Bears Grades: Gould keeps streak going with consistent special teams

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Credit coverage units for max effort all the way through the play in the second quarter when Broncos returner Omar Bolden conceded a touchback, but the ball bounced back across the goal line, forcing Bolden to pick it up. The resulting defensive stop and punt gave the Bears the ball at the Denver 49 (from where the offense went three-and-out).

[MORE GRADES: QB | WR ]

Special teams allowed no Denver possession to start in the Chicago end of the field other than on a failed onsides kick try at the end of the game. Pat O’Donnell left two of his four punts inside the Denver 20, both at the Broncos 12-yard line.

Since his two misses in the San Diego game Robbie Gould has converted six straight field goals, including ones from 46 and 37 in the first half to salvage stalled drives, and another from 37 in the third quarter to get something out of a third red-zone possession that failed to get into the Denver end zone.

[SHOP: Gear up Bears fans!]

No surprise that Marc Mariani was benched on kickoff returns, with wide receiver Deonte Thompson taking over after Mariani’s run of shakiness. Mariani remained the punt returner, netting four yards on his one return, not a lot of production out of seven Denver punts forced by the defense. Thompson delivered runbacks of 28 and 26 yards on Denver’s first two kickoffs of the game, then was removed as a factor by touchbacks.

 

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