Week 4 recap: Bears beat the Rams 24-18 as the offense finds its groove in the second half

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift broke out with 93 rushing yards and 72 receiving yards Sunday at Soldier Field to fuel a 24-18 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

The Bears offense totaled just 97 yards in the first half but broke out in the second half to finish with 264. The victory broke a two-game losing streak after back-to-back road losses.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completed 17-of-23 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.

Swift broke free for a 36-yard touchdown run with 12 minutes, 26 seconds to play in the fourth quarter to put the Bears up 24-15. That play immediately followed Williams’ 22-yard pass to Cole Kmet to get the Bears into Rams territory.

It was Swift’s first touchdown as a Bear and came after he totaled just 68 yards rushing in the first three games.

After Swift’s score, Rams kicker Joshua Karty made a 52-yard field goal to cut the lead to 24-18. Safety Jaquan Brisker sacked Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for a 9-yard loss on second down on the drive.

The Rams (1-3) had one last chance at a drive in the final minute of the game, but Brisker intercepted Stafford on the first play. It was the Bears’ second takeaway of the day after Montez Sweat forced a first-half fumble.

That was Karty’s second field goal of the half after he hit a 25-yarder on their opening drive to cut the Bears’ lead to 10-9.

The Bears (2-2) responded with a 74-yard touchdown drive, capped with Williams’ 9-yard pass to DJ Moore on third-and-5 for a 17-9 lead. The Bears got big plays from Swift and Roschon Johnson on the drive.

Stafford opened the Rams’ ensuing drive with passes of 16 and 25 yards. Kyren Williams eventually ran in for a 3-yard touchdown. But Stafford’s two-point conversion pass was incomplete, and the Bears held onto the lead at 17-15.

Stafford completed 20-of-29 passes for 224 yards, no touchdowns and the interception.

The Bears played the entire second half without left guard Teven Jenkins, who left the game with a ribs injury.

Halftime: Bears lead Rams 10-6

The Bears totaled just 97 yards of offense and committed seven penalties for a loss of 60 yards in the first half Sunday against the Rams. But the Bears still led 10-6 at halftime.

They had a chance to go up by more late in the second quarter.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams hit D’Andre Swift with a short pass that Swift turned into a 27-yard gain and on the next play escaped a sack attempt to hit Swift for an 8-yard gain. Swift gained 7 yards on a carry on the next play to get to the 17-yard line.

But Williams overthrew Rome Odunze in the end zone, took a sack for a 5-yard loss and then overthrew DJ Moore. The Bears instead settled for a 40-yard Cairo Santos field goal.

Williams completed 8-of-13 passes for 71 yards, and Swift had six carries for 26 yards and three catches for 40 yards.

The Bears scored their only touchdown after defensive end Montez Sweat forced Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to fumble and nickel Kyler Gordon recovered it at the Rams 16.

On third down, Rams cornerback Tre’Davious White was called for pass interference in the end zone while defending Keenan Allen. With the ball at the 1-yard line, running back Roshcon Johnson barreled into the end zone for a 7-6 Bears lead.

Johnson’s touchdown erased the bad taste of a painful first few series for the offense.

On the Bears’ first two drives, Williams completed 3-of-4 passes for 13 yards and D’Andre Swift had four carries for 18 yards. Left tackle Braxton Jones was flagged for an illegal blindside block to set the second drive back on the opening play.

Their third drive included five penalties — two defensive holding and a Bears false start, holding and illegal procedure — and ended with a Williams strip-sack, which offensive lineman Matt Pryor recovered.

That left them unable to keep up with even a mediocre Rams effort on offense.

Joshua Karty made a 46-yard field goal late in the first quarter for a 3-0 Rams lead. Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter sacked Stafford for an 8-yard loss when the Rams reached the Bears 30, and the Rams didn’t get the first down on two straight Kyren Williams runs.

The Rams went up 6-0 on Karty’s 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Bears safety Jaquan Brisker appeared to have intercepted Stafford on third down, but a review showed Brisker stepped out of bounds and didn’t reestablish himself inbounds with both feet before jumping to make the pick.

But Karty missed a 43-yard field-goal attempt wide left with 1 minute, 1 second to play in the second quarter to allow the Bears to keep the lead.

Bears left guard Teven Jenkins went down with a ribs injury during a Williams running play in the second quarter and walked slowly to the locker room. Pryor moved to left guard, and Nate Davis entered at right guard. The Bears announced Jenkins was questionable to return.

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