The win in Detroit on Thanksgiving had plenty of stars. Mitch Trubisky led the way with 338 yards and three touchdown passes. Anthony Miller posted a career-high 140 yards receiving. David Montgomery averaged 4.7 yards per carry and made the winning touchdown catch. Roquan Smith made 15 tackles and two sacks. Eddie Jackson had the game-sealing interception and Jesper Horsted made a magnificent TD grab. However, while they were the stars, cornerback Kyle Fuller was the hero.
While he hasn’t quite been the All-Pro he was last year, Fuller remains the best cornerback on the Bears roster. He leads the team with three interceptions and has been close to several others. However, his biggest play of 2019 was not a turnover. It was a tackle. An incredibly tough and possibly season-defining tackle.
It came at the start of the 3rd quarter. Detroit was driving deep into the red zone and threatening to score a touchdown. If they succeeded, it felt like it might be a backbreaker for the Bears. On 3rd and 1, J.D. McKissic got the handoff and bounced outside to his right. Fuller was caught in a desperate situation. He was the only one anywhere near the running back. If he missed, McKissic would walk in for a score.
Fuller read and reacted, making a full out diving attempt, just catching the feet of McKissic who stumbled to the ground for a one-yard loss. It was an outstanding play, forcing the Lions to settle for a field goal. Bears fans everywhere collectively exhaled.
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Kyle Fuller kept the game close long enough for offense to respond
That Detroit drive lasted 15 plays and took 8:57 off the clock. A touchdown would’ve broken the spirit of the Bears. Instead Fuller’s tackle seemed to keep the team buoyed just enough. The two teams traded punts to start the 4th quarter. Then, facing 90 yards to go with 6:40 left, Trubisky and Miller ignited a march that ended in a touchdown to take the lead. The Lions tried to get down the field in the final two minutes to score, but a Roquan sack and Jackson interception ended those hopes.
While it may not have been a flashy interception or a big hit, Fuller’s play demonstrated the vital importance of tackling on defense. It’s a shunned statistic right up until the defense needs one the most. This one may get lost in the shuffle down the line but it shouldn’t. It was a brilliant play by a great player. Depending on how things go down the stretch, it could end up being one of the key plays that saved the Bears’ 2019 season.
