Bears running back Tarik Cohen didn’t know what to think when he caught a touch pass from quarterback Mitch Trubisky in the first quarter Sunday, turned around and saw no defenders to elude.
‘‘I was kind of nervous not to see anybody,’’ Cohen said. ‘‘I just saw green grass, so I just took it.’’
Cohen took 70 yards of it, to be exact. He turned a short screen pass into a long touchdown in the Bears’ 24-10 victory against the Jets at Soldier Field.
‘‘It was just a great call by the offensive staff,’’ Cohen said. ‘‘We ran a screen to a blitz, and usually that’s a good thing.’’
It turned out to be the best thing to happen to the Bears in the first half.
Cohen’s release through the lines, where he initially acted as a blocker against linebacker Avery Williamson, allowed him to slip free. Williamson rushed Trubisky, but he still was responsible for Cohen.
‘‘I just had to hug [Cohen] up,’’ Williamson told reporters after the game. ‘‘On that play, I had to take him. I just swam him, and I realized when it was too late.’’
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Cohen actually beat his blockers, left guard James Daniels and center Cody Whitehair, into the open field. Receiver Taylor Gabriel delivered the best block on the play against cornerback Morris Claiborne at the Jets’ 42.
‘‘It’s the big play that you’re looking for,’’ said Gabriel, who had four catches for 52 yards. ‘‘To have that earlier in the half, we were starving [for plays] a little bit. That’s something that we needed. It gave us a breath of fresh air. It gave us a little room to work with.’’
It was part of another productive day for Cohen. It was his only catch, but he also had five carries for 40 yards, including a 21-yarder during the Bears’ touchdown drive in the third quarter. In the last four games, Cohen has 52 touches for 488 total yards and four touchdowns.
Running back Jordan Howard also had his best game since the season opener against the Packers. He carried 22 times for 81 yards and a clinching two-yard touchdown with 7:08 left.
Howard set up his own touchdown with a 24-yard run through a huge hole two players earlier. It was his longest run this season.
‘‘I’ve been waiting to break loose,’’ Howard said. ‘‘I’ve been bottled up a little bit, but it felt good to finally get a big run.’’
