Akiem Hicks is both very good and very large. The Bears defensive tackle is listed at 6’5″, 330, and this season he’s been almost impossible for opposing offensive linemen to deal with.
Today, opposing defensive linemen got a taste, too. That’s because on 4th and goal, the Bears sent Hicks in on offense, where he lined up as a split back in a version of the old pro set. The Bears had used Hicks before in a similar situation, where he’d served as a lead blocker. Today, though, Hicks got the call.
The pure joy celebration from Hicks is perfect. A few replays:
It was a nice homage to one of the most iconic plays in Bears history, when William “The Refrigerator” Perry scored on the goal line in Super Bowl XX.
He's more like the whole kitchen!!
— Joe Rhodes (@JobuRhodes) December 2, 2018
Matt Nagy has done a few things like that, including when he opened up the Bears season in an old-school T-formation against the Packers. The homages have served dual purposes, as they’re both effective and surprising for defenses while also honoring the franchise history. It’s actually kind of weird to have an NFL head coach, normally some of the least-fun people in the world, doing things for any amount of fun.
Also fun, earlier in the drive Allen Robinson hauled in a fantastic catch down the sidelines to help set up the Hicks touchdown:
The Bears are up 14-10 at halftime despite missing starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky for the second straight week.
