Bortles hits Benn for 51-yard TD, Jaguars beat Bears 17-16
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CHICAGO (AP) Blake Bortles threw for 271 yards and hit a slipping Arrelious Benn for a 51-yard touchdown in the closing minutes, lifting the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 17-16 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The Jaguars (2-3) wiped out a 13-0 deficit in the fourth quarter in a matchup of last-place teams. And the go-ahead touchdown might have been helped by the oft-criticized turf at Soldier Field.
Benn slipped as he caught a slant and so did Tracy Porter as he tried to tag the receiver. That allowed Benn, who spent the past three seasons on injured reserve, to get up and run untouched for his first touchdown in five seasons.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That gave the Jaguars a one-point lead with 2:49 left and sent the Bears (1-5) to another loss after they dropped the previous game to Indianapolis on a late TD pass by Andrew Luck. Chicago came up short despite racking up 389 yards.
The Bears' Brian Hoyer threw for 302 yards - his fourth straight 300-yard game filling in for the injured Jay Cutler (sprained right thumb).
Cameron Meredith had 11 catches for 113 yards. Alshon Jeffery added 93 yards receiving.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Willie Young had two sacks for Chicago. Porter intercepted Bortles in the end zone early on, but Chicago fell to 2-9 at home in two seasons under coach John Fox.
Bortles completed 20 of 33 passes with a touchdown and interception. Allen Hurns added 74 yards receiving, and Chris Ivory ran for a TD for Jacksonville.
LATE RALLY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Jaguars didn't score until the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, when Ivory ran in from the 1 to cut it to 13-7. On their next possession, a strip-sack by Young and recovery by Akiem Hicks gave Chicago the ball at the Jacksonville 28, leading to a field goal by Connor Barth.
But Jacksonville cut the lead back to six with 4:59 remaining on a 30-yard field goal by Jason Myers.
LOCKING DOWN
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Bears had not shut out an opponent in the first half since they did it to Detroit on Oct. 22, 2012. But they took a 10-0 lead to the locker room after dominating in yards (204-97) and time of possession (18:01-11:59). Hoyer threw for 171 yards and Jeffery caught six passes for 90 in the first half.
PICKED OFF
Porter intercepted Bortles in the end zone on Jacksonville's first possession off a pass that popped out of Allen Robinson's hands, stopping a drive that began at the Bears 10.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}INJURY REPORT
Jaguars: FS Tashaun Gipson (knee) was active after being listed as questionable on Saturday. He had been taken off the injury report on Friday. But the Jaguars changed his status on Saturday.
Bears: WR Eddie Royal left with a toe injury in the fourth quarter. ... Besides Cutler, the Bears were missing LB Leonard Floyd (calf), NT Eddie Goldman (ankle) and RB Jeremy Langford (ankle).
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