Jay Cutler threw for three touchdowns and ran for another and Chris Harris came up with a game-clinching interception as the host Chicago Bears won a wild 38-34 shootout over the New York Jets on Sunday.
Matt Forte ran for 113 yards and a touchdown, ending the Jets’ NFL-best 21-game stretch without allowing a 100-yard rusher.
Chicago (11-4) can now clinch a first-round bye with a win over Green Bay next week. The Jets (10-5), meanwhile, still clinched a playoff berth when Jacksonville lost to Washington in overtime.
In an unexpectedly high-scoring affair, Cutler’s third touchdown pass of the second half gave the Bears a 38-31 lead with 6:14 left in the third.
Nick Folk’s second field goal, three seconds into the fourth quarter, cut the deficit to 38-34. But the Bears’ defense held the Jets in check the rest of the way.
New York had one final chance. The Jets had the ball at their own 28 yard line with less than a minute left, but Harris intercepted Mark Sanchez on the first play of the drive to seal the win.
Sanchez, who has been battling a sore shoulder, finished 24 of 37 for 269 yards and a touchdown.
N.Y. Jets | Chicago | |
Shonn Greene | Player | Matt Forte |
12 | Attempts | 19 |
70 | Yards | 113 |
5.8 | Avg Yards | 6.0 |
1 | Touchdowns | 1 |
18 | Long | 32 |
N.Y. Jets | Chicago | |
Dustin Keller | Player | Johnny Knox |
7 | Receptions | 4 |
79 | Yards | 92 |
11.3 | Avg Yards | 23.0 |
0 | Touchdowns | 2 |
26 | Long | 40 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
N.Y. Jets | 393 | 124 | 269 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2.0 | 0 |
Chicago | 322 | 120 | 202 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2 |