The Chicago Bears and the New York Giants met in their NFL clash at Soldier Field in a game neither side could afford to lose.
Both teams were coming into the game of defeats in week five and were looking for a spark to re-ignite their campaigns.
The Bears came out victorious with a 27-21 win as Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw three interceptions, two of which were costly as one was returned for a touchdown and the other ended a potential game-winning drive.
Marc Trestman's side moved to 4-2 in their campaign with the win and go back to the top of the NFC North while Tom Coughlin's team slipped to their sixth straight defeat with a 0-6 record, with their season all but over.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL clash between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants.
The Bears are looking to bounce back following their week five defeat to the New Orleans Saints as they fell to 3-2 in their season.
Marc Trestman's side are in desperate need of a win to get their season back on track and re-establish themselves as the force in the NFC North to dislodge the Detroit Lions at the top.
Quarterback Jay Cutler had an excellent start to the season but has struggled in the past two games committing several turnovers, which have resulted in two losses for his side.
The Bears defense have also struggled in the past two weeks as they've given up 66 points to the Saints and the Lions in their last two games. They can't afford to do that tonight if Cutler struggles.
The Giants have had a horror show this season as they are yet to register a win and have fallen to five consecutive defeats. They are rock bottom of the NFC East and quarterback Eli Manning has thrown more interceptions than any other QB this season.
Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat just one season after winning the Super Bowl and another defeat tonight will crank up the pressure further on the oldest head coach in the NFL. His side's porous defense will have to step up against Cutler and co tonight to give them a chance of picking up their first win of the campaign.
The inactives list have just been revealed and we'll start with the home side.
BEARS INACTIVES: Walters, Brown, Scott, Maneri, Paea, Washington, Tillman.
GIANTS INACTIVES: Wilson, Webster, Baas, Robinson, Hosley, Taylor, Nassib.
The Bears have been dealt a blow as they will be without All-Pro cornerback Charles Tillman tonight, Manning and the Giants could look to expose that weakness. Trestman's side are also low on defensive tackles and that stock has been further depleted by the loss of Stephen Paea, who is inactive with an injury tonight.
If the Giants are to pick up their first win of the season, they will have to do it without starting running back David Wilson. The 22-year-old sustained an injury against the Philadelphia Eagles and has been deemed unfit to feature tonight. Starting cornerback Corey Webster and starting center David Baas are also out to make life even harder for Manning and Coughlin.
COIN TOSS RESULT: The Bears have won the toss and deferred so Manning and the Giants will start on offense.
Gould kicks the ball out of the endzone and Manning will start at the 20.
INTERCEPTION BEARS!
Manning throws his 13th interception of the season as he releases the ball quickly looking for Nicks on a curl route but Bowman makes a play on the ball and beats the receiver to it making the catch and running it back to the 15.
The Bears are frustrated by some stout defending by the Giants as they double cover Brandon Marshall forcing Cutler to run on first and he can only pick up two yards. Matt Forte on two runs on second and third can only find six. However, the Bears opt to go for it on fourth.
The Giants make the stand as Cutler looks for Marshall on a crossing route on fourth and the receiver drops the ball on the three-yard line. An important stand and Manning will take over.
Jacobs does well for the Giants as he finds a huge gap over the right-hand side of the line on first down and he picks up the 10 yards and some more to get his side off their goalline. That run was worth 16 yards.
Manning finds a first down for his side as the Bears give him all the time in the world to pick out Randle over the middle as he sits down in the zone to move the chains. That reception is worth 20 yards.
TOUCHDOWN BEARS!
Crikey! Manning throws his second interception of the game and this time it's returned all the way for a touchdown for the Bears as Jennings reads his throw all the way and makes the pick and runs the ball to the endzone for a 48-yard score. It doesn't get better on second viewing, there was no-one there to throw to, so either Manning or Randle made the mistake. Ugly football.
Manning comes back out on the field again and shows good mental strength on third down to find Cruz on third down on a curl route to pickup 10 yards. Every throw looks a struggle at the moment.
