Six regulars on the Bears defense were out due to injuries: End Dayo Odeyingbo (Achilles); linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (groin), T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) and Noah Sewell; and cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson (groin) and Kyler Gordon (calf).
Three more defensive players exited the game with injuries: cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (hip), linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II (shoulder) and end Dominique Robinson (concussion).
Relying on backups such as linebackers D’Marco Jackson and Amen Ogbongbemiga and cornerback Nick McCloud, the defense in the second half allowed only seven points and 134 total yards, produced a momentum-swinging takeaway via a Montez Sweat strip sack and clinched the win with a fourth-down stop in the final minute.
“That’s the type of guys that we have, the caliber of people that we have,” Johnson said. “They just keep fighting and keep plugging away. I can’t say enough good things about the guys that stepped up today to help us win the ballgame.”
Protecting a 24-21 lead late in the third quarter, Sweat registered his second sack of the game, forcing and recovering a Mason Rudolph fumble at the Chicago 46.
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