| Defense. From the original Monsters of the Midway to the '85 Super Bowl Champs, the Bears have always led with the defense first. So it is no surprise, while attempting to climb from their abyss of mediocrity, they are leading with their defense. The Bears have given up the fewest points in the NFL, and are on pace to take the points record back from the Ravens. Their defense will keep them in the game against most anyone, as the Bengals found out. The Bears held the Bengals main rusher, Corey Dillon, to 30 yards on 16 carries. As predicted, John Kitna then tried to do more than he is capable to pick up the slack, and threw a costly interception with the Bengals in scoring position. But the true defining moment came with the Bengals having a first and goal at the Bear 2. |
The Bengals conceded they could not gain 2 yards on the ground against the Bears defense. 4 incompletions later, it was Bears ball, and the game was essentially over. R.W. McQuarters was seen carrying a sign which said "Do you still doubt us?". In truth, my answer is "yes". While I have faith in the Bears defense to continue to do their part, the inconsistent Bears offense is troubling. Yes, Anthony Thomas had a big day, and Jim Miller was his capable, if unspectacular self. But there were again dropped passes and missed scoring chances. Marty Booker giving the ball up while trying to change hands at the Bengal 5, Paul Edinger shanking a 40 yard field goal, another field goal taken off the board due to a bizarre penalty I still haven't figured out. Continuing to squander scoring chances will result in the |
Bears losing some 13-3 or 10-6 games to better opponents down the road. The Bears begin a 3 game homestand, with San Francisco, Cleveland, and Green Bay coming to town. Sweep these 3 Mr. McQuarters, and you will remove my doubt. Until then, there is work to do. Jeff Garcia and the 49er offense are very effective, and seem to become faster as they get into the red zone. Getting pressure on Garcia early, and making him dump the ball off will slow the 49er offense down to a manageable pace. The loss of Marcus Robinson cannot be used as an excuse by the Bears offense, so somebody has to step up to fill the void. I think the Bears defense will more than do their part, and the Bears offense will show signs of becoming a unit. Bears win at home 27-17. |