Another completion for a first down from the Giants as Manning throws across his body with good protection from his line and finds Cruz on a comeback route for 11 yards and another set of downs.
Jacobs has done extremely well on this drive as he powers over the right-hand side of the line to pickup another set of downs with a 13-yard run and moves his side deep into Chicago territory. They need a performance from him tonight to ease the pressure on Manning.
Manning is back in a groove and a throw to Nicks on a slant route moves his team to the five-yard line, where the Giants will have first and goal and a chance to respond.
TOUCHDOWN GIANTS!
Jacobs get his side back into the game with a bruising three-yard run for a touchdown over the right-hand side of the line as he crashes through a tackle from Briggs and goes over for the score. The Giants needed that desperately.
Hester returns the ball to the 15 where Cutler and co will begin.
Cutler couldn't find Marshall in their first series but he wastes no time going to him this time as he throws the ball up high for the receiver on the left-hand side of the field and Marshall makes an excellent catch going up at least eight feet to make the grab for 20 yards.
Cutler gets his side moving again as he throws a pass short to Forte on a swing pass and he does well to power through a tackle and pick up 13 yards. Then the quarterback goes back to Marshall on a slant route and to pick up 11 more yards. The Bears are rolling.
Cutler fools the Giants defense on play-action and he finds full-back Fiammetta in the flat and he has an open field in front of him and he manages to get to the 10-yard line with a pickup of 30 yards before Thomas brings him down.
Forte runs straight into a pile of Giants players on first down and that will be that for the first quarter as Cutler chooses to seek the advice of Trestman.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: New York Giants 7-7 Chicago Bears
TOUCHDOWN BEARS!
The Bears go in for the score as Cutler finds Marshall over the middle on a slant route for a 10-yard touchdown. The 28-year-old was wide open in the endzone, somehow, as no Giants defender went with him. More questionable play from the visitors.
Jernigan catches the kick from Gould in the endzone and takes a knee, so Manning and co will begin at the 20.
The Giants pick up a crucial first down on third as Manning gets all the time in the world again and he finds tight end Pascoe over the middle. He takes a hit short of the marker but manages to stay on his feet to pickup 13 yards.
Manning looks in a good rhythm now as he goes back into a three-step drop and fires a throw to Nicks on a slant route, who beats the initial tackle of Jenning and drives across the first down marker for 11 yards before Conte knocks him out of bounds.
The Giants are rolling as Cruz beats his man with a clever move to get open down the left-hand side and Manning throws a dart to him to pickup the first down and 13 more yards.
TOUCHDOWN GIANTS!
The Giants are level as Manning throws deep down the right-hand sideline after fooling safety Wright with a bluff down the middle and picks out Randle. The receiver catches the ball on the five-yard line and powers over two defenders to get in for the score. That was a 37-yard touchdown from the former LSU man.
The Bears start on the 20 and for the first time tonight they have success on the ground as Forte powers through the line for gains on seven yards and four to pickup the first down.
Cutler moves his side into Giants territory as he fires a strike down the right-hand sideline for Jeffrey on a curl route for a reception of 27 yards as Thomas bit on a deep route and paid the price.
Former Giant, Bennett keeps the chains moving as he runs a out route to the left sideline and Cutler throws the ball inside to him and he is able to move the chains with a 13-yard pickup with a good block from Marshall aiding him.
Marshall is at it again for the Bears as he runs a slant route and beats Amukamara in coverage for a five-yard gain to get another set of downs after Pierre-Paul jumped early and was penalised for offside.
Forte this time picks up the slack for the Bears as he runs through the middle for nine yards to move his side to the three-yard line and he gets an extra yard to give his side first and goal at the two. It's been all offense so far in this game.
TOUCHDOWN BEARS!
The Bears answer the Giants score immediately as Cutler finds Marshall for a two-yard strike in the endzone as he beats the coverage of Thomas and the quarterback throws the ball low, where only the receiver can catch if for the touchdown.
