There is good news and not so good news. The good news is the Chicago Bears scored 48 points in their win over Minnesota on Sunday. The not so good news is they gave up 41 points and still won the game. That is un-bearlike. But a win is a win. The Bears used 5 turnovers, including 4 interceptions, two touchdowns by the special teams, and a nice pass and catch from Orton to Marty Booker to highlight the win.
Chicago also gave up a ton of yards on the ground and made Gus Ferrote into a reincarnation of Matt Ryan. I know the Bears have injured secondary players, and their replacements stepped up in the game. However, when the Vikings got the ball with just over a minute left in the game with no timeouts, I held my breath. But, the defense made some huge players. Tommie Harris got a sack and on the next play, The Bears intercepted the ball. Game over.
I heard Harris say on an interview on TV, "that they finally closed a game." Yes, but do you have to give up 41 points?
The Bears are 4-3 and realistically, should be 5-3, if you include the game they blew in Atlanta versus the game they gave away to Tampa Bay at home. And, 5-3 in the NFL is pretty good. But, they can't say that. They are a decent team with some work to do. I haven't seen Brian Urlacher in on a play. Either he is being effectively blocked out or he is hurting.
I hope it is not the latter. The Bears need everyone healthy for them to be competitive. And, the win on Sunday makes it possible to have meaningful games as the season nears the half-way point. Orton didn't throw an interception all day and that was big in the win. But the Vikings controlled the ball for what seemed easily more than half the game. The Bears "D" was on the field for most of the 4th quarter. What is disturbing is how can you score 48 points and then hang on for dear life at the end of the game? It's amazing that the Bears conjured up that many points.
Their defense is a like a living organism. It bends, twists, goes out of shape, but just when you think you have it, it devours its prey. I can do without the bending and twisting stuff. Just play Bears football.
