Bear Digest

Bears at Rams In-Game Blog

An in-game blog with score updates on the Bears as they try to open the season with a win at Los Angeles against the Rams, and the news was somewhat shocking in pregame when Duke Shelley was made inactive.

Gene Chamberlain

USA Today

Fourth Quarter

  • Bears did a good job handling Donald all game until the game was out of hand and they allow a sack now. Their offensive line is in shambles now but still holding together. Dalton just is holding the ball too long at this point of the game trying to make something happen.  Still wondering what happened to that downfield passing game they worked on so much at practice in training camp and OTAs and minicamp. Had time to get it done for the most part, but chose to throw short all night.
  • Henderson barrels forward on third-and-9 to the 5. 
  • Stafford working short passes now and the Rams the running game, the way the Bears tried to do all game. Now is when you want to do it, as you're entering the 4-minute drill.
  • Dalton throws to Mooney incomplete and the dumb part of it is Mooney hadn't even reached the sticks. That should do it.
  • Kmet fights for every inch of 10 yards and it's fourth-and-15. Bears can't kick.
  • If Nagy has a third-and-25 play, he better dust it off.
  • Dalton gets sacked after Donald beats Whitehair and makes the play possible. Second-and-25, then Kmet drops a throw over the middle. 
  • Dalton scrambles for the first down to the Rams 38, then hits Kmet for 9 yards as he's stopped by about five players. Damien Williams breaks outside and even gets a block from Olympic long jumper Goodwin. Bears at the 25. 

Third Quarter

  • Quarter ends as David Montgomery returns from some sort of hand issue after a few catches by Damien Williams. Montgomery bursts up the middle but comes a yard short on a 9-yard gain. Quarter ends. Rams 27, Bears 14.
  • Kupp catches slant as Rams line held up against the blitz and scores a TD. Jaylon Johnson went outside and they picked on Christian again.  Replay reverses TD. First-and-goal at the 1. Henderson then flops in from the 1 to end 75-yard drive with 1:19 left in quarter. TD. Rams 27, Bears 14.
  • Rams get 7 from Cooper Kupp on sideline and it's third-and-1
  • Eddie Jackson tracks down DeSean Jackson in open field after 2 yards. Nice play from across field.
  • Higbee sneaks into a crack in the zone and catches it in front of Roquan Smith for the first down on 7-yarder, then burns Smith again for a big 38-yard gain. 
  • Bears stopped the run all game and now they give up a 6-yard run. Incomplete on second down over the middle and it's third-and-5.
  • Graham deserves his credit for that one. He posted up like the basketball player he was and made Ramsey like it. All-Pro cornerbacks don't quite look as impressive when they're giving up about 6 or 7 inches and 60 pounds or so.
  • Justin Fields era has begun. TD run around right end out of zone read. J.P. Holtz great blocking on the play. With 4:14 left in third, ending impressive, time-consuming march. Rams 20, Bears 14.
  • Graham beats Ramsey for a catch at the 2. Found someone who he couldn't outmuscle.
  • Just saying, but it might be time for Jimmy Graham to get out of his helicopter or airplane and join the team with a big third-down catch. Just saying. Timeout as they have apparently misunderstood something again or couldn't hear the play.
  • Second-and-9 play after Nagy's dumb call and Wilkinson can't  really play left tackle but tries. Williams smashed down after a yard. Third-and-8 at the 14.
  • One of the dumber calls by Nagy. Throw a shovel pass by Fields to Robinson and you can get him hurt for one yard. And now Borom is hurt when he was hit from behind. So now the third tackle is in, Elijah Wilkinson. Ryan Pace's crack job of finding tackles for this team really has helped. Lachavious Simmons is inactive tonight so they'll be in trouble if Wilkinson doesn't work out.
  • Goodwin chases off the coverage and catches one coming back for a first down at the Rams 26, then Montgomery powers forward for 3. Great block by Borom on the play. Then he follows it with another good block on a counter play back for the first down by Williams. Montgomery injury, maybe his finger.
  • Considering how they let L.A. score right away, the Bears really need the TD on this drive. They've been playing the methodical, patient game and it's a good approach but won't work when you're giving up 60-yard TD bombs.
  • Dalton spread out the defense by moving a bit and threw it back inside to Kmet for a first down. Rams have an injury to Long. Left leg.
  • Dalton continues working it short and faces third-and-2 and Rams 42. 
  • Mooney with a 6-yard catch. More short passes.
  • Bears starting from their 19 after penalty and kick.
  • Quad injury for Peters and is questionable.
  • After converting third-and-10 with a 19-yard pass, Stafford hits Kupp with a bomb for a TD as Christian completely blows the coverage and allows Rams receiver to run wide open in the secondary. Bears have a problem at nickel cornerback, as we all knew. Rams 20, Bears 7 

Halftime

  • Dalton 13 of 17 but for only 97 yards with an interception. Montgomery 10 runs for 79 yards. Receiver stats very telling. Goodwin three catches for 35 yards, Robinson three for 23 yards and Mooney three for 11 yards. That about sums up the dinky dunk offense of Nagy.
  • Stafford 10 of 13 for 151 yards and a passer rating of 140.2. Bad field position after the Rams went up 13-0 hurt the Rams, and some questionable play calling such as not running enough, has hurt them as well. Seven runs, 13 yards.

