SAN DIEGO, CA - NOVEMBER 09: Zach Miller #86 of the Chicago Bears makes a touchdown reception against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 9, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
In a Monday Night Football matchup that saw both teams have losing records, something had to give if both sides wanted any playoff hopes with half the season already gone by. This was the case for the Chicago Bears (2-5) and the San Diego Chargers (2-6), with both teams desperately needing a win if they were to keep their hopes alive.
The Chargers took a commanding 16-7 lead before halftime with Chargers running back Danny Woodhead receiving a 14-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Philip Rivers. The Chargers defense would enforce a pick-six on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler with cornerback Jason Verrett running it back for 68 yards for the touchdown.
With no scoring plays in the third quarter, the Bears answered back with a one-yard touchdown run by Bears backup Jeremy Langford, who was in place for injured veteran running back Matt Forte, and bringing the score to 16-14. After a Chargers field goal and the score now running at 19-14, Cutler and the Bears offense executed a successful 10-play, 80-yard offensive drive that culminated in a scorching 25-yard pass by Cutler to tight end Zach Miller. This score was then be followed by a two-point conversion which gave the Bears the lead and eventual win at 22-19, bringing their record to 3-5 for the season. “The safety flew over the top, and it was just a matter of waiting for Zach to get past the linebacker,” Cutler said of the play. “I left it high on him, and he made a heckuva catch. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy. For him to come up with a catch, it was something special.”
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Another notable note about Cutler last night is he broke the Bears franchise record for touchdown passes, originally set by Hall of Famer Sid Luckman, and brought his total to 139 TD passes.
For the Chargers, last night’s game marked the apparent end for their season at 2-7 even though the season does not end until January. “When you lose five in a row, it’s pretty sickening,” Rivers said. “When it’s like this, you kind of want to dig a hole and hide for a little while.”
Photo: SAN DIEGO, CA – NOVEMBER 09: Zach Miller #86 of the Chicago Bears makes a touchdown reception against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 9, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
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