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Nobody expected the Bears to go 16-0 this season, or even to start 7-0 like last year. And it's not too shocking that they would lose to a team that went 14-2 last year. But we're still plenty disappointed that the Bears lost to the San Diego Chargers 14-3 on Sunday in their season opener.
The Bears' defense looked like it was in midseason form on Sunday, holding the high-scoring Chargers offense in check most of the afternoon. In fact, they held reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson to just 25 yards rushing. The Chargers didn't get on the board until the third quarter, and both of their scores came on short drives following turnovers.
Those turnovers were just part of the problem with the Bears offense on Sunday, which managed just a meager three points. Cedric Benson certainly didn't look any more like somebody worthy of the fourth overall pick two years ago — with Thomas Jones gone, will we definitively learn that he's the next Curtis Enis? Forty-two yards on 19 carries? Yikes! Benson couldn't pick up a first down on a 4th-and-1 situation, and he looked tentative and lost at times.
Both Benson and Adrian Peterson fumbled the ball away in the second half. Against an opponent like the Chargers, those are the plays that determine the outcome. Sure enough, both of the Chargers' scores came off turnovers — one off a muffed punt return and one off of Peterson's. Benson's fumble led to a drive that ended a yard from the end zone after an off-sides non-call resulted in a Phillip Rivers fumble. Still, the two-turnover differential was the difference in the game.
Not to be outdone by the running game, Rex Grossman gave us a mediocre performance as well. He barely completed half his passes, threw an interception but no touchdowns, and racked up just 145 yards passing for a QB rating of 53.7. Is it too soon to start demanding Brian Griese?
While the defense did an admirable job on Sunday, it didn't come without a price. Mike Brown — who earlier in the game intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble — left with what was initially diagnosed as a sprained knee. But Brown's mood in the locker room after the game, as well as his unfortunate track record, mean it's likely he's lost for the season. Again.
Photo by AP Photo/Denis Poroy.
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Here's what I want to know, re: scheduling. Don't the Bears deserve a little more for reaching the Super Bowl? I know they lost but just the fact that they got there warrants the first game of their season being at home. Would they have beat the Chargers at home? Who knows, maybe.
The Bears would not have won at home, because they showed once again this week what they are -- a thoroughly mediocre team in every facet. The Chargers were never in danger of losing this game, and controlled pretty much the entire 2nd half. This game could have easily been much more lopsided in the Chargers favor..
The Bears defense sure wasn't mediocre yesterday. Both touchdowns they gave up were drives that started around the 50 yd line as a result of offense and special teams mistakes. The team has a lot of things to work on, but defense isn't one of them.
How can you say the defense is mediocre? I'll give you the offense but the D? C'mon. They held Tomlinson to 25 rushing yards. 25! He's the reigning MVP. I loved what I saw from the D yesterday, at least until they got so worn out from the offense's inability to sustain a drive of any kind. The Bears lost this game because the defense got completely worn out and based on the sweat patterns on the Bears dark blue jerseys, i'm guessing it was hotter than a bastard.
Guest 2 needs to either go back to Wisconsin or stop smoking the crack (although that would be Spook's job). The Bears D looked great, they sure are going to miss Mike Brown though. The Bears offense looked meh, but they were also going up against one of the other better defenses in the NFL.
Grossman looked okay. A couple dropped passes and that interception wasn't entirely his fault as Bernard Berrian seemed to give up on the play before he even broke for his spot. Don't stop with the Griese crap after one game.
I say the bears go 11-5 and make it back to at least the NFC championship game.
TEAM OF DESTINY!
The Bears won't play a D like the Chargers for the rest of the year so we've go that going for us.
I've never liked Benson. He is not elusive and lacks the size to bowl over tacklers. Plus he had a lot of miles put on him at Texas. Look for more Adrian Peterson or a trade for a RB.
Rex is the same. Against a team with a poor pass rush he'll look like a potential Pro Bowler. Put some pressure on him and he still has no sense of how to move in the pocket. The Bears defense can't score in every game.
Guest 7:
Bear's opponents won't need that great a D if Bears keep with the bush league plays. That punt f-up and the two running back fumbles weren't to the credit of the Chargers. They were typical, mediocre Bears mistakes.
Guest 9, I'll grant you the fumbles but the punt was not something you would expect as a special teams blocker. There was no way McGowan could have heard Hester from 15-20 yards away. It was just a bad bounce and not representative of "typical, mediocre Bears mistakes."
That series late in the game where it was second and 2 and the Bears tried three straight times to run it up the gut was pretty painful to watch. I realize they don't have any backs with the speed to run outside the tackles, but that was awful.
#8...I thought Rex did a decent job yesterday against the Chargers excellent defense. The real problem was the running game. Rex made some good passes for first downs but without a running game the entire offense is DOA.
The Chargers had the ball inside the red zone 5 times, and inside the 10 four times. Once was a missed field goal, once was a fumble right outside of the goal line cause by an obviously offsides player, and a third was at the end of the game -- that's 14-17 points that either could have or should have scored. Tomlinson would have had a lot more rushing yards if Michael Turner hadn't taken over with the game already out of reach. And of the two turnovers "forced" by the Bears defense, one was on the Tommie Harris offsides play mentioned above, and the other was a gift from Phillip Rivers throwing into triple coverage. Not exactly an impressive performance..
#13. The fact that the bears could have been blown out and weren't is a positive to me. they stopped the Chargers from scoring 14-17 more points than they did and if it weren't for the horrible running game and their stupid fumbles, the bears would have won this game. that's where I'm at right now. The D, as usual, kept the Bears in the game and the offense failed them. the only difference is that this year it's the running game failing them and not Rex. Maybe it's the O line's fault, are they too old?
Guest 13:
First field goal was blocked, not missed.
Tommy Harris' offsides was a great gamble by him and there's no telling whether Rivers would have scored there if offsides had been called. Harris' gamble was that a. He timed it right and the center snapped at the same time, or b. that the meaningless 'half-the-distance' penalty would be offset by the fact that they put Rivers on his ass once.
Harris got and unexpected C. the officials would blow the call and it'd be a fumble recovery.
The San Diego newspapers are reporting that that punt hit the overhead wires for the floating camera. A "Chargers Official" even confirmed it. Should that then have been a dead ball?
No, it is not too early for calling for Griese. Griese is 4-2 against the Chargers, and he completes 70% of his passes. Wake up Lovie!
Rex is our quarterback.
#16 -- According to the NFL rule book, no.
How can anyone say that soccer and baseball are more boring than football after yesterday's game? What a waste of time.
it's rare that you see a game like yesterday. it's not really the norm in football.