Bears’ ‘D’ gets (Wil)son-burned
Heat, humidity were problems, but so were missed tackles
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Unable to wreak the playmaking havoc that earned it NFL-wide recognition since the arrival of outside linebacker Khalil Mack, the Bears’ defense still had its chance to put the hammer down on the Dolphins on Sunday, make the most of an uncharacteristically subpar performance, get away with a win and move on to the next one.
But with momentum on its side after Mitch Trubisky’s 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie Anthony Miller broke a fourth-quarter tie, the Bears’ defense came up empty. Again.
On the ensuing play from scrimmage from the Dolphins’ 25-yard line, quarterback Brock Osweiler threw a short pass to wide receiver Albert Wilson at the 29 in front of inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith and nickel back Bryce Callahan. The speedy Wilson turned toward the sideline to maneuver around them. Cornerback Kyle Fuller missed a tackle at the Dolphins’ 35, safety Eddie Jackson missed a tackle at the 45 and Wilson was long gone on a 75yard touchdown that tied the game again.
That’s the kind of day it was for the Bears’ defense in a 31-28 overtime loss to the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. After a bye week and seemingly affected by humid 89-degree conditions, they whiffed time and again and paid a heavy price.
“Just a bunch of missed tackles,” Jackson said. “All game we missed tackles. We knew what to expect. [Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio] kept telling us this was one of the games we have to tackle how we tackle. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that.”
The Bears’ defense came in on a roll — No. 2 in the NFL in yards and points allowed — and looked ready to enhance that lofty standing when Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill was a late scratch with a shoulder injury, with Osweiler replacing him.
Instead, the Bears fell flat — outschemed by former Bears offensive coordinators Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains and looking fatigued in the hot Florida sun. After getting 18 sacks in their first four games, the Bears had none against Osweiler and came nowhere near applying the intimidating pressure that had rattled better quarterbacks than him.
“They had a good game plan,” outside linebacker Leonard Floyd said. “There were a lot of chips. The [offensive] tackles weren’t really blocking one-on-one. They always had help from the tight end or the running back.”
The Dolphins stymied the great Mack, the scourge of the league on defense in the first month. Mack was almost shut out on the stat sheet — only two tackles.
“That’s not what you expect with what we have on this front,” Mack said. “It was a learning experience.”
Osweiler completed 28 of 44 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions for a 94.9 passer rating. The Bears allowed 541 yards. But the Bears had a hand in that production. Before Wilson’s 75-yard TD, he burned the Bears with a 43-yard touchdown that tied the game at 21 — parlaying a missed tackle by safety Adrian Amos into the big play. On Wilson’s touchdowns, he gained 71 and 43 yards after the catch.
“We beat ourselves,” Jackson said, “especially on the defensive side of the ball. This wasn’t the Chicago Bears’ style of defense we’re used to playing. Everybody knew it was going to be hot. I felt that played a part in it. Everybody was getting tired. They were hitting us with fastballs.”
The defense made some plays. Fuller had two interceptions. With the Dolphins about to win it with a touchdown in overtime at the Bears’ 1-yard line, running back Kenyan Drake fumbled, and nose tackle Eddie Goldman recovered. But it wasn’t enough.
“I could give you guys 10,000 clichés,” defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said. “But we lost the game.”