Windy City Gridiron
Hello Chicago Bears fans! This is a special edition of the GBB column, as I relate not only the good, the better, and the best of the game against the New Orleans Saints, but I also tell you what it was like to be there, in person, for the first-time home game, in Chicago, at Soldier Field, for my son as a Bears fan. Let’s get into it, shall we?
The Bears Rushing Attack
After the game in Washington, many skeptics may have wondered if the Bears rushing attack in that game, was an outlier. Afterall, the Bears going into last Monday night had put up numbers that ranked at the bottom of the NFL in rushing statistics. The Bears had another idea, however, as the Bears rushed for 222 yards total on the ground, featuring D’Andre Swift who rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Monangai added a career-high 81 yards and a touchdown in his breakout game as well.
Gino’s East Tavern Style
Saturday evening, after a day touring the downtown area of Chicago, including a visit to The Bean, the boy and I had tavern style pizza at the original Gino’s East on 162 E Superior St, while we watched college football that night. The atmosphere was amazing, and the pizza was delicious – as both the boy and I can confirm.
An Afternoon in the Park
As I noted above, the boy and I spent a great deal of time on Saturday touring the park and enjoying the sights and the sounds of the park experience. We visited several monuments, including the famous Bean, and walked the avenue for a good two miles to get a full view of the Chicago downtown area. I can tell you the boy spent most of his time with his eyes cast upwards in wonderment, looking at the stone, steel, and glass structures that make up the Chicago skyscape. It was a lovely walk in the park.
Montez Sweat’s Pressure Game
Montez Sweat has received a considerable amount of criticism from Bears fans for his quiet performances in the last calendar year. Sweat put those criticisms to bed on Sunday, constantly pressuring and disrupting the pocket, and capped off with a strip sack that was a game changer in the moment.
Chicago Bears Run Scheme
If Washington was the coming out party for the Bears’ rushing attack, then the game against the Saints was the rompin’ after party. Ben Johnson’s rushing scheme against the Saints was impressive, as the Saints had no answer to the Bears attack, which featured the old school 13-personnel on several occasions. Credit to Ben Johnson for scheming up a rushing attack that the Bears could lean on, and it was the biggest contributor to the victory on Sunday outside of the turnovers.
Bears Run Defense
The Bears’ run defense, which was stout against the Commanders, upped it another notch against the New Orleans Saints. They allowed only 44 yards total...
