{"id":135612,"date":"2022-09-25T22:59:48","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T02:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=135612"},"modified":"2022-11-21T12:55:02","modified_gmt":"2022-11-21T17:55:02","slug":"chicago-bears-matt-eberflus-kindle-vildor-kyler-gordon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/09\/25\/chicago-bears-matt-eberflus-kindle-vildor-kyler-gordon\/","title":{"rendered":"Bears HC Opens Up About Young Secondary Following Week 3 Victory"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Bears snuck out of Soldier Field with a win on Sunday, beating the visiting Houston Texans 23-20. It was a game that saw the Bears rack up 281 rushing yards while winning the time-of-possession and turnover battles. And yet, they needed a late interception by Roquan Smith<\/a> just to set them up for an opportunity to win.<\/p>\n

A defense that allowed 237 passing yards, and 329 total, gave up just 40 yards total in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Bears’ Matt Eberflus Sounds Off On Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor<\/h2>\n

Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor Shine<\/h3>\n

The Bears came into this game down starting cornerback Jaylon Johnson<\/a> and would see safety Eddie Jackson<\/a> exit during the contest. Still, the Bears allowed the Texans to score just six points in the second half after giving up a touchdown in each of the first two quarters. And they got even stronger as the game wore on, a testament to their head coach.<\/p>\n

Texans quarterback Davis Mills threw 19 passes for 144 yards in the second half.<\/p>\n

Only 49 of those came in the fourth quarter despite Mills having just one fewer passing attempt than the previous quarter.<\/p>\n

Third-year corner Kindle Vildor<\/a> was in coverage on Jordan Akins\u2019 touchdown and got beat for a few plays through the game. He said after the game that he knew the Texans could look to target him in the passing game.<\/p>\n

He also said that the Bears \u201cknow we\u2019re a fourth-quarter team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vildor finished the game with five total tackles, three solo, and a career-high two passes defensed, one of which directly led to Jackson\u2019s interception in the endzone. Eberflus talked about his young stepping up when it mattered most during his postgame media availability.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChicagoBears\/status\/1574093078255878150<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they performed decent. They did a nice job. And there\u2019s certainly, I just talked to both of them in there, \u2018Hey, everything\u2019s a learning experience. And you can get better from every performance. We won the game today, we\u2019re going to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rookie Kyler Gordon<\/a> has had an up-and-down start to his career. But he showed his athleticism and nose for the football making a play on a one-handed pass deflection that forced fourth down. Fellow rookie Jaylon Jones<\/a> filled in for the injured Johnson\u00a0and, as his coach said, played well.<\/p>\n

Credit to the D-Line<\/h3>\n

It wasn\u2019t just the Bears\u2019 secondary that stepped up when needed. They also got big plays from Smith and fellow linebacker Nicholas Morrow<\/a>. Smith finished with a team-high 10 total tackles and six solos along with what was essentially the game-winning interception. After the game, he noted his contract status and said he was \u201cjust trying to do what I need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morrow had three tackles (one tackle for loss) including back-to-back stops on third downs to force punts on the Texans\u2019 first two possessions of the fourth quarter before Smith\u2019s pick.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFLonCBS\/status\/1574156796515721223<\/p>\n

The veteran noted he didn\u2019t have the game he would have liked but was happy with the win.<\/p>\n

He also gave plenty of credit to the Bears\u2019 defensive front which ranked just 17th in Pass Rush Win Rate<\/a> but is sixth in Run Stop Win Rate<\/a> coming in saying everything starts with them. Texans running back Dameon Pierce tallied 40 of his 80 rushing yards on one drive and defensive tackle Angelo Blackson<\/a> tipped the pass that Smith picked.<\/p>\n

Asked if there was any additional pressure on the defense to carry the weight with the offense still scuffling along, Morrow shook that notion off saying that, as a professional, a football player needs to be focused on helping get the win regardless.<\/p>\n

Bears Record Offers Hope<\/h3>\n

The Bears are 2-1 despite playing two of ESPN\u2019s preseason top-10 teams<\/a> in both the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers to start the season. Their struggles against the Texans who came in allowing the eighth-most passing yards are cause for concern. But Eberflus continues to preach patience with Fields and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy<\/a> finishing their third game together.<\/p>\n

That message is a lot easier to sell when the team is winning.<\/p>\n

Chicago Bears Could Have ‘Major Issues’ With Star Wideout<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n