Bear Digest

Bears Forced to Call Out the Reserves and Love Their Results

With injuries hitting in droves, the Bears responded with another victory by holding a team below 21 points, taking away the ball twice and even long-snapped sufficiently.

Gene Chamberlain

Josh Blackwell celebrates his interception with defensive teammates in the second half of Sunday's 35-16 victory in London.
Josh Blackwell celebrates his interception with defensive teammates in the second half of Sunday's 35-16 victory in London. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The Bears appreciated the hospitality in London but if they stayed around any longer they had to feel like they'd lose their entire secondary.

After they played without three key members of their secondary due to injuries, the Bears had to go a big part of Sunday's 35-16 win over Jacksonville without slot cornerback Kyler Gordon due to a hamstring pull.

That meant they finished the game without Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, Tyrique Stevenson and backup cornerback for Terell Smith.

They still had an interception by backup slot cornerback Josh Blackwell, a fumble recovery by backup safety Elijah Hicks and held Trevor Lawrence in check with 23 of 35 for 240 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

"The DBs that came in there, we had some injuries, Blackwell came in in the middle of the game for Kyler and obviously Jaylon jones did a nice job
coming in there and that's the partnership they had with their coaches, the coaches got them ready to go," Bears coach Matt Eberflus told reporters in London.

It was all reminiscent of the last year's win in Washington, when they were without four defensive backs and won a rout. Except this one came in London.

"We're always ready to go in terms of the depth part of it and that's a good job of coaching those guys as well, but really a good job of playing," Eberflus said.

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The injuries to Brisker and Stevenson were the first to hit defensive starters this year but the defense responded with its 12th straight game holding an opponent to 20 points or less.

"It's great," Eberflus said of the contribution from his subs. "You have a guy that's in a backup role and is working his butt off on special teams and then he gets his opportunity and you see him perform like that.

"Even Blackwell, Jaylon Jones, all those guys, it's good to see that because they're working at it just like everybody else and when they get their opportunity and they seize that opportunity and play well its always fun to see."

The Bears had six pass breakups to go with the interception made by Blackwell in the second half. They had 23 for the season heading into the game so even with backups to backups, like Jaylon Jones, they managed to go ahead of their pace in the first five games.

Gordon's injury could be an issue going forward but they do have a bye week coming. That could help them get past the injuries to Brisker (concussion), Stevenson (calf) and Smith (hip), as well.

The Bears had one other critical injury in the game on the offensive side but it turned out to be only a scare. DJ Moore left briefly after being involved in a big collision early on a route. However, he returned and finished the game.

They also finished with guard Teven Jenkins able to go the distance after an ankle injury last week.

There was one other injury they had to account for but it was on special teams. Scott Daly, the long snapper, left early with a knee injury and they had to use Cole Kmet as long snapper.

"He practices it every Thursday," Eberflus said.

Kmet had one high snap that might have led to a deflected field goal try in the fourth quarter but did well with it otherwise.

"Cole had some really nice catches, a couple touchdowns, first man in the history of ball to get two touchdowns and immediately snap it right afterward," Eberflus added. "Maybe ... I don't know."

Actually, the last NFL player before Kmet to score a TD and then snap for the extra point was the Eagles' Mike Bartrum in 2005.

"Yeah, definitely not a position I envisioned playing in the NFL ever," Kmet told reporters. "But, you know, you got to do what you got to do.

"There's only so many guys you can dress on game day and only so many guys they can have in the roster, So you got to have somebody that can be the emergency."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.