3 Takeaways from Bears' Week 17 Win

The Chicago Bears saw a familiar face across the field Sunday afternoon. Journeyman quarterback Mike Glennon, who played for the team in 2017, was under center for the New York Giants. And the Bears made sure he didn't have an enjoyable return to Soldier Field.

Chicago's defense shut down Glennon and New York in a 29-3 victory. The Bears forced four turnovers, including a pair of interceptions, and held the Giants to 151 total yards while improving to 6-10 with their second consecutive win.

By the midway point in the first quarter, Chicago had a 14-0 lead. David Montgomery scored on a 2-yard touchdown run 18 seconds into the game, the first of his two rushing scores on the day.

Here are three takeaways from the Bears' Week 17 win.

This is the longest season in NFL history, with every team in the league playing 17 regular-season games. However, Robert Quinn didn't need that extra contest to break a longstanding Bears record.

Quinn notched his 18th sack of the year Sunday, breaking Chicago's single-season record, which was held by Richard Dent, who had 17.5 sacks in 1984. Quinn sacked Glennon in the fourth quarter and then the Bears called a timeout to allow him to get a standing ovation.

Throughout the game, Chicago's players were hoping to see Quinn reach the historic mark.

"People just didn't let me forget about it all day," Quinn said, per Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press. "While I was just trying to brush it off and play football. Even by the guys on the bench. They just want to see a teammate, brother, everyone be successful."

The entire Bears defense was successful Sunday. Trevis Gipson had two sacks, Tashaun Gipson Sr. and Deon Bush each recorded an interception and Angelo Blackson had a sack and a safety.

Andy Dalton's first (and perhaps only) season with the Bears hasn't gone quite as he or the team had hoped. The 34-year-old has missed time because of injuries, and he's had some struggles when he's been on the field. But on Sunday, Dalton had a solid showing in helping lead Chicago to victory.

Dalton went 18-of-35 for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He connected with Darnell Mooney on a 4-yard TD pass that pushed the Bears' lead to 14-0 with 8:08 to go in the first quarter. A groin injury meant it was his first action since Week 13.

"It's nice to have one of these happen, for sure," Dalton said, per The Athletic's Adam Jahns. "You know how this league is. You never know how it's going to go. Games are won a lot of different ways. [With] everything that's gone on this year, this one felt good."

Justin Fields, who has played sporadically during his rookie season, is Chicago's future franchise quarterback. So it's possible that Dalton, as well as fellow veteran backup Nick Foles, won't return in 2022.

Fields is out with an ankle injury, so Dalton may get another start in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings. If he does, he will get an opportunity to have a strong finish to his challenging season.

No matter what happens in Week 18, it will be the Bears' final game of the season. They are taking on the Vikings, their NFC North rivals who have also already been eliminated from playoff contention. So there won't be much at stake at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.

It could be Matt Nagy's last game as Chicago's head coach. The Bears will have an opportunity to end the season on a three-game winning streak, but that may not be enough for Nagy to keep his job following the first losing campaign of his four-year tenure.

Chicago got off to a 3-2 start in 2021 but went on to lose eight of its next nine games. It's been playing better of late, having won its past two games against the Seattle Seahawks and New York, and it could beat a Minnesota team that has struggled recently.

As for Nagy, he's not thinking about what could come after Sunday's road matchup.

"I take it day by day," Nagy said, per The Athletic's Jon Greenberg. "If it goes that way, it's meant to be. And at the same point in time, I'm so stuck in today's game and the feeling that I have that I don't even have time to really...I haven't thought about that."

So even though the Bears may end the season on a positive note, there could be change on the horizon.