Bears Tillman--Cowboys most physical team we have played
Double trouble for Bears
By Bob LeGere | Daily Herald Staffcontact writer
In a script change from the first two weeks, the Bears' defense played as poorly as their inept offense in a 34-10 loss to the Cowboys before a disappointed and disapproving Soldier Field crowd.
It was a nationally televised embarrassment that saw the home team fall 2 games behind the undefeated Green Packers in the NFC North.
"It's frustrating, disappointing, embarrassing," linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "We know we're better than that."
If the Bears don't start proving it soon -- and if they don't get good news on some of the apparently serious injuries they suffered Sunday -- the team with Super Bowl aspirations might not even get to the playoffs.
The Bears (1-2) were doomed by an offense that could neither run nor pass against a Dallas team that improved to 3-0.
Rex Grossman was intercepted three times, including a fourth-quarter pick by Anthony Henry that was returned 28 yards for a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 27-10 lead.
It was easily the worst performance of what has been a horrendous season for Grossman. He completed just 15 of 35 passes with no touchdowns for a passer rating of 27.5 and has now been picked off six times with just 1 TD pass.
Before the question could be asked, Bears coach Lovie Smith said, "Rex is our quarterback. (But) I know he's going to take a lot of the blame."
No one, including wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad (2 catches for 21 yards), would be surprised to see backup Brian Griese at quarterback Sunday against the Lions in Detroit.
"Nothing in this business surprises me," Muhammad said when asked about a possible change at quarterback. "It comes with the territory. I'm glad I catch balls for a living and don't throw them. We play in Chicago; you're going to have scrutiny."
Defensively, the Bears were unable to cover wide receiver Terrell Owens (145 yards on 8 catches) or tight end Jason Witten (90 yards on 6 catches) for much of the evening. The defense allowed 431 total yards, 159 more than its average, including 300 passing yards, more than double its average of 127.
"They were the better team tonight, plain and simple," said cornerback Charles Tillman, who had the unenviable task of trying to shadow Owens. "They whupped us. That was the most physical game I've played this year. I'm hurting."
Not as badly as two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs, who left in the second quarter with a groin injury and did not return.
Or cornerback Nate Vasher, who left in the third quarter with a groin injury and did not return.
Or defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who limped off midway through the fourth quarter with a knee injury and was wearing a heavy brace after the game.
"It seemed like every play there was someone on the ground," Urlacher said.
The Bears' defense came out fired up and held the Cowboys to 139 yards and 3 points in the first half. But after the break the visitors showed why they were the NFL's highest-scoring offense after two weeks.
After an 89-yard TD drive was answered by the Bears, the Cowboys went 91 yards, almost entirely through the air, to take a 17-10 lead. The TD came on a 10-yard pass to Marion Barber in which he ran through tackle attempts by Ricky Manning Jr. and Adam Archuleta inside the 5.
After stumbling through a miserable first half (105 total yards), the Bears' offense, with its back to the wall, just 9 yards from its own end zone, finally but briefly came alive on, of all things, a 12-yard scramble by Grossman on third-and-10.
The longest reception of tight end Desmond Clark's nine-year career, a 52-yarder, came on the next play. Clark shrugged off a wicked shot from Roy Williams at midfield and rambled for another 28 yards to the Dallas 22.
On the next play, Grossman's 21-yard pass to rookie tight end Greg Olsen set up Cedric Benson's 1-yard run that tied the game at 10-10 with 7:14 left in the third quarter.
Those were the only 2 plays the Bears had of more than 12 yards all game on a night when even Devin Hester played poorly with bobbles, fumbles, a 17.2-yard average on 5 kickoff returns and a total of 1 yard on 2 punt returns.
"We didn't get a lot done offensively," Smith said of a unit that managed just 239 yards. "We haven't gotten anything going yet, (and) turnovers are still killing us."
The Bears lost the ball four times and took it away just once, leaving them at minus-6 for the year with 11 turnovers and 5 takeaways.
The Cowboys went ahead 10-3 on their first possession of the second half, driving 89 yards, as 4 Tony Romo-to-Owens completions ate up 70 yards as cornerback Charles Tillman repeatedly failed to contain the Pro Bowl receiver.
The touchdown came on a 3-yard pass to Witten, who routinely beat the coverage of Archuleta and most of his teammates.
