, making those holes in front of him and then the perimeter blocking, I thought, was really good, much improved from the first couple weeks. Defense was really good in the red area. They did move the ball some on us and the guys rose up to the occasion and then we honored the football … When you win that battle, plus two in the turnover margin, you got a good chance for success. But again, really proud of the guys, got a really good team victory in there and at the end, I gave (tight end) Marcedes Lewis the game ball because that’s his 272nd game in the NFL. He’s 40 years old and been playing tight end a long time, so that’s a pretty big moment for anybody. But, he was a little bit emotional and it was good, good to see those guys. But, I love the guys in the room. They’re passionate. They love each other and they’re a tight group. As a coach and coaches, the best moment for you is when you have a victory and you get to see those guys in the locker room. So, that was good to see.” Taylor had a phenomenal game with five punts for an average of 55.4 yards; his longest punt was 66 yards, and he had three punts inside of the 20-yard line. However, the biggest story of the game may be Swift’s breakout. He had 16 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Before this game, he only had 68 yards total through the first three games. The Pro Bowl running back was also the leading receiver in this game, with seven receptions for 72 yards. Eberflus said, speaking with the media after the game, that the Bears continue to address the issues they have, including running the ball, which led to their success on the ground Sunday. “I think we’re improving every single week. We’re addressing the issues that need to be addressed. Early on, it was getting in and out of the huddle and cadence and making sure we’re doing good there and then it was distributing the ball to different skill sets. We did that. Now, it’s running the football. We did a better job with that,” Eberflus said. “So, we’re just addressing the issues when you’re building chemistry and the first time you’re together with a new and young quarterback. I think that’s just part of growing.” On the other side of the ball, the defense had another dominant day. Chicago had two turnovers - a strip sack from edge rusher Montez Sweat that was recovered by cornerback Kyler Gordon and a game-sealing interception in the final minute of the game by safety Jaquan Brisker. Brisker also led the team in tackles with 12, marking his second career game with double-digit tackles, as well as his first sack of the season. “Jaquan was outstanding today. He had that near-interception on the one third down and then obviously that big sack and then the pick at the end. So, he really is a passionate guy, and that’s why he was one of our first draft picks that we (selected),” Eberflus said. “It was Kyler and him, and those two guys embody who we want to be as Chicago Bears - passion, tough, come to work every day - and those guys are workers.” They will need that passion going against the Carolina Panthers on Sun. Oct. 6 (Noon / FOX). While the Panthers started out the season as the worst team in the league, they have increased their offensive productivity since former Bears quarterback Andy Dalton took over as their starter. This will be the only home game Chicago has in the month of October; they will not play another home game until week ten against the New England Patriots on Sun. Nov. 10 (Noon / FOX).
