A BIG STEP FORWARD
Rookie linebacker Bostic getting more comfortable, and it shows in his play
The Ravens had the Bears biting. The front seven of the Bears’ defense went right, while receiver Jacoby Jones raced to their left — with the ball.
That’s when rookie linebacker Jon Bostic, who already had an interception, made his best play in the Bears’ 23-20 overtime victory. He abruptly stopped in his assigned hole, broke left in a dead sprint past any potential blockers and caught Jones for only a four-yard gain on his endaround in overtime.
If Bostic hadn’t made the play, the Bears might have been looking at a different outcome instead of the morale-building victory they carry into their game Sunday against the Rams in St. Louis.
Not all linebackers can make athletic plays like that. If you talk to defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, it’s a sign Bostic is playing ‘‘faster,’’ which is great news for the Bears’ beleaguered defense.
‘‘He’s a young, ascending player that we’re asking to get better,’’ Tucker said.
So much is on Bostic right now. He’s entrenched as the starting middle linebacker, the Bears have given up 727 rushing yards in their last four games and they’re facing an emerging rookie running back in the Rams’ Zac Stacy on his home field.
‘‘I’m recognizing things a little bit faster, reacting a little faster,’’ Bostic said. ‘‘It’s really about keep taking steps each and every day.’’
And the same applies to fourth-round pick Khaseem Greene, who is filling in for injured Lance Briggs in the Bears’ base package.
‘‘It’s all about comfort and building confidence, stringing together good practices and getting good corrections from really good coaches,’’ Greene said. ‘‘It’s confidence and also being out there. It’s starting to develop us a little bit more.’’
It’s no coincidence that their sense of comfort has come with the improved play of the Bears’ defense overall, especially as games progress — whether it’s holding the Lions to 14 points until midway through the fourth quarter or holding Ravens running back Ray Rice to a pedestrian 3.5 yards per carry after his 47-yard run.
If you ask Bostic about his interception against the Ravens, his response makes it clear that he’s applying what he has been coached to do and is doing it at a rate that allows him to make plays, especially compared to his first start Oct. 20 against the Redskins.
The Bears were in cover-2, and Bostic was responsible for the deep middle of the field when quarterback Joe Flacco tried fitting a throw past him on third-and-long to tight end Dallas Clark.
‘‘[Clark] was on the ball, so we knew he was probably going to run one of the deeper routes,’’ Bostic said. ‘‘Especially in thirddown situations, he’s one of their go-to guys. . . . It’s just being able to run down the seam and being able to read the quarterback.’’ And? ‘‘Really,’’ Bostic said, ‘‘it’s just me being more comfortable.’’