3 and Out: Bills bash Bears with run game, shut down Justin Fields in 35-13 rout

The Buffalo Bills’ run game and defense picked up an often shaky Josh Allen in a 35-13 win over the Bears on a cold and windy Saturday afternoon at Soldier Field. Here’s what you need to know:

Three moments that mattered

1. Put a bow on it: With 1:02 remaining, Allen found tight Dawson Knox for the exclamation point, a 13-yard TD score. Five different Bills scored TDs on the afternoon. Buffalo clinched the AFC East with the win.

2. Like a hot knife in butter: With 5:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bills had already amassed a season-high 236 rushing yards. Even on a shaky day for Allen, who was 15 of 26 with two TDs and two interceptions, Buffalo’s run game had no problem picking its QB up. The Bills finished with 254 rushing yards.

3. Fun while it lasted: The Bears’ opening possession gave early promise for a competitive game. QB Justin Fields and company amassed an eight-play, 64-yard scoring possession that was capped by Fields’ 6-yard TD to a wide-open Dante Pettis. After that, the offense stalled, majorly.

Three things that worked

1. Morrow, Thomas and Adams: With rookie linebacker Jack Sanborn, who had shined in recent weeks, lost to injury for the remainder of the season, Nick Morrow, Joe Thomas and Matt Adams performed admirably in the banged-up linebacker corps. The trio combined for 17 tackles, and Morrow had an interception with 12:58 left in the fourth quarter.

2. Bounce back: Credit where credit is due, embattled rookie Velus Jones Jr. rebounded from last week’s forgettable performance. He produced 113 yards on kick returns and had a 44-yard catch. The third-round selection has been under the microscope. He needed Saturday’s performance on multiple levels.

3. Second-round returns: Rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon had his third career interception in the second quarter, his second straight game with a pick. Rookie safety Jaquan Brisker later knifed in for his fourth sack of the season. General manager Ryan Poles’ second-round draft selections largely have graded well this season, which helps shorten his offseason shopping list just a bit and makes roster-construction decisions easier moving forward.

Three things that didn’t

1. Running wild: Among the Bears’ overall team weaknesses, perhaps no clearer one is the D-Line. The Bills gashed the defense for a combined 205 rushing yards from James Cook and Devin Singletary alone. Per ESPN Stats and Info, the Bears have allowed five rushing touchdowns of over 30 yards, which is the most in the NFL this season.

2. QB hits: Continuing on the D-Line deficiencies, defensive end Trevis Gipson snapped a five-game stretch in which a Bears defensive end had not recorded a quarterback hit, with his QB hit in the third quarter. It’s, again, a massive indication Poles should be investing major resources into that position group this offseason.

3. Musical chairs: The Bears had their eighth different starting offensive line combination with both Teven Jenkins and Cody Whitehair unavailable. With 10:29 left in the fourth quarter, the Bears had amassed just 7 rushing yards in the second half. The weather dictates play-calling to a point, but it’s hard to give offensive coordinator Luke Getsy a total pass for his second half decisions; especially when running clearly wasn’t effective.

What’s next?

The Bears travel to Detroit and face the Lions at noon Sunday, Jan. 1.