Bear Digest

Bears and Giants Updates and Live Blog

In-game analysis and updates from Soldier Field as the Chicago Bears play their home finale for the 2021 season against the New York Giants, a game that could be the last home game in Chicago for several veteran players.

Gene Chamberlain

In this story:

Fourth Quarter

  • Giants still won't let Glennon pass. 
  • Bears line up with extra tackles and try throwing a fourth-and-goal tackle eligible jump pass from Montgomery to Cole Kmet. It was picked off at the goal line by Tae Crowder.
  • Tackle Jason Peters looked pretty darn solid for a guy who supposedly had a "high" ankle sprain two weeks ago. 
  • Bears have fourth-and-4 at the 9.
  • TWO-MINUTE WARNING!!!!
  • Deon Bush picks off Glennon and returns it to the Giants 15.
  • Thomas Graham Jr. fields the punt in the air at the Giants 16.
  • Bears punting with five minutes left.
  • Next for Quinn is topping his own personal high. That's 19 from 2013.
  • There should be plenty of consideration given for Quinn being the comeback player of the year. Two sacks for a full season to 18.
  • On fourth down, Glennon nearly throws another pick to Tashaun Gipson. Ball falls to the ground and Giants leave the field.
  • Robert Quinn on the strip sack to set the Bears record of 18 sacks in a season. Came right around the corner and blindsided the unsuspecting Glennon by swatting down and knocking it to the ground as he was going to pass. I have to say, no one in football gets caught by surprise better than Glennon. Every sack looks like some surprising disaster has just occurred to him. Sack came with 8:06 remaining and broke Richard Dent's record of 17 1/2 set in 1984.
  • Possible half a sack to tie the sack record by Robert Quinn, but Ogletree held on the play. 
  • Glennon scrambled for a first down. Better check the bio on that one. Didn't know he was so mobile. That might have been a personal best.
  • Maybe the best thing the Bears have done in this game is eliminated their stupid penalties. They have only two as the third quarter reaches 1:04 left on a dropped third-down interception by Artie Burns. Giants punting.
  • Dalton gives it back, gets overconfident and throws it to Bradberry at the 33 of New York on an attempt to find Robinson. They may be winning but Dalton shows every time he plays why the Bears wasted their money and could have simply kept Nick Foles as starter until Fields was ready.
  • Trevis Gipson with another strip sack after Glennon actually completes a pass. Khyiris Tonga recovers it. Bears ball at their own 44. That's 6 1/2 for Gipson. He just passed Khalil Mack for this season. Of course Mack played only seven games.
  • Kmet on a dump-down and Bears punt. O'Donnell's 56-yard punt may have gone beyond the coverage as they got a 17-yard return from it. 
  • Dalton throws in complete on second down and it was batted at the line. It's a good thing because they had a certain pick over the middle on the play. It was well covered.
  • Cody Whithair having a great game at left guard until a holding call on Montgomery first-down run.
  • They finally let Glennon throw again and he tries to hit Booker on a wheel route and he overthrows it. Had him open. Giants punt from their 43 and it's shanked. Rolls dead after 34 yards though. Bears at their 22.
  • Glennon still in. Jake Fromm must be really bad.
  • Kmet gets open along the sidelines but is interfered with and Bears are first-and-goal at the 2. Montgomery plunges in for 2 and Santos' PAT makes it. Bears 29, Giants 3
  • A 9-yard scramble and 2-yard Herbert run have the Bears at the 19 with 10:36 left in the quarter.
  • Dalton finding holes in the zone, gets a short one to Robinson at the Giants 30 for an 8-yard gain and a first down. Dalton has a tendency to get greedy and challenges safeties and it nearly resulted in an interception downfield to Graham but the ball fell to the ground.
  • Pass blocking has improved as the game has gone on.  Slippery Mooney takes a short pass for 8 on second-and-10.
  • Then Mooney for 16 over the middle from Dalton. Apparently Mooney is OK. He left for an injury briefly at the end of the half
  • Bears get a 7-yard Montgomery run and a first down on the shovel pass to Kmet to their 38.