Second Quarter

  • Peters walks off to the locker room slowly. This is what you get with a 39-year-old tackle who obviously isn't in the shape Rams 39-year-old tackle Andrew Whitworth is in. Halftime
  • Montgomery had 82 yards combined in two previous season openers but has 79 yards rushing so far in this one.  Remember, the winner in this series each of the last three years has been the team which wins the rushing battle. The Bears have 88 yards rushing and the Rams have  14.
  • Jason Peters hurt and Larry Borom on. Dalton scrambles on second down inside the 10. Third-and-1 at the 2 and Montgomery lows forward and scores with 34 seconds left in the second quarter. Rams 13,  Bears 7.
  • Dalton has spread the ball around well but the 16-million dollar man hasn't been heard from yet.
  • Montgomery's 3-yard run and it's the two-minute warning. Bears still have 2 offensive touchdowns against the Rams since Nagy became head coach in 3 games and almost two quarters.
  • Dalton pulls it back down then finds A-Rob for an 9-yard gain over the middle to Rams 23.
  • Sebastian Joseph-Day has Montgomery dead to rights and he spins out of the tackle for 3.
  • Montgomery breaks a tackle and powers forward behind Cody Whitehair for 10
  • Bears starting on their 45. Naked boot throw to Kmet like the kind they used to throw to him last year and he gets 9.
  • If you're wondering who the heck 23 is, they changed Marqui Christian's jersey number after he was brought back to the team. 
  • Roquan reads short pass to Woods and tracks him down after a 7-yard gain and Rams punt.
  • Dalton averaging 5.7 yards an attempt
  • Sack by Hicks and Roquan and Rams face third-and-18 and get a delay penalty. Third-and-20.
  • This dink-and-dunk passing never brought the Bears anything when Trubisky was here and Nagy is trying to run it again even though he told everyone they would throw more downfield. Maybe it's the offense and game caller, not the QB.
  • Long hits A-Rob way early and gets away with no flag. Bears punting on fourth-and-2. Nagy needs to gripe to the official. That was completely ridiculous.
  • Dangerous short toss to Byrd for 3 and it's third-and-3.
  • Damien Williams surrounded but finds the exit and gets through the crowd for 5 up the middle.
  • At Bears 42 on second-and-3, Montgomery cuts forward and gets the benefit of the doubt for a first down.
  • Short toss ob to Goodwin looks like they're setting up Rams for something.
  • Dalton throws for 9 to Mooney and a first down at the 35.
  • Montgomery swarmed after a yard.
  • You have to give Nagy credit for trying to get Justin Fields involved but this is too disjointed and disruptive. They need to go with one or the other.  We all know which one.
  • Matt Gay 22-yard field goal. Rams 13, Bears 0
  • Akiem Hicks has been silent tonight so far, just as he has been silent when it comes to talking to the media this year. He and Bilal Nichols need to start throwing people around.
  • Mack pressure forces incomplete pass 
  • Incomplete pass in end zone after a 1-yard loss on a run and it's third-and-goal from the 4.
  • Ogletree misses a tackle on Henderson out of the backfield and takes it to the 3.
  • Jefferson a first-down catch on rollout pass beats Jaylon Johnson across the field.
  • Robert Woods doesn't get the first down running out of the backfield on second down, then Roquan and buddies stop a third-down run. Rams going for it on fourth down at Bears 32. X-out for Rams.
  • Someone needs to tear those pages with the end around and wide receiver screen out of Nagy's playbook and flush them with that flusher Cole Kmet was talking about this past week at Halas Hall.  They never work. Those are plays you run after you've established something else. The Bears have established nothing.
  • Dalton with a 41.7 passer rating and two first-quarter turnovers. I've seen enough.

