Lanz Bullshit Forum » The Broncos say they sense a turnaround coming

The Bears head into their final home game of the 2018 regular season at 9-4. That’s in major part due to their 15-6 victory over one of the NFL’s best teams in the Los Angeles Rams. It wasn’t exactly a thriller in terms of offensive production or the best played game for either team on Sunday night. Yet Sherrick McManis Color Rush Jersey , when it mattered the most in the second half, the Bears put their foot on the gas pedal and pulled out a huge win.The return of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky didn’t exactly go as most had expected or hoped. Despite that, the Bears were able to overcome a poor offensive performance to position themselves within one game of clinching a playoff spot. Which could come as soon as this coming weekend against the Packers.Regardless of how you cut it, the Bears proved most doubters wrong and most importantly, showed that defense still wins championships. This was as big of a statement win as anyone could have asked for. Maybe more. Last night showed the Bears can beat anybody. This close to the playoffs and you have a good confidence booster.While it wasn’t a sexy performance for some, there was plenty to like. Especially on one side of the ball.Vic Fangio and the Bears defenseQuinn Harris-USA TODAY SportsHeading into last night’s game, the headline was simple. It was the best against the best. Top offense versus a top defense. Much like two Thursdays ago when the Dallas Cowboys shocked the NFL and beat the Saints, defense won out again on Sunday night. The Bears defense utterly dominated a usually high-flying Rams offense. So much so that the Rams had less than 100 yards total offense halfway through the third quarter.To put things into perspective, this was a Los Angeles offense that came into the game averaging well over 33 points per game and was top five in total yardage. Yet, the Bears defense came out and completely shut it down, giving up just 214 total yards and six whole points.On top of that, the Bears had four interceptions, another forced fumble, and three sacks on quarterback Jared Goff. All of this while holding running back Todd Gurley to 28 rushing yards on 11 carries (2.5 yards-per-carry): his lowest in a game since 2015.What’s more impressive is that the Rams had been held to under 30 points just twice under Sean McVay, before last night’s game. Their lowest season point total was 23. The Bears quashed that notion completely.Don’t get me wrong. A good offense usually beats a good defense, especially in cold weather. But I don’t think there’s anyone who expected the Bears to shut down the Rams that well. This was more than containing one of the best offensive units in the league. This was about thoroughly dominating a team with no answers for a full 60 minutes. For as good as the Bears defense has been this season, I’m not sure we’ve seen them play as complete of a game as they did last night. Hats off to this entire unit, including its coaching staff. That was a defensive performance for the ages. Jordan HowardMike DiNovo-USA TODAY SportsFor the first time this season Charles Leno Jersey , Howard finally went over 100 yards rushing.While it was long over due, it couldn’t have come at a better time with Trubisky barely eclipsing 100 yards passing while throwing three interceptions.As a team, the Bears rushed for 194 yards. It was Howard who led the charge with 101 yards of his own. In a game where offensive production was hard to come by, controlling the clock was a big key to a victory and that’s exactly what Howard was able to do.He averaged 5.3 yards per carry on the night, including a few big runs. None more sizable than than his 21 yarder on an outside zone run late.It was not only Howard’s best performance of the year, but also one that the Bears hope can get him sparked for the final three regular season games before they head into the playoffs. Another cold weather situation likely awaits the Bears there in an early January home playoff game.Honorable Mention: James DanielsPhoto by Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesWhile Howard may have been the best offensive player on the field, the rookie Daniels played a big role in not only keeping Trubisky relatively clean all night, but in Howard’s performance.Daniels was a big part of the reason that stud defensive tackle Aaron Donald failed to record a sack and only had one pressure. On top of that, Daniels’ athleticism showed multiple times in the run games as he was consistently able to get down hill and to the second level.It’s amazing to think that during the preseason and heading into Week 1, the rookie was deemed “not ready” to start. 13 weeks later, he’s shutting down one of, if not the NFL’s best defensive player. It’s been a steady rise for Daniels over the past month or so. Last night’s performance was easily the best of his young career. That’s what makes him this week’s honorable mention. Chris Harris Jr. insists it's Denver's opponents who are risk averse, not Broncos head coach Vic Fangio.The Broncos (0-3) are the first NFL team ever to head into Week 4 still searching for their first takeaway and first sack, which became an official stat in 1982.Asked Tuesday if Fangio needs to be more aggressive in his play calls, Harris retorted, "He is aggressive. He's calling all-out blitzes. He's calling man (coverage). I don't know what else Coach Fangio can call. He's putting us in every defense possible to be able to make plays."The Broncos' deficient defense is one of the biggest surprises in the budding 100th NFL season, but Harris' reaction suggests he views Fangio's conservative calls as more of a product of circumstance than strategy.Fangio earned his first head coaching opportunity at age 60 this year after designing the NFL's stingiest defense in Chicago, the capstone to a three-decade run as one of the league's most respected defensive coordinators.Pairing him with Von Miller was supposed to be magical https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/Joel-Iyiegbuniwe-Jersey , like it was when Fangio and Khalil Mack teamed up last year to help the Bears end an eight-year playoff drought.Miller, who is two sacks sky of 100 for his career, hasn't had a single hit on the quarterback, much less a sack, in losses at Oakland and Green Bay sandwiched around a last-second defeat to Fangio's old Bears team.On Sunday, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was knocked down just one time, by Bradley Chubb, and said he'd never felt so good after a game as he did following Green Bay's 27-16 win."I need to find a way to play better," said Miller, who was among the first to point the finger of blame at himself for Denver's stumble. "I have to find a way to get sacks and do my job. No one holds me to a higher standard than I do. I could sit here and make excuses, but I got clean rushes (Sunday). I just need to find a way to get the quarterback on the ground."Harris said the pass defenders and the pass rushers need to work better together to end their sackless streak and finally force some turnovers."We have to get on the same page, working together and making sure we have great coverage and great pressure at the same time," Harris said. "We haven't been able to do that."The Broncos have missed new cornerback Bryce Callahan, who injured his surgically-repaired left foot in July, but they did get inside linebacker Todd Davis back last week for the first time since he tore a calf on July 18.Opponents haven't had to take many chances against Denver because the Broncos are averaging fewer than 16 points a game and have only had the lead for 12 minutes so far."These first three games were weird, and we have to be able to force teams into making mistakes," Harris said. "Right now, they're playing very safe. ... Most of the turnovers happen in the passing game and if we can Nick Kwiatkoski Color Rush Jersey , we have to try to get teams to even pass the ball more."The Broncos host the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) Sunday, and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said playing with a lead for a change would allow everyone to loosen up."Yeah, it helps out a lot," Sanders said. "When you're playing with a lead, if we had a 10-point lead, everybody is a little more relaxed, but when you're playing from behind it's like you don't want to say it, but you do play a little tighter because you know every play can determine the outcome of the game."It was the other way around back when Denver was a Super Bowl contender with the Broncos setting the tone and forcing opponents into self-destructing, Sanders said.The Broncos say they sense a turnaround coming, though."I think we have a good enough team to win now," Sanders said. "We've just got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.""Even though we're 0-3, we don't have that end-of-the-world feeling right now," Harris concurred. "We know that we're close. We've done some good things but we have to learn not to beat ourselves. We've been beating ourselves for a couple years lately."GM John Elway is encouraged , too."We've had more good each game and less bad. It just hasn't been good enough," Elway said on the team's website. "I think the mindset is right. We're still working at it. We're disappointed being 0-3 but hopefully we can come home this week against the Jaguars and play like we're capable of and eliminate some of those mistakes, make some big plays and get a victory."Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton