Bears cornerback Terell Smith had no fear in crunch time.
With the Bears protecting an eight-point lead with four minutes to play and Kyler Murray given the gift of an opportunity to drive for a tying touchdown, the fifth-round rookie from Minnesota was the logical target.
But on third-and-six from the Cardinals’ 27, Smith deflected Murray’s pass to Michael Wilson along the sideline. And on fourth down, Smith again made the play, this time against wide receiver Greg Dortch near the same sideline, after making contact at midfield.
“I was just worried about getting the flag on it,” Smith said.
Maybe in another situation, the rookie would have gotten the tough break. But not this time; there was no flag. The Bears took possession, and Cairo Santos kicked a field goal that clinched a 27-16 victory Sunday at Soldier Field.
“That was huge,” safety Eddie Jackson said. “For him to step up and accept that challenge, that’s what we needed. Terell shows no facial expression. He’s always mellow. For him to come up with those two stops is huge. We trust him.”
Smith’s back-to-back pass breakups were a fitting finish for a secondary that stepped up throughout the game and prevented the kind of late collapse that has haunted the Bears’ improving defense this season.
Cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson and safety Jaquan Brisker each had one pass breakup, and Smith had two. Gordon also had a sack in another standout performance for the second-year corner.
“The feeling is great,” Stevenson said. “Just to know that we’ve built chemistry throughout the year and there’s trust in these guy’s ability and just for my brothers to go out there and [get] a stop and help us come out with a ‘W’, I’m always happy for it.”
It appeared at least a bit ominous — and a little too familiar — in the fourth quarter. The Bears led 21-0 in the second quarter and looked primed for a rare blowout. But the offense stalled, and the defense — as has happened before — seemed to get sucked into the undertow of the offensive malaise.
When Dortch burned Jackson and Stevenson with a 38-yard touchdown reception on a dashing-and-darting catch-and-run, the Cardinals, almost inexplicably, were one score from tying the game, trailing 24-16 with 6:37 to play.
After a three-and-out by the offense — with running back Roschon Johnson getting stopped for no gain on a third-and-one wildcat play, Murray and the Cardinals had their chance. Trenton Gill’s 57-yard punt pinned the Cardinals at their 9, but that was little comfort to anyone who has watched the Bears blow leads this season.
Jackson understood the apprehension, but didn’t share it.
“We just knew we had to finish it out. There wasn’t any doubt in our mind,” Jackson said. “They made some plays. They called some good plays against our coverage. But we had to keep going. We’re not going to let this happen again. That was our mindset — ‘Let’s finish.’
That it came against a Cardinals’ offense that ranks 24th in yards, 25th in points and 29th in passing yards was no matter to a Bears’ defense that has been burned by better offenses this season. They believe. And regardless of the opponent, this is the kind of game that gives them confidence they’re making progress, with brighter days ahead.
“Of course,” Stevenson said. “The whole secondary is one of the best in the nation. One of the best I’ve been a part of. With us getting better through the rest of the year, just know that next year we’re going to be the No. 1 secondary in the nation.”