By Bob LeGere | Daily Herald Staffcontact writer
In a script change from the first two weeks, the Bears' defense played as poorly as their inept offense in a 34-10 loss to the Cowboys before a disappointed and disapproving Soldier Field crowd.
It was a nationally televised embarrassment that saw the home team fall 2 games behind the undefeated Green Packers in the NFC North.
"It's frustrating, disappointing, embarrassing," linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "We know we're better than that."
If the Bears don't start proving it soon -- and if they don't get good news on some of the apparently serious injuries they suffered Sunday -- the team with Super Bowl aspirations might not even get to the playoffs.
The Bears (1-2) were doomed by an offense that could neither run nor pass against a Dallas team that improved to 3-0.
Rex Grossman was intercepted three times, including a fourth-quarter pick by Anthony Henry that was returned 28 yards for a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 27-10 lead.
It was easily the worst performance of what has been a horrendous season for Grossman. He completed just 15 of 35 passes with no touchdowns for a passer rating of 27.5 and has now been picked off six times with just 1 TD pass.
Before the question could be asked, Bears coach Lovie Smith said, "Rex is our quarterback. (But) I know he's going to take a lot of the blame."
No one, including wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad (2 catches for 21 yards), would be surprised to see backup Brian Griese at quarterback Sunday against the Lions in Detroit.
"Nothing in this business surprises me," Muhammad said when asked about a possible change at quarterback. "It comes with the territory. I'm glad I catch balls for a living and don't throw them. We play in Chicago; you're going to have scrutiny."
Defensively, the Bears were unable to cover wide receiver Terrell Owens (145 yards on 8 catches) or tight end Jason Witten (90 yards on 6 catches) for much of the evening. The defense allowed 431 total yards, 159 more than its average, including 300 passing yards, more than double its average of 127.
"They were the better team tonight, plain and simple," said cornerback Charles Tillman, who had the unenviable task of trying to shadow Owens. "They whupped us. That was the most physical game I've played this year. I'm hurting."
Not as badly as two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs, who left in the second quarter with a groin injury and did not return.
Or cornerback Nate Vasher, who left in the third quarter with a groin injury and did not return.
Or defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who limped off midway through the fourth quarter with a knee injury and was wearing a heavy brace after the game.
"It seemed like every play there was someone on the ground," Urlacher said.
The Bears' defense came out fired up and held the Cowboys to 139 yards and 3 points in the first half. But after the break the visitors showed why they were the NFL's highest-scoring offense after two weeks.
After an 89-yard TD drive was answered by the Bears, the Cowboys went 91 yards, almost entirely through the air, to take a 17-10 lead. The TD came on a 10-yard pass to Marion Barber in which he ran through tackle attempts by Ricky Manning Jr. and Adam Archuleta inside the 5.
After stumbling through a miserable first half (105 total yards), the Bears' offense, with its back to the wall, just 9 yards from its own end zone, finally but briefly came alive on, of all things, a 12-yard scramble by Grossman on third-and-10.
The longest reception of tight end Desmond Clark's nine-year career, a 52-yarder, came on the next play. Clark shrugged off a wicked shot from Roy Williams at midfield and rambled for another 28 yards to the Dallas 22.
On the next play, Grossman's 21-yard pass to rookie tight end Greg Olsen set up Cedric Benson's 1-yard run that tied the game at 10-10 with 7:14 left in the third quarter.
Those were the only 2 plays the Bears had of more than 12 yards all game on a night when even Devin Hester played poorly with bobbles, fumbles, a 17.2-yard average on 5 kickoff returns and a total of 1 yard on 2 punt returns.
"We didn't get a lot done offensively," Smith said of a unit that managed just 239 yards. "We haven't gotten anything going yet, (and) turnovers are still killing us."
The Bears lost the ball four times and took it away just once, leaving them at minus-6 for the year with 11 turnovers and 5 takeaways.
The Cowboys went ahead 10-3 on their first possession of the second half, driving 89 yards, as 4 Tony Romo-to-Owens completions ate up 70 yards as cornerback Charles Tillman repeatedly failed to contain the Pro Bowl receiver.
The touchdown came on a 3-yard pass to Witten, who routinely beat the coverage of Archuleta and most of his teammates.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:28 PM
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