Takeaways hot topic for Bears' defense

Oct 17, 2017 - 12:05 AM LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears safety Adrian Amos knew all about the interception drought his team ended Sunday in a 27-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

The strong Bears defensive play went beyond creating a few turnovers, though, and it's the type of improvement that players hope can propel them back into the fray in an NFC North that suddenly looks up for grabs.

"I feel like since I've been here the defense has been pretty good," Amos said. "At times we needed to learn how to finish, play through the entire game.

"There have been games where we played good the first half, shut them out the first half, but then let up one or two plays that we would want back when we watched film or vice versa. (It's) just putting a complete game together and finishing games to make wins because that's what it's all about."

The Bears became closers on defense against Baltimore in their first road win since the final road game of the 2015 regular season, and did it with two interceptions and a forced fumble.

They found a way to win despite giving up two special-teams touchdowns and can go into a matchup at home against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday hoping they can continue making plays defensively.

"When we're losing, we need to find more turnovers," Amos said. "I feel like that's got to be a force for us moving forward.

"We got three turnovers and that was a big difference in the game."

The problems causing turnovers had been extensively discussed.

Heading into the game, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio couldn't deny the need to improve in that category.

"It's frustrating," Fangio said. "Obviously we'd like to get them. We need them as a team. It would help everybody if we could get some, especially if we can get them where it turns the field around and we can give a short field to our offense."

Head coach John Fox saw a reason why the Bears could force turnovers in Sunday's win: It's easier playing with the lead.

"We've gone through all the inadequacies at this point from last season and earlier this season, but I think a lot of it is, it helps to play with the lead," Fox said. "We've only done that twice this season, and we've won both games.

"So, I think that helps our defense."

Amos had one of the interceptions Sunday, the first of his three-year career. He took it back for a 90-yard touchdown and a 24-13 Bears lead. Bryce Callahan had the other interception, and Danny Trevathan recovered a fumble after a pass completion.

If any player was a poster child for the secondary's inability to come up with interceptions, it was Amos. He had a few chances in the past but couldn't come up with them.

Teammate Akiem Hicks had affectionately tagged Amos "spatula hands."

"In years past, I've played my game, but I needed to make more big-time plays," Amos said. "More plays on the ball, plays that can help our defense out."

The Bears made an effort to bring in experienced players to help younger players, and free-agent acquisition Quintin Demps and rookie Eddie Jackson had won the safety spots to start the regular season. But Amos got his job back with the starters -- one he had held for two full seasons -- because of Demps' broken arm suffered in Week 3.

Amos has been making tackles and hits, and now interceptions.

"I really didn't have to tell myself too much," he said. "It's just a mindset thing. Just staying focused. Stay confident in my ability. Just keep working, being aggressive, just put my head down and work, that's all I know."

--Tarik Cohen's halfback option pass for a touchdown against the Ravens was one the Bears had worked on occasionally since preseason, and especially the past few weeks as defenses have adjusted to his outside running.

"I think they (coaches) knew I could throw because I threw a couple of touchdown passes in college on the same type of plays," Cohen said. "So I feel like they knew I could get the ball there."

The Bears also scored earlier in the season on a Jordan Howard run after he took a handoff from Cohen, who lined up at the wildcat quarterback spot.

So the percentages look good when he's got the ball, running or otherwise.

"I'm just saying, numbers don't lie," Cohen said.

--The six tackles by nose tackle Eddie Goldman represented a relatively high number for Bears defensive linemen. Normally they're called upon to be two-gap defenders and hold up blockers so linebackers can make tackles.

"Well, I mean he's productive in what he does," Fox said of Goldman. "His job description is not as flashy as a quarterback or a receiver. But those guys, they've got a tough task, they're in there, they're taking on 700-pound blocks sometimes, that means they're getting double-teamed. It's tough sledding in there and he's done a good job, knock on wood he's been healthy this year which has really helped our defense."

--Once again, Fox found himself on a Monday defending the snaps of Cody Whitehair, who seemed to experience almost no troubles last year when he converted from guard. Whitehair has had almost one or two poor snaps a week, and Sunday's was in the Bears' end zone.

"It's hard to say (what the problem is), I think we're all working on it," Fox said. "I think nobody's working on it harder than he is. I'll just leave it at that."

