CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago Bears continued their strong start to the season, defeating the Denver Broncos 28-14 at Soldier Field. Behind the efficient play of quarterback Caleb Williams, a balanced rushing attack, and a stout defensive performance, the Bears improved to 2-0 for the first time in years.
Game Recap
The Bears set the tone early, scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter to build a 14-0 halftime lead. Williams connected with wide receiver D.J. Moore on a 24-yard touchdown pass to break the ice. “D.J. is such a dependable target,” Williams said after the game. “I trust him to make the big plays.”
Rookie running back Kenneth Gainwell provided a spark in the ground game, rushing for 111 yards on 22 carries and capping off a critical third-quarter drive with a 24-yard touchdown run. “The offensive line did a fantastic job opening lanes for me,” Gainwell said.
Denver found its footing in the fourth quarter, with quarterback Bo Nix rushing for an 8-yard touchdown and later connecting with receiver Troy Franklin on an 8-yard score. But the Bears’ defense, led by rookie edge rusher Kevin Generals, who recorded two sacks, kept the Broncos from mounting a serious comeback.
Key Stats
Caleb Williams completed 13 of 19 passes for 154 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Rookie running back Kenneth Gainwell led the Bears’ ground attack with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver D.J. Moore added six catches for 82 yards and a score.
For Denver, quarterback Bo Nix had an efficient day, completing 17 of 20 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown. Nix also rushed for 19 yards and a score. Tight end Nick Brackett added three catches for 25 yards, while wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster recorded two receptions for 54 yards, including a 46-yard catch.
On defense, the Bears’ rookie edge rusher Kevin Generals stood out with two sacks. Denver’s defense was highlighted by a key interception from safety Justin Simmons, who also had a 21-yard return on the play.
Injuries
Neither team reported injuries during the game.
Up Next
The Bears (2-0) head on the road next week to take on division rival Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Meanwhile, the Broncos (0-2) stay on the road as they travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face the Indianapolis Colts.
TEAM STATS |
|
|
Offensive Yards Gained |
209 | 305 |
Total Yards Gained |
313 | 377 |
Penalties |
3 | 3 |
Penalty yards |
20 | 20 |
Total first downs |
12 | 21 |
3rd down efficiency |
4 - 7 , 57.1% | 8 - 11 , 72.7% |
4th down effiency |
0 - 0 , 0.0% | 1 - 1 , 100.0% |
2 point conversion |
0 - 0 , 0.0% | 0 - 0 , 0.0% |
Trips to red zone |
2 | 4 |
Red zone touchdowns |
2 | 2 |
Red zone field goals |
0 | 0 |
Red zone efficiency |
100.0% | 50.0% |
Defensive sacks |
0 | 2 |
Defensive Interceptions |
1 | 0 |
Defensive forced fumbles |
0 | 0 |
Defensive F.F. recovered |
0 | 0 |
Stats
Passing
Denver Broncos
Player |
qbr |
com/att |
pct |
yds |
lng |
td |
int |
sck |
B.Nix | 121.2 | 17 / 20 | 85.0 | 182 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Rushing
Denver Broncos
Player |
att |
yds |
lng |
td |
avg |
big |
yac |
J.Williams | 7 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 2.7 | 0 | 10 | B.Nix | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 6.3 | 0 | 6 | J.McLaughlin | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6.0 | 0 | 1 | G.Dulcich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | T.Franklin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | N.Brackett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | C.Sutton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
Denver Broncos
Player |
rec |
yds |
avg |
td |
yac |
lng |
drop |
J.Smith-Schuster | 2 | 54 | 27.0 | 0 | 7 | 46 | 0 | J.Reynolds | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 0 | N.Brackett | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 0 | C.Sutton | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 0 | G.Dulcich | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 0 | T.Franklin | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | J.Williams | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
Defense
Denver Broncos
Player |
tckl |
sck |
pdef |
int |
int yds |
td |
ff |
ffr |
B.Stephens | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | J.Okudah | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | J.Franklin-Myers | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | K.White | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | P.Surtain II | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | C.Barton | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | D.Long Jr | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | B.Jones | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | J.Elliss | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | J.Simmons | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | P.Ford | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | D.Quinn | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | J.Cooper | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | D.Tapp | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
Denver Broncos
Player |
fg |
fg pct |
lng |
xp |
xp pct |
50+ |
50+ pct |
J.Sanders | 0 / 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 / 2 | 100.0 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 | B.Anger | 0 / 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 |
Punting
Denver Broncos
Player |
punts |
yds |
avg |
tb |
in20 |
lng |
blk |
B.Anger | 3 | 136 | 43.3 | 0 | 3 | 49 | 0 |