The Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) knocked off the Chicago Bears (3-4) at Soldier Field Sunday, 17-16. The Bears had their chances to win Sunday's game but squandered them away. The outcome can be traced back to missed field goals and poor red zone execution.
It was the first win for the Chargers in October this year.
Los Angeles won because their defense held when it mattered most. The stats that are listed below are also a reflection of how well the Chargers defense played. The offense did not play particularly well, but they did win the turnover battle. Wide receiver Keenan Allen uncharacteristically dropped multiple passes. The offense rushed for just three yards per carry, while quarterback Philip Rivers had just 201 yards passing.
In the first half, Chicago made four trips to the red zone and had just nine points to show for it. They ran 16 plays within the red zone in the first half and came away with just 14 yards gained, according to The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain. Nine plays within Los Angeles' 10-yard line went for zero yardage.
Kicker Eddy Pineiro successfully converted 3 of 5 field goals, with misses from 33 and 41 yards, including the final attempt as time expired. In a game where they lost by one, points were left on the board everywhere. On defense, the vaunted Bears defense recorded just one sack.
The turning point did not occur until there was 8:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. Chargers running back Austin Ekeler caught an 11-yard pass from Rivers to give Los Angeles a 17-16 lead, which proved to be the final score. The game was close the entire way, and it felt as though Chicago would not be able to score again. As it turns out, they did have one final shot but Pineiro missed his second field goal attempt of the game.
The game featured a lot of good plays, but nothing spectacular. One of the better plays in this game resulted in the first rushing touchdown of the season for Chargers running back Melvin Gordon. Gordon initially had a big hole but he had to use his vision and cutting ability to meander through the rest of the path.
The Chargers improved to 3-5 this season and sit third in the AFC West behind the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. They are officially halfway through their season. In the second half, they played four games at home and four games on the road. The next challenge comes at home against the Green Bay Packers.
Chicago dropped to 3-4 on the season. Five of their remaining nine games are on the road. The Bears are losing ground in a division where everyone was .500 or better entering Week 8. Their next game is on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Today's Chargers-Bears game comes to a poetic end. The Chargers sneak out with a 17-16 victory. Chicago has had issues with their kicking game and their inability to capitalize on redzone visits ultimately cost them a victory today. Thank you all for tuning into today's coverage!
David Montgomery looked a little slow on his 55-yard run. That's because the guy tracking him down was FLYING.
Chicago is being outscored 24-50 in the fourth quarter this season (six games). Los Angeles is outscoring their opponents 62-35 in the fourth quarter (seven games). In fact, they have scored in each of their eight games this season. The Chargers have scored the only seven points of the fourth quarter today. If you're a Bears fan, those stats are not promising for a comeback.
As of 3:02 p.m. ET, David Montgomery has 24.9 fantasy points in this game. One of the better performances so far with Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupper leading the way at 41 points.