NOTES: DB Sherrick McManis (hamstring) suffered an injury and came out of Sunday's win. Losing McManis is a big blow to special-teams coverage units, and this was apparent with two returns for touchdowns by Baltimore. ... RB Benny Cunningham (neck) left Sunday's win and did not return. Cunningham had been returning kicks in addition to backing up Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. ... LB Jason Thompson was released from the practice squad. ... LB Nick Kwiatkoski (pectoral muscle) did not play Sunday against Baltimore, although he did practice on a limited basis last week. Kwiatkoski's status will be updated later this week. Any work he has done in practice in scrimmages has been limited to the scout team. ... CB Marcus Cooper (back) did not play against Baltimore and has missed two straight games. His status will be updated later in the week.



REPORT CARD VS RAVENS

--PASSING OFFENSE: C-plus -- Winning with 16 throws by a quarterback rarely happens in the NFL, but Mitchell Trubisky produced the completions when they were critical. More important, he refused to let the big mistake occur beyond one blind-side sack and fumble. He completed the key third-and-11 pass to Kendall Wright on the move under pressure to set up the winning field goal and completed a third-and-7 pass for his 27-yard TD to Dion Sims. The passing game was made complete by Tarik Cohen's halfback option pass for a TD, set up perfectly by the way the Bears ran the ball effectively wide. Trubisky and receivers failed in terms of hot reads under pressure against the blitz. His scrambling is a spinoff of the passing game, and his four rushes for 32 yards loomed large. One other key Trubisky play was showing the wits to pick up yet another poor snap from center by Cody Whitehair in the end zone and run wide enough to escape the pocket so he could throw away the pass. It was a veteran-type move under fire by a rookie.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: A -- Jordan Howard's career-high 167-yard effort came on a career-high 36 rushes. His 53-yard run down the sideline pulled out a game that could have been an embarrassing defeat. Howard's strength of running after contact made all the difference, and the Bears blocked the outside zone well all game. Late in the game they blocked the inside zone runs. Tarik Cohen continues to dance a bit too much and his lost fumble helped fuel Baltimore's comeback.

--PASS DEFENSE: A -- Adrian Amos' interception and TD return, Bryce Callahan's interception, a Danny Trevathan fumble recovery after a pass completion, three sacks and holding Joe Flacco to a 3.8 yards per pass play all spoke to defensive dominance. The two interceptions were the first by the Bears this season and they had the presence of mind to block and turn both returns into big gains. One small negative was Christian Jones' inability to cover the H-back coming out on play-action, resulting in a first-down pickup and a two-point conversion. Kyle Fuller continued to play outstanding man-to-man defense, and the Ravens tried to pick on him unsuccessfully, showing a really poor ability to analyze Bears film. Fuller has been their best corner all year.

--RUSH DEFENSE: B -- The Ravens rushed for 125 yards, but only occasionally gained consistent yardage and twice failed to shove the Bears off the ball on third-and-short. Nose tackle Eddie Goldman might have had his best NFL game, making six tackles and one for a loss. It's not the kind of stat a two-gap defensive lineman usually produces. It's not surprising the Bears could come up with a solid game in run defense with Danny Trevathan back on the field this week.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: D-minus -- The only positive special-teams play on the day was Connor Barth's game-winning 40-yard field goal. Allowing a kick return TD after failing to down a player who wound up on the turf is inexcusable. The punt return TD to tie it probably doesn't happen with Sherrick McManis on the field, but the special-teams standout was out with an injury and the Bears were relying on at least two backups on punt coverage when the Ravens lined up in a 10-man rush but pulled out of it to block for a return. Although Tarik Cohen had punt returns of 21 and 16 yards, he struggled with choices on fielding punts and was ineffective as a kick returner, including a horrendous 7-yard return near the end of regulation that nearly gave the Ravens field position necessary to win it.

--COACHING: B-minus -- Dowell Loggains stuck to the run this week when it was working instead of straying from it and putting too much pressure on Trubisky. The option TD pass was exactly the play call needed when the Ravens were selling out to stop plays on the edge. Vic Fangio's defense showed a good understanding of how the Ravens had to be stopped in the center of the offense, either with the run or by bringing inside linebackers with the blitz. The punt team seemed out of sync with reserves on the field, and there was obvious disarray seconds before the Ravens TD punt return to help tie it. In tight games, there can't be confusion. Coaches have to clarify everything.