The Chicago Bears delivered their most impressive victory seen in a long time on Thanksgiving. Things weren’t exactly set up in their favor. Mitch Trubisky was out with a shoulder injury and the team was forced to play their third game in 12 days. This one just 85 hours after beating the Vikings on an emotional Sunday night. It would be a lot to ask of any team to win under those conditions. Danny Trevathan knew that.
Did he use it as an excuse? Nope. The inside linebacker, ever the leader, recognized it as an opportunity push his team towards greatness. Trevathan has already played on a special defense before. He was a key cog of the 2015 Denver Broncos. A unit that dominated Super Bowl 50 and basically won the game by themselves.
When he chose to sign with the Bears in 2016, he understood the history of Chicago defense. There’s no question he wants to be part of it and this group he’s with now gives him that opportunity. What the Bears defense of 2018 is doing is something people haven’t seen in years, and it may have delivered its signature moment in Detroit.
Danny Trevathan delivered key speech right before Kyle Fuller interception
The greatness started the second-to-last drive of the game when Eddie Jackson telegraphed a Matthew Stafford pass and took it to the house for a go-ahead touchdown. While a phenomenal play, the Lions still had plenty of time to get the ball back and tie the game. It looked like that’s what they were ready to do, driving inside the Bears 10-yard line with just over a minute left.
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Gassed and badly needing another big play, Trevathan sensed the moment and delivered a message to his teammates according to JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports.
After Stafford and Kenny Golladay couldn’t connect for a touchdown on second and nine (with some help from Kyle Fuller), inside linebacker Danny Trevathan brought the defense together and delivered a message that resonated with every player who heard it:
This is the moment where the Bears defense becomes legendary. Trevathan broke the huddle with a “legendary on three” message. And a few seconds later, Fuller intercepted Stafford in the end zone, sealing a gutsy, hard-fought 23-16 win on Thanksgiving.
“It was just me feeling like this is our opportunity to showcase we’re for real on this defense,” Trevathan said. “We can put away games. And I wanted them to know that this is a statement game. This could be legendary, man. Let’s keep writing our story. We’re writing a story right now that’s not done yet, and let’s never let it be done until we feel like it’s done.”
Wow.
Every previous great Bears defense has delivered a signature game over the years. A game where people realized they’re not just another good group but something special. In 1985 it was their smothering of the Dallas Cowboys in a 44-0 shutout. In 2006 it was the epic comeback against Arizona fueled by two defensive scores.
This game feels like that signature moment for the 2018 Bears defense. Backs to the wall in a tie game on less than four days of rest, they delivered two interceptions on the final two drives. One to get the lead and one to keep it. Legendary indeed.
