USA Today Sports
There are always a handful of plays you can point to in any given football game that changed the outcome. It might be a touchdown pass, long run or fumble recovery. It doesn’t matter as long as the end result is more momentum. There were plenty of plays that gave the Chicago Bears momentum on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but looking back, Jay Cutler‘s trucking of Robert Golden was apparently the one that truly inspired the team.
Here’s the hit by Cutler if you haven’t seen it or you’d like to relive it:
As you can see, the QB won this exchange with the defense. Golden was put on his rear by Cutler and had to feel about this big after the play. But pride aside, it ultimately hurt the Steelers’ chances of winning the game. They were mounting a furious comeback at the time and this run came on a crucial third down play. A few minutes later, Cutler found Earl Bennett in the end zone to put a nail in the Steelers’ coffin.
Related: No Question Cutler is Bears’ Leader
Julius Peppers summed up what the trucking meant for Cutler and the team:
“It was a statement play for him. Whether he meant to do it or not, it gave us a shot of confidence… He’s progressing into the guy a lot of us knew he could be. That potential to be elite, he’s fulfilling it.”
We’ll have to wait and see if this play will be a moment that defines the Bears season. So far it’s been a good one for Chicago, as they currently sit alone at the top of the NFC North with an undefeated record (3-0).
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