It's always better to win going into the bye week.
Yet for the first 39 minutes of yesterday's contest in Jacksonville, the outcome was very much in doubt. The Bears staved off a potential halftime deficit with Corey Wootton's sack of Blaine Gabbert that resulted in a fumble recovered by Julius Peppers. The fumble enabled the Bears to keep the game tied. A rare, impassioned locker room speech by Lovie Smith clearly awakened the lethargic team.
In the second half, the offense scored on every possession. It was an offensive performance seldom seem by Chicago fans, the unit gelling at just the right time and individuals making standout plays. The numbers are incredible.
Jay Cutler followed up an uninspiring first half (10-for-20, 110 yards, INT) by playing possibly his crispest half of football in a Bears uniform, going 13-for-19 for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. Three passes stood out in particular: a dart on a scoring slant to Alshon Jeffery (on which Jeffery unfortunately fractured his right hand), a perfectly thrown go to Devin Hester (on which Hester made a great diving grab), and a perfectly thrown stutter-fade to Brandon Marshall for the knockout touchdown.
The passing game flexed its muscles against an over-matched Jacksonville defense. The offensive line protected Cutler in exactly the manner it should have against the anemic Jaguars pass rush. The pass catchers universally produced. Marshall had one of the best games ever of any Bears wide receiver. Jeffery fought for the aforementioned score. Hester made one of his best ever catches. Kellen Davis used his athleticism to make a pair of big plays. And Michael Bush brought down the house. While he only caught two passes, he made the most of them by converting a highlight reel third-and-15 play by hurdling an oncoming safety.
But it wasn't all about the passing. The offensive line and running backs pounded away on the weak defense. Even discounting Armando Allen's late 46-yard touchdown scamper, the unit produced 168 yards on 32 carries, good for a 5.25 average. Matt Forte ran as if his ankle injury was a distant memory. Michael Bush showed a power-elusiveness combination few expected he could provide. Even Cutler got into the mix with a pair of long scrambles, the second of which converted a key third-and-7 on the first possession of the second half.
But let's be honest: for the Chicago Bears, it starts and ends with defense. And this defense produced another dominating effort. Tomorrow, I'll look more fully at the unit's production so far this year. For now, suffice it to say that, after the lackadaisical first half, the entire group smothered the terrified Jaguars attack. Entering their final drive in which they produced 18 yards before the clock expired, Jacksonville had amassed an incredible 29 yards (27 on one run by Maurice Jones-Drew) and two touchdowns over their first five possessions of the second half. Only both touchdowns were scored by the Bears. The defensive effort simply defined domination.
Offensive Play of the Game
This is an easy choice for me. With the game still tied 3-3 and facing fourth-and-1 at the Jacksonville 45, Lovie Smith elected to go for it instead of punting the ball to pin the anemic Jaguars deep in their own end. Instead of placing the ball in the gut of Matt Forte or Michael Bush, Offensive Coordinator Mike Tice elected a more traditional downfield passing play. Although I was indignant during the play that Cutler didn't hit the running back as he freely released into the left flat, the quarterback athletically charged toward the line, drawing the pass coverage toward him. This action enabled Marshall to sneak in behind the linebackers. Cutler hit him with a dart, a 13-yard gain, and a big statement play (I wasn't a fan of the personal foul called on Jacksonville for a hit on Cutler; it looked to be reasonably timely and to Cutler's upper-torso, not his head). While I would have been frustrated, Lovie would have been justified in punting, reasoning that the Jacksonville offense was highly unlikely to put together a 70+ yard scoring drive. But the conversion changed the feel as the game as the Bears ended the drive taking a lead they would quickly expand.
Honorable Mention
Leading 13-3 and facing a third-and-15 play from Jacksonville's 36 on the penultimate play of the third quarter, Cutler took a shotgun snap and quickly checked down into the right flat to Bush. Bush then played the role of the more famous Bush running back in the NFL (Reggie) by running directly at the charging defender before perfectly timing a leap over the would-be tackler. The 15-yard gain was followed by an 11-yard run by Bush and then the 10-yard touchdown from Cutler to Jeffery that put the game out of reach at 20-3. Even though Jacksonville wasn't likely to put together two scoring drives in the fourth quarter, I couldn't help but remember the 2005 game in Cleveland. For those of you who successfully removed it from your brains, the Bears squandered a suffocating defensive performance by allowing two long Antonio Bryant touchdowns in the final 3:02 en route to a 20-10 loss. With one Michael Bush leap, my irrational fears subsided.
Defensive Play of the Game
This one was a bit tougher. But I love Peanut Tillman, so he takes the day. The play was part of a complete possession turned in by both the kick coverage unit (more on that below) and the defense. I discussed the Jacksonville formation on the play before the interception in my Second Half Thoughts post yesterday. Nonetheless, a quick reminder: Jacksonville had both tight ends on the left side of the offensive line, the second tight end covering up the first. Almost no NFL team voluntarily takes away an eligible pass catcher on a passing play. Julius Peppers read the formation, got out in front of Jaguars LT Eugene Monroe, and beat him to the point of attack, drawing a holding penalty. Pinned back by his own endzone and likely stiff from not having been on the field for around 45 minutes of real time (since the Wootton sack - see below), Gabbert took a shot down the sideline. Perfectly disguised coverage - and a horrible throw - made for easy pickings for Peanut, who easily intercepted the pass and weaved down the sideline for a two-score advantage. It was a great moment of a good team playing smarter than a poor team.
Honorable Mention
The aforementioned Corey Wootton sack/forced fumble that ended the Jaguars' last real scoring threat late in the first half. Wootton has since admitted that RT Cameron Bradfield leaned toward the outside prior to the snap, indicating that the pair would be matched up one-on-one on the play. Wootton got a tremendous jump on the play, beat Bradfield badly, and snuffed out the Jacksonville momentum.
Special Teams Play of the Game
Immediately after the Tillman interception return, Dave Toub's coverage unit stuffed Rashad Jennings on the ensuing kickoff return. Not only did Anthony Walters bring down Jennings at the 12-yard-line, the coverage team also drew a holding penalty, stuffing Jacksonville at their own 6 to start the drive. A false start penalty, incomplete pass, five-yard pass, and Lance Briggs sack later, the Jacksonville offense lost four yards on the possession. The coverage unit kept the proverbial petal to the metal, extending the momentum created by the offense and defense.
Honorable Mention
At the conclusion of a 40-yard drive in the first half after Jacksonville had tied the game at three, the Bears faced a fourth-and-5 from the Jaguars 40. Instead of risking a failed conversion attempt, the Bears sent Adam Podlesh and the kick coverage unit onto the field. Podlesh decidedly does not have football's strongest leg. But he's among the most accurate punters in the game. A high-arcing punt bounced nearly straight up into the air at the five-yard-line and was downed by special teams ace Eric Weems at the two. Although the Bears didn't capitalize on this change in field position, that type of play could have swung the game in a big way.
I'll be back tomorrow with some thoughts on the first quarter (plus a game) of the season.
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