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On the game's very first play, the Bears jumped out to a 7-0 lead on an 83-yard kickoff return by Danieal Manning. On the final play of the game, Robbie Gould kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime to seal the deal on a 27-24 victory over the visiting New Orleans Saints. In between, the Bears almost gave away the game.
In this battle between two 7-6 teams looking to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, many expected a close game. For a while, though, it looked like the Bears would have their way with the Saints. Manning seems to have supplanted Devin Hester permanently on kick return duties -- can he take punts, too? -- after returning the opening kickoff 83 yards for a TD, and returning another kick 52 yards that, combined with a 39 yard pass interference call on a toss intended for Hester, set up the Bears' second TD score. The Bears built the lead to 21-7 by driving 42 yards in the closing minutes of the half after New Orleans punted from deep in their territory. The Bears offense needed all the help it could get on Thursday, as the team found little success in moving the ball until late in the game. The good field position and critical penalties helped the team immensely.
While the Bears defense helped keep the team in the game, holding MVP candidate Drew Brees well below his averages, they couldn't stop the Saints offense entirely. Brees completed 24 of 43 passes for 232 yards, throwing two TDs and two INTs. But it was enough to see the team claw back from the 21-7 halftime deficit and take a lead late in the game. With a 21-17 lead about about five minutes to go, the Bears ran a fake punt play which resulted in an incomplete pass and turned the ball over to the Saints near midfield. The Saints marched down the field and took their first lead of the night.
Fortunately, the Bears finally were able to sustain a drive and get into field goal range to tie on a Robbie Gould field goal as the game clock expired, sending it to OT. The Bears won the coin flip, got more help from another pass interference call, and positioned Gould for the game winning boot -- Bears win 27-24. With the win, the Bears move to 8-6 and, for now, remain alive in the NFC North. The Vikings visit the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, which is a game they could lose. The teams would be tied in the standings, although Minnesota holds the tie breaker. As for the Saints, their playoff hopes are all but over this year.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
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No, the pass to Peterson on the fake punt wasn't incomplete. During the million and one replays, Cris Collinsworth said "this must be infuriating to fans, but..." and went on to make his point. But isn't that the first clue that the rule defining what constitutes a catch makes no fucking sense? He caught the ball. We all saw him catch the ball.
I wonder if Collinsworth, who's a pretty outspoken guy, was just toeing the company line by agreeing with the ruling and with the rule itself. The guy was a wide receiver! When I was a kid in the 80s, that was a catch. It was probably a catch in the 70s, the 60s, the 50s and earlier. But now it's not a catch and that's insulting to me as a football fan.
(And another aside -- I hate instant replay on principle, but can we at least get a system more like the one the college game uses? At least the college game maintains some sense of flow.)
With a 21-17 lead about about five minutes to go, the Bears ran a fake punt play which resulted in an incomplete pass and turned the ball over to the Saints near midfield. The Saints marched down the field and took their first lead of the night.
That's not true. After the fake punt "failed", the Saints punted back to the Bears. Then Orton threw the interception to Fujita, then the Saints scored the touchdown to take the lead.
Yes they won but who really cares? They're at the point now where if they don't make the playoffs then they'll get a shit draft pick (not that Jerry Angelo can pick a first rounder to save his life) and if they do make the playoffs they'll get knocked out right away and probably end up with a somewhat tough schedule next year just because of how they finished this year. Are the Bears the most middling, frustrating franchise in this city? JESUS! Never bad enough to pick first, never good enough to win it all. ARGH!
if the Bears have a lead at half, why do they come out in the second half and basically do nothing on offense? what is the justification for this ... Turner's play calling in the second half was terrible. it's as if he's playing not to lose and meanwhile abandoning the fact that if the Bears poured on one or two more TDs it would have wiped out any possibility of the Saints coming back and tying the game, let alone leading it. Making the playoffs might not be a good thing for a team that can't seem to play with a lead and is not particularly good at coming back from behind.
How about not giving a shit about the end of regulation? That almost bit us in the ass. Glad we won though.
the refs also missed a blatant pass interference call at the end of regulation, that 'possibly' could have set the Bear's up at the one yard line.
Slaphappy: In my eyes Peterson never had possession. Your sequence of events is also incorrect. The Saints did not punt, we stopped them on 4th down for a turnover on downs.
Mike: Every year there are only 2 games that are determined by your previous seasons record. You play the two teams from the NFC division that finish in the same place as you. That's it. Otherwise you rotate amongst the NFC divisions and the AFC divisions, and two games against all of your own division teams. I'll take first place and a playoff shot, over not. Sure we probably don't have much of a chance, but to give us 2 easier games next year is no reason to lose now.
Jmagic: Turner should be the next to resign, right behind the governor. The two passes in a row after the defense just saved the game after the fake punt is inexcusable. Run the ball. Burn time and make them burn their last timeout. And then punt if you don't get a first down. Period.
The fake punt was an awful call. Even if we converted. You don't make that call in the 4th quarter while leading with 7.5 mins left. Giving the number one offense in the league a short field is bad football. I don't know if this is a Toub call, a Turner call, or an on the field audible based on matchups. Ultimately Lovie is responsible and that play should not be possible in that situation.
We gave the Saints game, and the refs gave it back. The two pass interferences on Hester were really questionable. The no call on Olsen was way worse, but keeping the flag in your pocket in that situation is understandable. The game was still there for us to win in regulation, and instead we take a sack.
A win is a win, we just are not sure if we want to win. Ridiculous.
@Thunderbelly: I forgot about the turnover on downs -- a toss sweep on fourth down was a horrible play call -- but we'll have to agree to disagree about the Peterson play. If he didn't catch the ball, it would have popped out the instant he hit the ground. It didn't.