Bears’ defense dominates during 16-0 win over Dolphins..
Written by The Go-To-Man Mattie T. on November 19, 2010
Despite having to travel on a short week, the Bears’ defense was more than up for the challenge.
They sacked Tyler Thigpen six times during their 16-0 shutout win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday evening from Sun Life Stadium, as that gives them 3 wins over the last 12 days.
It’s the first shutout for the Bears since November 19th of 2006 (beat the Jets 10-0), while the Dolphins suffer just their 2nd home shutout loss over the last 40 years.
With both quarterbacks putting up erratic numbers (Jay Cutler was 16 of 25 for 156 yards & 1 interception while Tyler Thigpen was 17 of 29 for 187 yards & 1 interception), Chicago took over the game by calling 40 run plays & converting 10 of 18 on 3rd downs, which helped them enjoy a dominating 37:51 to 22:09 time of possession advantage.
Miami had next to nothing on the ground, as Thigpen was the team’s leading rusher with 27 yards on 6 carries. The tandem of Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams combined for just 11 yards on 6 carries.
Johnny Knox led the Bears in receiving for the 2nd straight game, as he caught 5 receptions for 55 yards.
Brian Hartline led Miami with 5 catches for 70 yards, as Brandon Marshall (3 receptions for 41 yards) left the game at halftime after re-aggravating his hamstring injury.
Julius Peppers had his best game in a Bears uniform, as he recorded 3 of the team’s 6 sacks for his first three-sack game since November 9th, 2008 against Oakland. (Peppers was a member of the Carolina Panthers)
Chicago can now enjoy 12 days of rest before getting ready to face Michael Vick (has never beaten the Bears in 3 career starts) & the Philadelphia Eagles on November 28th at Soldier Field.
