There was no sack. No quarterback knockdown, even. But the Bears' embattled defensive line can review the third play of Thursday's 27-21 victory over the Giants and justify its optimism that better days are ahead.

On one surge, at least, the patchwork unit did its job and helped force an interception that set the game's tone. The Giants had six blockers against six rushers, but the Bears won the play with design and execution.

So as coaches spend this weekend looking for ways to improve the defensive front, how the pass rush created Zack Bowman's interception seems as good a starting point as any.

"We've called it the 'next man up' mentality, and guys went in and played hard until the end," coach Marc Trestman said of the defensive line. "We're certainly not where we want to be."

The winless Giants kept the outcome in doubt until the final possession largely because they averaged 4.7 yards per carry, up from their 3.26-yard average in their first five games.

That, and the clean pocket quarterback Eli Manning enjoyed at times, perpetuated uneasiness about a defensive line that continues to search for answers in the wake of season-ending knee injuries to tackles Henry Melton and Nate Collins, and tackle Stephen Paea's sprained toe that has sidelined him for the last two games.

Defensive end Julius Peppers is on pace for less than three sacks this season, a dropoff from the 10.2 he averaged during his first three seasons with the Bears. Sacks aren't an exact measure of pass-rush production, as Bowman's interception proved, but that's one area in which Peppers, 33, has excelled his entire career.

The Giants occasionally used a running back to chip him, but Peppers did lose some one-on-one blocks. Asked specifically about Peppers' play, Trestman spread the blame.

"It's a combination of rushes and people inside and moving people around and how stunts are put together," he said. "It's (not) about one guy here. It's about us collectively continuing to find ways to get a pass rush going. We got close, and Julius got close a couple times, too. We just didn't get close enough."

Shea McClellin, the club's 2012 first-round pick, also is under the microscope because of his draft status.

On second-and-15 in the third quarter, he beat right tackle Justin Pugh with an outside spin move, but the running back stayed in and prevented him from hitting Manning before the throw.

The Giants repeatedly used only one blocker against him in the running game. On Brandon Jacobs' 4-yard touchdown in the first quarter, the 301-pound Pugh blocked the 260-pound McClellin out of the play despite the fact McClellin got his hands into Pugh's chest while Pugh's hands were low coming off the ball.

"Shea is a work in progress," Trestman said, "but certainly there's evidence that he can be that guy. We'll continue to try to do some things to move him around as well."

Rookie David Bass rotated at end, while the interior rotation included Corey Wootton, who has converted from end, recently-signed free agent Landon Cohen and undrafted rookie Zach Minter.

Trestman said they all did some good things.

"I thought Cohen did a good job again mixing it up, replacing Nate," Trestman said. "Minter got a few shots and held the point pretty well. Bass got some penetration, got near the quarterback a couple of times, so we're excited about working our guys, the next man up."

Wootton got more comfortable at tackle as the game progressed. That was most evident in how he penetrated on a third-quarter run and helped stop Jacobs for a loss of 2. He stayed lower than right guard David Diehl and shed Diehl's block.

"The biggest thing inside is just to be able to get off and try to get them off you," Wootton said. "I definitely think the more time I get, the better I could be. My length inside, you don't see too many people that have this kind of arm length."

As the Bears' defensive coaches consider the data and evaluate possible solutions up front, they will see an example of success on the game's third play.

McClellin and Peppers stunted, apparently confusing the Giants. McClellin began from a standing position over the right guard, while Peppers was in a three-point stance wide of the right tackle. When they crossed, three linemen — the center, right guard and right tackle — each accounted for them, which turned the six-on-six numbers matchup in the Bears' favor.

That left slot cornerback Isaiah Frey unblocked on his blitz from Manning's front side. Manning, after catching the shotgun snap, slid to his left, away from Frey but into the path of Wootton and Bass.

Wootton commanded a double team immediately after the snap, occupying left tackle Will Beatty long enough for Bass to arrive and get his hands into Beatty's chest. Their surge prevented Manning from stepping into his throw, which sailed errantly into Bowman's hands.

Peppers smiled and nodded when asked about his role in the play. There was no sack to his name, but collectively the production was evident. The Bears know they need more of that.