First Quarter

  • Rams run perfect tight end screen and suck in the Robert Quinn on pass rush. Big gainer to the Bears 41. Then Darrell Henderson is stopped after a 2-yard gain as quarter ends. Rams 10, Bears 0
  • Glennon, er, Dalton stuck in pocket is swarmed and fumbles on fourth down. Rams have the ball.
  • Dalton finds Damiere Byrd on third-and-14 and he gets 10. 
  • End around to Marquise Goodwin doesn't work. The a short screen to Mooney is stopped for a loss. The best blocking Bears wide receivers were cut for more speed.
  • Marquise Goodwin gets to show off some of that speed on a big gainer from Dalton. Add on facemask and now Fields is in. Bears at the Rams 44.
  • Williams loses 3 off left tackle. 
  • Stafford got the Lions out to a big lead last year in the opener at Detroit. 
  • Rams line getting Stafford the time and if that keeps happening the Bears are cooked. Their secondary has some real holes in it. Johnson isn't one. Eddie Jackson playing like he did last year is disheartening.
  • Matt Gay drills 53-yard field goal. 4 1/2 minutes left in quarter. Rams 10, Bears 0
  • On third-and-5 at Bears 35, Stafford overthrows Jefferson guarded tightly by Jaylon Johnson. 
  • DeSean Jackson with a catch and Bears touch him down after 18-yard gain. They didn't learn how to cover but did learn how to touch someone down.
  • Cooper Kupp makes catch he should have just dropped. Got a yard and stuck in the ground by Alec Ogletree
  • If Dalton is going to be this imprecise with his throws, I can only give you two words: Mike and Glennon.
  • Jalen Ramsey makes the breakup on his old buddy Robinson but Dalton threw behind the receiver. Rams ball. First down at their own 41.
  • Check down from Dalton to Damien Williams leaves Bears with fourth-and-4 at Rams 40. They'll go for it
  • Incomplete as Aaron Donald makes Jason Peters look like the 39-year-old man he is and knocks him down. Then a short Montgomery gain. Third-and-long.
  • Cole Kmet over the middle slanting in and it's a first down on another quick timing toss at the Rams 47.
  • Allen Robinson short catch but turns sideways, backwards after catching it. Gets only 5. Run forward. 
  • Bears start at the 24 and great run blocking up front as Montgomery tears through for 13. 
  • The only explanation why Eddie Jackson left Jefferson on the ground? Eddie switched back to his old Alabama jersey number 4 and thought he was still back with the Tide. Jefferson should have been down because he hit the ground. If it was college.
  • The defense looks like Chuck Pagano is coordinator still. 
  • That kind of thing happened way too much last year. Everyone should be going to touch him down after that kind of play. No one did. Tashaun Gipson blew the coverage. Rams 7, Bears 0
  • Eddie Jackson inexplicably leaves Van Jefferson on the ground and doesn't touch him. It's a Rams TD pass. 
  • Quick passing game on second down and Rams have a first down. This is a common tactic against Bears front.
  • Dumb of Matt Nagy to remove Fields. They had mo. Inside the 5. Then they were rushed to get the next play off, false start and went backward then an interception. He should have let Fields finish the drive.
  • Long intercepts a deflected pass in end zone. A red zone interception. That's why the Bears got rid of Mitchell Trubisky, along with other reasons.
  • Noise gets the best of Bears. Coming out of a penalty they still can't get the play off and have to call timeout. That's completely ridiculous. Didn't have to worry about that with empty stadiums last year.
  • Cole Kmet false start and it's third-and-6
  • Fields on his first NFL pass to Marquise Goodwin for 8. Leaves game.
  • No push on second down and Fields is in.
  • Darnell Mooney with a catch on first down for 4 and Bears up tempo. Then David Montgomery with a breakaway run of 41 cutting outside.
  • Khalil Herbert with a real mistake on the return taking it from so deep but an excellent return by cutting out to the right, outside. Bears at their own 43.
  • Bears receiving

Pregame 

  • Joel Iyiegbuniwe inactive isn't a shocker but doesn't help their special teams. Chris Tabor always raves about Iggy and Woodsy (Josh Woods), and DHC on special teams. The Rams have Tutu Atwell in the return game now and they'll be more dangerous.
  • A real shocker in pregame with Duke Shelley inactive. There were rumblings that the player who was with the first team at slot cornerback all camp was not the starter at this position. Now the question is who it will be. Marqui Christian makes sense. What about DHC, DeAndre Houston-Carson?

It seemed possible Shelley might not be the starting slot when Sean Desai wouldn't confirm he was during his weekly press conference, but the Bears try to be coy with any sort of news so much that it's sometimes hard to believe the truth. Shelley was not really a strong replacement for Buster Skrine last year, and Skrine had struggled much of the year. Christian knows the Rams better as a former player on that team. DHC  would be a nice choice as someone who works hard and makes plays. They might even use Xavier Crawford. 

How's this for bold? Put Jaylon Johnson there and leave Crawford or Artie Burns outside. It's food for thought.

Bears Inactives

QB Nick Foles 

WR Breshad Perriman 

CB Duke Shelley 

LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe 

T Lachavious Simmons 

TE Jesper Horsted 

NT Eddie Goldman

Rams Inactives

QB Bryce Perkins

S JuJu Hughes

S JR Reed

OL AJ Jackson

WR Ben Skowronek

DL Bobby Brown

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Published
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.

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