Thursday night against the New England Patriots was the biggest test for the Chicago Bears so far this season, and despite the fact that they were playing on a short week, three different rookies helped make sure it ended in a win.
Dillon Thieneman never came off the field
Once again, Thieneman played all 54 defensive snaps. He added 11 more on special teams this week, and he finished with 6 combined tackles, three of which were solo, even with D'Marco Jackson for the team lead.
Thieneman has been a standout safety for the Bears all season long, and while he may have taken a step back last week, his performance has validated his first round selection.
Malik Muhammad was having a night
Muhammad only played for 18 defensive snaps before exiting the game in the third quarter due to a toe injury, but he made all of those snaps count. He teamed up with Jackson to tackle Cade Kiner for a loss in the first quarter, and then he broke up a deep shot to A.J. Brown in the third quarter when the Patriots were building momentum.
Unfortunately, Muhammad was hurt on the very next play, otherwise he may have had the opportunity to showcase his skills further. No announcement has been made about a timeline for his recovery or if he'll miss time at all. With the Bears on a mini-bye, extra rest is in store for all of the players.
Zavion Thomas gave Chicago a spark
Thomas returned three kickoffs for 92 yards, averaging 30.7 yards per return. But his highlight came in the second quarter, when his longest return of the day of 47 yards set up the Bears for the field goal that put them up by six points.
Coach Johnson even said after the game that Thomas was heating up back there.
Thomas wasn't perfect for the day, however, because in only five snaps on offense, he drew two separate holding penalties. The penalties, plus Johnson's comments show that the return game is his, but the offensive trust is still something that's getting built.
At least he looks more to form now than he was to start the season.
With the Bears on the mini-bye, it'll be a quite football Sunday in Chicago. The next time the Bears suit up will be during a road game against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. If the rookie talent can keep arriving in big moments, and the discipline can catch up, Thursday won't be the last time the rookies have a hand in a Bears victory.
| More Bears on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google