The Chicago Bears‘ defense has struggled this season. It gave up a big 4th quarter lead against Minnesota, 52 points against Detroit, and over 200 rushing yards against Las Vegas. However, Dennis Allen has managed to get his group to bow up in pressure situations over the past two weeks. Part of that has been some clever scheming. Another part has been getting timely contributions from key players. One name that hasn’t gotten much attention but has been crucial to their past two victories is Dominique Robinson.
The former 5th round pick looked like a lost cause by the end of last year. He was inconsequential most of the season and hadn’t produced a sack since 2023. However, he had a strong training camp and did enough to convince Allen he deserved an opportunity. Robinson rewarded that faith with three key plays that quietly gave the Bears their opportunity to reach 2-2.
Play #1: Dominique Robinson sacks Dak Prescott
Early in the 3rd quarter, Dallas trailed 24-14. Prescott had them on a drive into Bears territory. On 2nd and 6, Robinson blew past left tackle Tyler Guyton and dropped the Cowboys quarterback for a 10-yard sack. That set up 3rd and 16. Dallas failed to convert and ended up punting. The Bears would mount their 19-play drive on the next series, scoring a touchdown to make it 31-14.
Play #2: Robinson spin move to force Joe Milton INT
The game was essentially over late in the 4th quarter. Prescott had been pulled in favor of backup Joe Milton. Still, the Bears needed one more stop to ensure the victory. Dallas reached the red zone with a chance to score. On 3rd and 7, Robinson puts a nifty spin move on right tackle Terrence Steele, applying enough pressure to force Milton’s early throw. Safety Kevin Byard was waiting and picked it off easily.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Play #3: Dennis Allen film study pays off on key run stop
Las Vegas had been gashing Chicago all day on the ground. Leading 21-19, a touchdown would all but seal the game for them. Ashton Jeanty got the ball on 2nd down, but the Bears were ready. Robinson got the jump inside on right tackle DJ Glaze, which was something Dennis Allen discovered from film study. This allowed Robinson to pursue Jeanty. The running back was forced to string the play outside, where several Bears defenders were waiting to bring him down. That forced 3rd down, and the Raiders failed to convert, settling for a field goal. Chicago capitalized with a touchdown drive on the next series to take the lead, and then blocked the final Las Vegas field goal for the win. Robinson’s intelligence and hustle set all of it up.
