While much of the attention was on the Chicago Bears' quarterback room heading into the home matchup against the New York Jets, there was an underlying story that came more to light on Sunday.
For two games in a row, the Bears' defense had played incredibly-strong football.
And, for the third-straight week, they did it again.
Against the Jets, Chicago's defense made a statement, allowing just 157 total yards on the day. Meanwhile, the Bears' offense put up more than three times that amount.
The time of possession told the same story, too, as the Bears held the ball for more than 42 minutes. The simple math would then tell you the Bears' defense was on the field for less than 18 minutes.
And if you asked starting linebacker Devin Bush, some of them may have gotten a little bit bored. After the game, Bush caught up with Bears beat reporters and had this to say about the team's overall performance:
"It's one of the easiest NFL games I've ever played in. I'm not sore at all ... I got bored. I got bored a couple times."
Well, if you're a Jets fan reading this, I understand you're a little peeved right about now. But, Bush didn't exactly lie.
The Bears' offense and defense worked hand in hand to the Jets' dismay
The Bears' offense dominated, picking New York apart one play after another. Chicago's offense had five total drives that lasted a minimum of five minutes of game time, including one just over seven minutes and the very last offensive drive of the game being over nine minutes long.
If you're on the field for an average of four minutes per quarter, plus the halftime break, do you even need to shower afterwards?
OK, that's an exaggeration. But, the Bears' defense made quick work of the Jets' offense in Week 4.
Really, the most telling number of all is the Jets having gone 0-for-7 on third down. Aaron Glenn and Frank Reich didn't even attempt a fourth-down conversion in this one.
Bush ended his day with four tackles, including one sack, while being one of six different Bears players to come up with a quarterback hit on Geno Smith. Chicago had Smith uncomfortable all day long. Between pressuring Smith and the secondary playing well against Jets receivers, it isn't any wonder why the Jets punted on five of their eight drives.
One thing to note, in addition to the Bears' strong defensive performance, is the fact that the Jets also shot themselves in the foot several times. New York ended the game with a total of 12 enforced penalties for 76 yards, so they consistently put themselves behind the sticks.
Speaking of which, three of those penalties negated what would have been interceptions by that Jets defense.
Fortunately, New York suffered some self-inflicted wounds which ultimately contributed to the Bears' offense being able to stay on the field that much longer, in the end.
Read more: Rome Odunze showed he heard Ben Johnson's unsubtle message loud and clear
Next up, Bush and his defense will get their first taste of the Bears-Packers rivalry in 2026.
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