Jay Cutler shines as Bears increase winning streak to five games after win over Chargers – NFL Recap
Chicago Bears increased their winning streak to five games in a row as they won against San Diego Chargers 31-20 at the Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois as Jay Cutler got the final laugh over longtime rival Philip Rivers in a
close fought encounter. Cutler however will be out for the rest of the regular season with a broken thumb that requires surgery according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
The Bears pulled away in the third quarter with Jay Cutler showing his class as he ran for 286 yards and passed for two touchdowns and a single interception with a 24 yard pass toward Johnny Knox taking the cake. Rivers meanwhile
had one of his best performances for the Chargers covering 280 yards and throwing two passes for touchdowns and two interceptions but his side could not contain the Bears offense. The dominance of the Bears was underlined in the fourth quarter as Chargers
failed to gain a single yard during the final 15 minute quarter.
Cutler was glowing in his remarks about Rivers at the end of the game as both players look to mend fences.
"I played against Philip and San Diego many times, and they've always had a high-powered offense and they're not going to give up," said Cutler, who lost four of five against the Chargers when he was with Denver. "They're going
to come back and fight. Philip is a smart quarterback. He knows where weaknesses are in defences, especially in the third and fourth quarter, so we knew we were going to be in a battle even though we kept scoring."
The first quarter was tied at 3-3 with both teams scoring field goals in the final 10 minutes of the quarter. Nick Novak gave Chargers the lead with a 28 yarder at 9:40 and Robbie Gould equalized for Bears with a field goal five
minutes from time from 42 yards.
The score went back and forth in the second and third quarters. Running back Marion Barber scored the game’s first touchdown to make it 10-3 as Bears took the lead with four minutes to go. Two minutes later Tight end Antonio Gates
tied the score at 10-10 after taking an 8 yard pass from Rivers. Cutler didn’t want to be left behind as he sent a four yard pass to Kellen Davis with just 40 seconds left on the dial to again give Bears the lead to make it 17-10.
Chargers got the score leveled again at 17-17 in the third quarter through wide receiver Vincent Jackson which would turn out to be their final touchdown as Cutler snatched the game completely scoring a touchdown himself then throwing
a beauty of a pass for 24 yards which wide receiver Johnny Knox did well to catch and scored the touchdown to make it 31-17.
Novak gave the Chargers some hope with a 48 yard field goal early in the fourth to make it 31-20 but they failed to gain a single yard with Rivers throwing two interceptions.
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