As Bears defensive players huddled on the Chargers’ 1-yard line midway through the fourth quarter of a close game Sunday, they felt like they were on familiar ground. And it had nothing to do with Soldier Field.
The Bears clung to a 13-7 lead with 6 minutes 52 seconds left as Doug Flutie jogged onto the field. San Diego’s 41-year-old quarterback had just burned the Bears’ defense on an eight-play, 74-yard scoring drive.
“He ran through us like we weren’t even out there,” linebacker Brian Urlacher said of Flutie’s first series in relief of Drew Brees.
“We just went in the huddle and said to each other, ‘This is going to show what kind of defense we are,’ ” defensive end Phillip Daniels said after the Bears hung on for a 20-7 victory over San Diego. “We regrouped and said, ‘Enough’s enough. We can’t let it keep happening to us.’ “
Twice before, against the Saints and the Seahawks, the defense found itself in a similar spot: Make a stop, win a game. Both times it had failed. This time, the defense responded.
Flutie completed two short passes before scrambling for a first down, but three plays after that, the Bears forced a punt.
Six plays later, Anthony Thomas scored from 1 yard out with 21 seconds left.
Thomas ran 31 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns, the first one coming on a 1-yard plunge in the second quarter that gave the Bears a 10-0 lead.
On the other side, San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson came in averaging 102.7 rushing yards a game but finished with only 61 yards on 16 carries.That created more second- and third-and-long situations that allowed the Bears’ secondary to challenge routes more aggressively.
Charles Tillman intercepted a pass and deflected two more, while Jerry Azumah had two pass breakups and seven solo tackles.
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Edited by Michael Kellams (mkellams@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi
(dsottardi@tribune.com)
