Instant analysis of Bears' 35-16 win vs. Jaguars in Week 6
New country, same result. The Chicago Bears traveled to London to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6, routing their opponent, 35-16. The victory signifies the Bears' third straight win, and it has propelled the club on to a staggering 4-2 record.
The game would eventually turn into a scoring frenzy in favor of Chicago, things kicked off at a much slower pace. Both defenses quickly sent the opposing offense back to the sideline on the first few drives, with the Jaguars drawing first blood on an early field goal. The Bears were first to get into the endzone. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams continued to demonstrate his exponential growth through his first six games by leading a seven-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that was capped off with a Cole Kmet catch-and-run for a score. Chicago pulled ahead 7-3 early in the second quarter.
The Jaguars continued to stay stout in their defense despite allowing a score. Their defense forced Williams into making one of his few mistakes of the game, with safety Andrew Cisco undercutting a pass intended for DJ Moore for an interception. The turnover didn't shake the offense's composure, as they mounted a long, 85-yard drive for a score the following drive. The Bears found themselves well within scoring territory at the Jaguars' two-yard line, and Williams and Kmet decided to double up on their previous connection. The first-year passer took the shotgun snap and lofted a well-placed ball for Kmet in the back right corner of the endzone, extending their lead to 14-3 before the half.
Jacksonville's advantage of receiving the second half kickoff didn't amount to much. Chicago linebacker T.J. Edwards punched the ball away from tight end Evan Engram as he went to the ground, setting the stage for the offense to create an insurmountable lead. They held up their end of the bargain, scoring seven plays later on a Keenan Allen touchdown reception, continuing to put Jacksonville in a bind with a 21-3 lead at the beginning of the third. With the certainty of another loss staring them at the face, the Jaguars' offense came to life. Lawrence orchestrated a long that cultivated in a 21-yard touchdown strike to receiver Gabe Davis, roping themselves back into the contest, 21-10.
With Jacksonville lingering in the ring, Chicago laid out devastating blows to knock them out of the ring. Offense and defense complemented each other on a crucial sequence of drives midway through the third quarter, with Williams throwing his career-best fourth touchdown of the game on an Allen over-the-shoulder catch in the left side of the endzone. Cornerback Josh Blackwell saw the field extensively due to injuries in the secondary and he made the most of it, undercutting an over-the-middle Lawrence pass and coming away with his first career interception. The Bears' offense took advantage of the short field, with improved running back D'Andre Swift punching it in on a short run. The barrage of big plays placed the Bears well ahead of their foe, 35-10.
Jacksonville scored on a time-consuming drive a possession later, but little time remained for a miraculous comeback. Chicago salted the clock away and finished the blowout victory with a final score of 35-16.
Seldom is Chicago's faithful fanbase rewarded for their unwavering devotion, but fans are in a state of bliss at this point of the year. I'd need to write another 2,000 words to truly capture how well things are going for the Bears. In short, the strengths of the team have only grown in their capabilities, and the weaknesses have been largely rectified, to the point that it's tough to discern where Chicago's biggest struggles lie.
I'd be remiss to talk about the Bears' success and not mention their franchise quarterback, who's improving a truly frightening rate. Two weeks ago, Williams had his first turnover-free game. Last week, he put together his most complete game. Today, he throws for a career-best four touchdowns. I'd have to get creative if I wanted to imagine what insane milestone he may hit in his next game.
The Bears stake their claim as one of the NFL's best teams as they look forward to some deserved time off next week's bye.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Instant analysis of Bears' 35-16 win vs. Jaguars in Week 6