Jernigan gets a good return on Gould's kick this time as he finds space on the right and he manages to run it back to the 41, where the Giants' offense will start.
The Giants go three and out as Manning's throw to Nicks on third down goes straight through his hands forcing Weatherford to punt for the first time tonight. His kick goes into the endzone, so Cutler and his offense will begin on the 20.
Forte finds space on a toss to the left of the line on first down and runs through a couple of tackles to secure another set of downs with a 13-yard run.
Cutler drills a short pass to Bennett on a hitch route as the ball somehow evades the outstretched hand of Beason and he runs to midfield to complete a reception of 15 yards to keep the chains moving.
Cutler runs for nine yards on a scramble and evading the rush setting up his side in good field position for a late strike here.
Bush picks up a crucial yard on third down after Forte was stacked up on second and the Bears keep moving down the field, they're on the Giants' 41 at the moment.
Cutler finds Marshall over the middle of the field for another 12 yards but the clock keeps moving as the Bears have only one timeout and they're forced to use it.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
Gould nails a kick from 40 yards as the Bears offense ran out of time to go for the endzone after just one shot as Cutler overthrew Earl Bennett on a go route. Some questionable clock management from the home side at the end of the half.
HALF-TIME: New York Giants 14-24 Chicago Bears
The Bears have the lead at the half and they're good value for it as their offense have been unstoppable in the first two quarters. Cutler has looked in the endzone and the Giants haven't had an answer for Marshall. They could have added another seven before the half but some questionable clock management cost them the extra four points, hopefully for them that won't prove to be an error.
Manning's struggles this season continued as he threw two early interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Jennings. However, after that he settled down but he will need a lot of help from his teammates to avoid his side slipping to 0-6.
Hester finds space on the kickoff and runs right through the middle to run to his side's 26 where Cutler and his offense will start.
Cutler and his offense are rolling straightaway as he fools the Giants defense with play-action and hits Marshall on a curl route for 15 yards and they have another set of downs immediately.
Cutler runs for the first down himself with a nine-yard pickup and the Bears get fortunate with a harsh penalty call on the Giants as Hill is penalised for unnecessary roughness for tapping the quarterback's helmet.
A huge run by Forte, which would have moved his side to the five-yard line is erased by a hold by center Garza, which backs up the Bears on second and 20. They can't get the yardage back on either of the two downs forcing Gould into a 52-yard field goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
Gould nails his kick between the posts and extends the Bears' lead to 13 points.
Jernigan returns Gould's kick to the 21, where Manning will begin again.
SACK! Manning is brought down on third and 12 by Briggs as the Bears bring pressure up the middle for the sack of the night. The quarterback got out of jail on the previous play as he was almost brought down at his one-yard line but somehow found Scott throwing across his body.
Weatherford's punt is collected by Hester but he's hit at the 40 straightaway by James and fumbles the ball. Fortunately for the Bears they gather the ball but are set back to their 29 for an illegal block.
The Bears are moving immediately as Jeffrey gets the ball on the end-around and he runs the ball down the left-hand side of the field for 15 yards before he is pushed out of bounds by Hill. Tight end Rosario created space for the run with a great block on defensive end Tuck.
Forte runs twice for gains of seven and three yards again to move the chains for the Bears. Everything appears to be moving in sync for Cutler's offense at the moment.
Martellus Bennett comes back into the game as Cutler throws a strike to him on a hitch route and he hurdles a tackle from Mundy and gets 13 yards to setup another set of downs for his side.
The Giants finally make a defensive stand as they stop the run effectively on first and second down and Cutler's pass to Bush falls incomplete on third. Podlesh punts for the first time in the game and Randle is forced to take the fair catch at his side's eight.
Manning gets a good throw off down the right-hand sideline between the cornerback and the safety and hits Cruz in stride for a first down and a pickup of 23 yards. The Giants need a score here!
After Jacobs is held to two yards on two carries on first and second down Manning picks up a vital third down conversion as the Bears bring the house on a blitz but he manages to find Nicks for 31 yards on a curl route.
