After a week of hearing Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley compared to Adrian Peterson, Bears defensive linemen in particular was sick of it. “He’s a great running back,” said defensive end Jarvis Jenkins, “but in the end, any running back can be stopped.”
And Gurley was, shut down with 45 rushing yards (12 carries), no run longer than nine yards, and 44 yards receiving, but with 31 of those coming on the game’s third play. “He’d had something like three, four 100-yard games so we had to stop him. And we did.”
Bruce Gaston provided a stuff inside the St. Louis 15 in the second quarter, which was followed by a succession of power rushes by Jarvis Jenkins and Will Sutton to force a throwaway and a St. Louis punt from the Rams end zone to give the offense good field position.
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Sutton turned in an impact play when he diagnosed a screen pass to Todd Gurley and got an early start on pursuit to keep the Rams back from getting free in the Bears secondary.
The Bears did not post a big sack total but were credited with 10 quarterback hits, including two by Gaston and one each by Jenkins, Sutton, Gaston, Mitch Unrein, plus two by linebacker Sam Acho rushing as a de facto defensive end.
Moon's Grade: A-