Coach Matt Nagy opened his post-game press conference Sunday night with a special message to the raucous fans who attended the Bears' 15-6 win over the Rams at Soldier Field.
"No. 1, I have to make sure that our fans understand how amazing that was," Nagy said. "Absolutely amazing. We're so thankful. We gave the game ball to the city and the fans. That's what it's all about. This is all about us and doing this together. Our players appreciate it."
Constant noise from the Bears faithful was like a 12th defender on the field for an opportunistic defense that completely shut down one of the NFL's most potent offenses. The Rams entered Week 14 averaging 34.9 points per game, but they were held without a touchdown Sunday night.
"It was absolutely electrifying from start to finish," Nagy said. "It was just powerful."
Playing takeaway: The Bears intercepted four passes Sunday night for the first time this season. It was their most since Oct. 1, 2012 when they had five picks against Tony Romo in a 34-18 win over the Cowboys on Monday Night Football in Dallas.
Kyle Fuller recorded his seventh interception of the year. He's tied for the NFL lead with the Dolphins' Xavien Howard. The seven picks are the most by a Bears player since Tim Jennings led the league with nine in 2012. The Bears' single-season record belongs to Mark Carrier, who led the NFL with 10 interceptions as a rookie in 1990.
Eddie Jackson, Roquan Smith and Prince Amukamara also had interceptions. The Bears lead the league with 25 picks, one more than they totaled the previous three seasons combined when they registered eight each year. Eleven different Bears players have an interception this season.
The Bears now have an NFL-high 34 takeaways, one more than they recorded the prior two years combined when they had 11 in 2016 and 22 in 2017. They have produced multiple takeaways in 11 of 13 games and have had a negative turnover differential in only one contest this year.
Making history: Sunday night's win assured Nagy of becoming the first Bears coach since George Halas retired after the 1967 season to finish with a winning record in his first year.
Of the 10 coaches between Halas and Nagy, eight had losing records in their first years and two compiled 500 marks. Here are those 10 coaches and how they fared in their first seasons: Jim Dooley (7-7 in 1968), Abe Gibron (4-9-1 in 1972), Jack Pardee (4-10 in 1975), Neill Armstrong (7-9 in 1978), Mike Ditka (3-6 in 1982), Dave Wannstedt (7-9 in 1993), Dick Jauron (6-10 in 1999), Lovie Smith (5-11 in 2004), Marc Trestman (8-8 in 2013) and John Fox (6-10 in 2015).
News and notes: Jordan Howard rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries, his first 100-yard game of the season and his 13th in three seasons with the Bears. … Tarik Cohen's 32-yard run was a season long, besting a trio of 21 yards. His career long is a 46-yarder in his first NFL game in last year's season opener against the Falcons. … The Bears improved to 9-0 this season when holding an opponent to under 24 points. … The Bears' win eliminated the Packers from contending for the NFC North title. Green Bay is still in the hunt for a wildcard berth, however.