Manning again manages to pickup another vital first down to move his side to the 14-yard line as he evades the blitz and finds Randle on a curl route for a 18-yard reception. Randle gets lucky as he slams the ball to the ground in frustration and the Bears recover, but the officials rule he had given himself up. Really fortunate call for Randle!
The Giants get another fortunate call as Jennings is flagged for pass interference on Cruz, with a not a lot in the call but it moves the Giants to the one-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN GIANTS!
Jacobs runs right through the middle of the line to get his side back in the game with a one-yard score for the touchdown. A few fortunate plays for the Giants on that drive, could that be the spark they need to re-ignite their season.
Hester returns the ball to the 16-yard line before he's brought down, which will end the quarter.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: New York Giants 21-27 Chicago Bears
The Bears move the chains straightaway as Cutler goes deep looking for Jeffrey but he drops the ball however, the yellow flags are out and Amukamara is penalised for holding the receiver.
Cutler makes an excellent throw on third down to help his side move the chains as under pressure he loops a ball over to the right sideline and Forte makes the catch and picks up the yardage needed for a first down.
Martellus Bennett shows his worth to the Bears as he runs yet another hitch route and he beats another tackle to find the first down with a 16-yard reception. He has done that more than once this evening.
Cutler is penalised on third down as the Bears look to keep their drive alive as he has to throw the ball away under pressure. He is flagged for intentional grounding and it forces the home side to punt and Podlesh's kick is caught by Randle at the eight.
Jacobs moves the chains with 16-yard run with the Giants' first play as he powers over the left-hand side of the line. A score here for the Giants would make things interesting.
The Giants' drive stalls as Manning is flushed from the pocket on third down and throws the ball over the head of Nicks on the sideline. An official throws a flag for pass interference but is overruled as the ball was deemed uncatchable.
Weatherford kicks the ball out of bounds at the Chicago 35 where Cutler has a chance to ice the game for the home side with a scoring drive.
Cutler fires a strike over the middle of the field to Marshall on a hitch route for eight yards to move the chains for his side after Forte picked up two on the ground on first.
The Bears can't put the Giants away as they hold on defense again as Cutler tries to hit Earl Bennett deep on a back shoulder fade on third but his pass falls incomplete. Podlesh's punt is collected at the 11 by Randle.
Deja vu as Jacobs reels off another huge run over the left-hand side of his offensive line for 14 yards this time to move his side out of their own redzone.
Manning dances around the pocket avoiding the rush from the Bears and he eventually finds Nicks on a curl route down the left-hand sideline for 11 yards. It was a big catch by Nicks after a huge drop on first on a slant route, which could have seen him burst clear.
The Giants move to the Bears 37 as Scott runs through the line for 13 yards and the play before that was a 12 yarder by Jacobs. The visitors are having a lot of success on the ground at the moment. Can they get the score here?
INTERCEPTION BEARS!
Manning is intercepted for the third time in the game and this one could be the killer as his pass down the seam looking for Myers is too high and the tight end can only tip the ball to Jennings, who makes the catch and goes down at the 20. Poor throw by Manning as he may have cost his team the game.
Cutler finds the first down for his side as he fires a strike to Marshall on third down and the Giants are out of timeouts. The visitors committed a penalty anyway, which would have handed the Bears another set of downs no matter what.
The Giants use their final timeout and that should be that from Soldier Field and the visitors will fall to 0-6 on their season.
The Bears kill the clock and the game is over. They move to 4-2 in their season with a comprehensive victory.
FULL-TIME: New York Giants 21-27 Chicago Bears
The Giants drop to 0-6 for the first time since the 1976 season and their campaign seems all but over now. Manning's three interceptions this evening have cost his side, who did well to stay in the game for as long as they did, but their efforts were futile. The Giants may now need to look at their plans for next season.
The Bears needed that win desperately and although they weren't at their best or in full health they did enough to secure the victory to move to the top of the NFC North.
Thanks for joining our commentary this morning. We'll be back with all the NFL action this Sunday, until then, goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