Second Quarter

  • Darnell Mooney leaves with an injury and Bears get a 4-yard pass to Robinson before grounding it to set up the 44-yard field goal try.  Giants take a timeout to ice Santos but he has to be pretty cold already. It's good. A seven-play, 39-yard drive in 52 seconds. Half ends. Bears 22, Giants 3.
  • Dalton throws in a hurry incomplete and Bears have no timeouts left so they'll be in hurry-up mode.
  • Mooney gets open over the middle to the 30 and the Bears are in scoring position but it's pretty shaky whether teams can make anything outside of 45 yards in this cold.
  • Mooney with a 43-yard catch to the 4 of New York but it hit the ground and officials change their own call. It was obvious to the naked eye he didn't get it. Just 31 seconds left and ball at Giants 47.
  • It's a safety. Booker's right elbow on the ground and ball was not entirely out of the end zone. It isn't the tip of the ball touching the goal, it must be entirely out of the end zone. A safety gives the Bears a 19-3 lead, they get a free kick with 52 seconds left and also the ball to start the second half. Credit it to Angelo Blackson. Bears 19, Giants 3
  • Replay look shows his elbow hitting on the goal line ahead of the ball but the ball in the end zone. But it's not very conclusive because it's a forward view.
  • By the way, the defense has looked better against the run on this possession but they have both Hicks and Goldman on the field.
  • Booker swarmed at the goal line by Angelo Blackson and he just got out of the end zone by a few inches but they're reviewing it. His knee may have hit in the end zone.
  • Then the clownish Giants false start from their own 2. Derrick Kelly. Now second-and 13 at their 1.
  • Bears arguing it was a safety gets Shawn Hochuli upset and he shouts in his field mic.  Pretty funny stuff. 
  • Pharoh Cooper foolishly lets ball die on the 3 thinking it went into the end zone and Booker is stopped for a loss at the 2 by Jackson and Goldman. Second-and-13 at the 2. Bears use timeout with 54 seconds left in the half.
  • A 21-yard field goal to end the drive with 1:01 left by Cairo Santos. They did get the running game working better on the drive than earlier and now have 45 yards on 12 attempts. Bears 17, Giants 3
  • Somehow the Marquise Goodwin doesn't catch an easy TD pass. Jarren Williams made a play late on the break-up but didn't really get there in time to knock it down. Goodwin just dropped it. Second-down run comes up 3 yards short and on third down Dalton throws incomplete to Goodwin low. Bears have to kick a field goal anyway.
  • TWO MINUTE WARNING!!!
  • Montgomery on fourth-and-1 plows ahead, gets 2 for a first down. An unnecessary gamble. A field goal there makes it a 14-point lead with 2 minutes left and the Giants have shown they can't pass it. The Bears get the ball to start the second half. Percentage play is the field goal.
  • Better running on this series but the Bears face third-and-3 and Dalton has to scramble. He comes up short, not the most athletic guy. Fourth-and-1 at the Giants 12.
  • Flea-flicker to Damiere Byrd. He got open against the zone but was able to get just 23 yards to the 21. Then Glennon throws a risky pass to Robinson covered tightly by James Bradberry for an incompletion.
  • Dalton with an ugly looking scramble in a crowd for 3. Bears line up for third-and-2 at Giants 48 and blast a hole wide open over left guard, like on the touchdown run. First down run of 4 yards to the 44.
  • Bears finally getting serious bout running and give it to Montgomery three straight times. He moves it to the Bears 49 with the last run for 5 off right tackle behind Larry Borom. 
  • The Giants now have 85 yards rushing. Interior of Bears run defense is looking worse than it has all year.
  • They still won't let Glennon pass on third-and-10 and get a short run by Barkley. A 38-yard Graham Gano field goal gets Giants on scoreboard. A 10-play drive in 6:32. All runs.  Bears 14, Giants 3
  • Two runs result in no gain, a TFL of Barkley on second down by Hunt after Eddie Jackson run-blitzed and nearly had him for a 5-yard loss.
  • Not giving Glennon a chance to pass, Booker runs inside and Smith is blocked right out of the play. First down at Bears 24.
  • Nichols and Margus Hunt finally stop the running after a 2-yard first-down gain and a 4-yard second-down run. Third-and-4 at Bears 29.
  • Booker falls forward for 2 and a first down at Bears 35.
  • More Barkley running and he gets 10 straight up the middle. Very poor interior run defense by the Bears. Smith being occupied and Goldman and Khyiris Tonga being pushed back. Another 8-yard gain by Barkley out of wildcat. No Hicks on this drive.
  • O'Donnell got a break of sorts, he nearly has it blocked and got off a 42-yarder that went out of bounds at Giants 45. Easily was returnable if it hadn't gone OB.  Still 13:47 left in second quarter.
  • Dalton hangs up a deep ball to Mooney that is covered well by McKinney. Bears punt from the end zone.
  • Montgomery tries dancing and spinning on a second-down run when just hitting up inside would have netted 3 more yards. He gets 4. Third-and-6.
  • Giants sniff out a pass play the Bears run with plenty of lateral motion in opposite directions, one they haven't executed all year.
  • On fourth-and-3 to start the quarter from Bears 48 and with nothing to play for, the Giants punt. Wow.

