The Chicago Bears had zero momentum toward the end of the first half against the Tennessee Titans. Few had it worse than cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. He was the victim of a tough moment when tight end Chig Okonkwo beat him for a touchdown to make it 17-0. Chicago trailed 17-3 at halftime, with the offense looking completely lost. It became clear everybody needed to pull together, or they would let a winnable game slip through their fingers.
Fittingly, the first spark came from a blocked punt by Daniel Hardy that Jonathan Owens returned for a touchdown. Chicago kept chipping away at the lead throughout the 3rd quarter, making 17-16 with just under ten minutes left to go. What followed was the most decisive sequence of the game. Titans quarterback Will Levis took the snap on 3rd and 6, hoping to get past midfield. Kyler Gordon came in on a corner blitz while DeMarcus Walker got pressure from his left. This forced Levis to scramble. Right before getting sacked, he desperately flipped the ball away, hoping for an incompletion.
It was there that Stevenson got his revenge
Tyrique Stevenson delivered the kill shot.
That in itself was delightful. He ended up having a really good performance, adding two pass defenses on top of the interception. Yet his best moment actually came after the final whistle when the Bears had won 24-17. He was asked about what Levis could’ve been thinking when he tried making that pass. Stevenson’s response was concise and dripping with sass.
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“If he’s going to make dumb decisions like that, we’re going to make him pay for it.”
Ouch. Once again, Tyrique Stevenson proves himself to be not only a big-play weapon in the Bears’ secondary but also one of their best characters. It always seems like he has something entertaining to say. Jaylon Johnson is the superstar. Stevenson is quickly becoming the fan favorite. It is also worth noting this is his fifth interception in the past seven games. People didn’t think much of it when the Bears traded up for Stevenson last year. That might’ve been a mistake on their part.
The defense is probably half a year ahead of the offense simply because Eberflus took over last year and then was able to install coherent and organized coaches across all levels of the defense. They understand, within their defensive culture, the need they have for doing the job in their own areas and how it is benefiting the team. By creating that culture, new guys coming in, can know where they fit, immediately. The offense is being built from the ground up and while we can see offensive coherence in practices, in games, the opposing defenses will throw in disruptions.… Read more »
@David Finally you have seen the light. Just don’t follow those male hyenas, especially BearDownTX, they have been wrong on just about every piece of substance and their mentality or style is authoritarian. Better to stand up to bullies or go your own way than to go a long and copycat them. My parents said to always seek truth and justice. Try it sometime since I know deep down you are better than them.
I’m just sad that Dr Steven Sallie hasn’t signed his contract yet. If we had him, he would have likely been one of the first ever PFF 100 graded players likely playing both ways on offense and defense, and would have had 2 more pick 6s and 3 more receiving/rushing TDs. They should put him on Special Teams too.
With Dr Sallie we would have easily won the game like 63 – 3.
@Dr. Melhus — Those football passing machines are manufactured by JUGS Sports Inc., and are often referred to as “Jugs machines.” You may ask: “Why ‘Jugs’?” “The Jugs Curveball Pitching Machine was the company’s first product, with the name derived from an old-time baseball expression about a “jug-handle curve,” which the original machine could be adjusted to throw.” — ESPN (Dec 22, 2016) I just as happily would position Velus Jones Jr., in front of QB Tyson Bagent and have Velus deal with catching bals from that young QB’s “cannon” (It might possibly become Velus’ “canon event” as a catcher of… Read more »
There were plays left on the field. Keenans drop in the end zone sticks to my mind. A lot of overthrown passes. Just enough at the right moments to keep the Bears offense reeling. One thing is for sure they can only get better.