Somehow, someway, the Chicago Bears found a way to win this game and earn their first victory of the season against the defending Super Bowl Champs The Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-14 at Soldier Field on Sunday.
Robbie Gould made a dramatic 44 yeard field goal with fifteen ticks on the clock and the Bears grabbed their first win.
Jay Cutler, who threw 4 interceptions in the first game, had a tremendous game going 27 for 38 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. His 4th quarter strike to rookie wide receiver Johnny Knox tied the hard-hitting game at 14. The Bears took advantage of two missed Steelers FG attempts and made a late drive of their own to set up for Gould's attempt. His kick went through the uprights, and Bears fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. They may have a good team after all.
The Bears didn't play great. They played good enough and did not make mistakes. They moved the chains in key situatlons, and Cutler showed he has a marvelous arm. His release and velocity are superb. Getting him from the Broncos, given all the draft picks they gave up plus starting QB Kyle Orton, was like robbing Fort Knox. Cutler moved the team with a combination of quick passes, anticipating the Pittsburgh rush. The rush came and Cutler was harried for a lot of the game, but he managed to make key completions, especially a short pass to Devin Hester, the wide-out, for a key first down late in the game. Hester was a threat all day, and showed improvement in running his routes and spreading the field for other receivers. Johnny Knox showed a lot of potential as an offensive threat. He had 6 catches for 70 yards.
Knox has speed to burn. If he catches the ball on the fly while on the run, he's gone. Earl Bennett made some nice catches and should be heard from. Greg Olsen made a big 29 yard catch and was flattened by a Steeler's defender.
The defense wasn't dominating, but played well when it counted. After the Steelers marched down the field and took and early 7-0 lead, it looked like a long afternoon, but the Defense stiffened. Alex Brown had two sacks and left the game with a sprained knee in the 4th quarter. Lance Briggs played an outstanding game, leading the team in tackles.
The Bears needed this game badly and played like it. Even the coaching staff showed improvement in clock management, in having enough time-outs at the end of the game.
