Studs and duds from Bears’ blowout win over the Giants
It’s been a rough season for the Chicago Bears, but for one game, they put together a convincing win as they blew out the New York Giants 29-3, thanks to stifling defense and timely offense.
The defense got things started right out of the gate when they stripped quarterback Mike Glennon of the ball on the first play from scrimmage. They would score a touchdown on the very next play and never looked back.
It was a pitiful day from Glennon, making his first start at Soldier Field since 2017, when he was the Bears starting quarterback. The Bears got four turnovers off of him and made Matt Nagy’s likely final home game a memorable one.
There were plenty of standout performers for the Bears on the day that helped make this win possible. Here are the studs and duds from Chicago’s Week 17 win:
STUD: OLB Robert Quinn
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Give it up for Robert Quinn. He went from the biggest bust of the 2020 season, to now holding the team record for most sacks in a single season. Quinn continued his dominant play and finally made history on Sunday as he earned a full sack to break Richard Dent’s single-season.
Quinn actually had a few chances to break Dent’s record, nearly taking down Glennon in the first half before he miracoulsly flipped the ball out of his hands to avoid the sack. Still, Quinn finished the day with one tackle, one sack and two QB hits and got to enjoy the moment in front of the home fans.
Now he has a chance to become the only player in NFL history to record 19 or more sacks with two different teams next week in the regular season finale.
STUD: OLB Trevis Gipson
AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
The focus during the game was all on Quinn as he attempted to make Bears history. But it was Trevis Gipson who made his presence known immediately. On the first play from scrimmage, Gipson was shot out of a cannon and stripped Mike Glennon of the ball, creating the Bears first turnover of the game.
He would get another one in the third quarter, giving the ball back to the Bears offense yet again. Gipson has come on strong as of late and his two strip-sacks of Glennon show how far he’s come this season. Gipson totaled three tackles and a QB hit in addition to his sacks.
DUD: GM Ryan Pace
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It’s really not fair to list Mike Glennon as a dud considering he plays for the Giants, but his play on Sunday reminded Bears fans everywhere about the contract he received from Ryan Pace back in 2017.
Glennon made his first trip back to Soldier Field since that year when he won his only start as the Bears quarterback. He was signed to a three-year, $45 million contract with $18 million guaranteed. It was Pace’s worst free agent acquisition as Bears GM and Glennon’s play brought up bad memories of that experience. The Giants quarterback finished with just four completed passes for 24 yards and four turnovers.
It’s still baffling to this day what Pace saw in Glennon that not only convinced him to make him the starting quarterback, but guaranteed him that amount of money.
STUD: WR Darnell Mooney
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The Bears offense got some lucky breaks early in the first quarter thanks to their defense creating turnovers. They were able to score two touchdowns off those turnovers, the second of which came courtesy of a toe-tapping grab from Darnell Mooney.
Mooney was the Bears best receiver on Sunday, catching seven passes for 69 yards. He especially impressed with his yards after the catch, something that’s been noticeable these last couple of games. He’ll look to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career next week during the regular season finale.
DUD: WR Marquise Goodwin
AP Photo/Rick Osentoski
While players like Darnell Mooney and even Allen Robinson found themselves making plays in the passing game, Marquise Goodwin was nowhere to be found. Goodwin didn’t register a single catch on two targets, even dropping a touchdown in the first half. The Bears threw the ball 36 times on the day and completed passes to six different receivers.
It was Goodwin’s fourth game of the season where he didn’t register a single catch. Not a great feat from the team’s starting slot receiver. He’ll try and rebound next week in the season finale, but it’s been a forgettable season for the speedy wide receiver.
STUD: DE Angelo Blackson
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
The Bears defensive line was absolutely dominant against the Giants. While Gipson was the one creating turnovers, Angelo Blackson found himself making his own highlight reel.
Blackson registered a sack of his own and scored the team’s first safety of the season when he stopped Devontae Booker in the endzone. It was one of two tackles for loss on the day for the veteran defensive end, who has been a solid addition as a depth piece for the defense. He had three tackles total for the game.
STUD: RB David Montgomery
AP Photo/David Banks
Two of the three Bears touchdowns came on the ground thanks to David Montgomery. The bruising running back didn’t have the most glamourous day on the stat sheet, running for 64 yards on 22 carries, while also adding two catches for 17 yards. But he found paydirt when it mattered most and gave the Bears the early lead, then extended it later in the game. His only blemish was missing a touchdown pass to Cole Kmet at the end of the game.
Montgomery now has seven rushing touchdowns on the year and has bounced back nicely after returning from his knee injury in November.
STUD: S Tashaun Gipson
AP Photo/David Banks
If your name was Gipson, you probably had a great day. Tashaun Gipson recorded the Bears’ first interception of the day, picking off Glennon in the first quarter that led to the second touchdown of the day. He also had a tackle for a loss and defended a pass.
The entire Bears secondary had themselves a solid day as the Giants netted -10 passing yards. But Gipson stood out for his play not only in the passing game, but the running game as well.
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