Everybody felt that Dillon Thieneman had all the traits of a future stud in the NFL when the Chicago Bears drafted him 25th overall. They probably didn’t expect him to be this good so soon. Through three games, Theineman leads the Bears in tackles and passes defended. On Monday night, he grabbed his first career interception. It came in the first half with the Bears leading 7-0. The Philadelphia Eagles were in the middle of a drive that had gone 95 yards and was knocking on the door of the end zone.
There was one concern. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was on the sideline being examined for a concussion. He’d taken a fierce hit from linebacker D’Marco Jackson a couple of plays earlier. That forced backup Andy Dalton into the lineup. After Thieneman prevented a Saquon Barkley touchdown with a big tackle at the 2-yard line, it set up 3rd and 2. Dalton took the snap and looked to receiver Dontayvion Wicks in the back of the end zone. Thieneman read the play and cut in front of Wicks for the pick.
Dillon Thieneman authored the signature moment of the game.
Chicago took advantage of that turnover to go on a drive that ended in a field goal to make it 10-7. That would end up being the winning points. Philadelphia scored a touchdown right at the end of the half, but they were shut out in the second. The Bears rolled to a 27-7 victory. Of the many big plays they authored in that game, Thieneman’s interception felt like the biggest. Few understood that more than Hurts. Is it possible the Eagles’ quarterback sensed the danger?
According to reports, the quarterback was begging to go back into the game as the drive was in progress. However, his examination wasn’t complete. So he stood near the blue medical tent as Dalton threw the interception. It was then that the national audience got to see a side of Hurts they had never seen before: furious.
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Anybody who has covered the Eagles quarterback for long enough knows he’s notorious for being even-keeled and unemotional in games. His expression never changes. So, to get a reaction like that from him tells you how big the moment was. To know that Dillon Thieneman was the author makes it all the more tasty.
Hurts is in uncharted territory right now.
He’s enjoyed unbridled success with the Eagles since the moment he was drafted. They’ve reached two Super Bowls and won a Lombardi trophy along the way. During that time, he has beaten almost every team in the league. None has ever really been able to claim they have his number. That might be changing. This is now the second time in a row that the Bears have not only beaten him but also embarrassed him. He managed just 15 points in the meeting last year, with most of his stats coming in garbage time. This year, it was even worse. He barely cracked 150 yards with an interception.
Hurts hates to lose. Knowing it has now happened against the same team twice must be burning him up. Not that the Bears care. They went into Monday night intent on sending the league a message, and they succeeded. Much of the credit must go to Thieneman, who was stellar all game long. If this trend holds for the entire season, this team may have finally found a star.