First Quarter 

  • Robert Quinn nearly had the record 18th sack but Glennon avoided it in Quinn's grasp and flipped it forward to Booker for a 4-yard gain. It's fourth-and-3 at Bears 48. Quarter ends. Giants with 50 yards on 12 carries, but only 4 yards passing. Bears 14, Giants 0 
  • On second down Giants get away with a blatant false start by their tight end on the left side coming across to block. Gain 2 on the run. 
  • Giants get a first down on two runs. Their running game is fairly consistent today, but then Ogletree and Hicks stuff Booker on first down for a 1-yard gain. Giants at own 46.
  • Jesse James with a 4-yard catch and the Bears punt.
  • As usual, when the  Bears have an immobile QB they have no running game. The O-line struggling again in this regard. Montgomery loses a yard  and then no one gets open so Dalton throws it away. Third-and-11 at the 12.
  • NY came in minus-3 turnover ratio, the Bears minus-13. And it's +2 for the Bears today.
  • The Bears have already done something no one has against the Giants all year. They scored 14 points. New York had never given up more than 7 to anyone in the first quarter this year, the first time since 2008 they'd gone 15 games allowing seven or less in first quarters.
  • Big Cat Williams the guest interview between drives on the big board.
  • Roquan Smith and Bilal Nichols stop Barkley for no gain and then on third down Angelo Blackson stunts for the sack of Glennon, the statue. Sam Kamara with a number change to 46 nearly got the sack first, sort of set it up for Blackson. Bears start at their own 13 after an illegal block in the back by Ryan Nall.
  • A 6-yard gain and then Booker busts inside for 5. Then Booker up the middle for 4 to the 42. 
  • Barkley with the wildcat. They are better off using that instead of putting Glennon on the field.
  • Giants start this one at their 27. Two drives, two turnovers.
  • Mooney coming across left to right at the back of the end zone for a 4-yard TD catch, just got his feet down before the end line. Bears 14, Giants 0
  • Two plays go nowhere and the Bears look at third-and-10 at the 12. Dalton throws for 8 to Kmet and Nagy is going to go for fourth-and-2 at the 4.
  • Short toss to David Montgomery, he appears stopped short but helps arrive from O-line as James Daniels and others assist in pushing the "pile" to get him a first down at the 12.
  • A sack and a short 3-yard pass to Darnell Mooney makes it third-and-9 at the Giants 23.
  • Hicks stands up Devontae Booker after 2 yards on second down and on third down Tashaun Gipson with a tipped pass interception on a throw at the 45 and returned to Giants 24. Artie Burns on the tip.
  • Booker smashes inside for the first down. Bears run defense still having problems even with Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman on the field. They give up 6 more on first-down out of the wildcat to Barkley.
  • Barkley looks as elusive as ever, gains 8 on play going over right guard and he cut it back to the left. 
  • Touchback.
  • Montgomery punted the ball into the stands afterward. Pretty good form on that too.
  • That gives Gipson 5 1/2 sacks on the season. 
  • David Montgomery in over left guard 2-yard TD run, easy. Bears 7, Giants 0
  • First play Trevis Gipson strip sacks Glennon and Bilal Nichols returns to the 2. A 12-yard return.
  • Moment of silence beforehand for Jeff Dickerson as well as John Madden. Their photos were on the board in Soldier Field side by side in a memorial tribute.

Pregame

  • With Justin Fields officially inactive, Nick Foles is the backup and you have to wonder if we've actually seen the last of the rookie. He had a boot cast on last week. Why they would risk playing him at Minnesota with nothing at stake and coaching staff likely to change would be beyond me. But stranger things have happened.
  • Bears sideline reporter for game broadcasts Mark Grote reports Allen Robinson isn't entirely 100% for this game, which is the case with many of the players post-COVID-19. And Robinson has had almost a week since he came off the list.

The Bears have a very well-done tribute to the late Jeff Dickerson in the press box at his seat. His services are from 3 to 8 p.m. on Monday in Wheeling at the Kolssak Funeral Home, 189 S. Milwaukee Avenue. The Bears also have one nice tribune of their own posted on social media, with punter Pat O'Donnell.

  • The temperature is in the low 20s with some occasional light lake-effect snow but the huge wind gusts projected this week are not occurring now.

Bears

QB Justin Fields

DB Duke Shelley

T Elijah Wilkinson

T Lachavious Simmons

Giants

WR John Ross

WR Collin Johnson

LB Oshane Ximines

C Billy Price

WR Kadarius Toney

TE J.P. Holtz

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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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