Bucs Beat Bears

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Oct 25, 2004 2:21PM

How was it that this team once beat the Packers? Because after Sunday's 19-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers they look more like an 0-6 team than a 1-5 team. At least the Jonathan Quinn era seems to have ended. Following yet another dismal performance by the QB thrust into the starter's role by the season-ending injury to Rex Grossman, Bears coach Lovie Smith had finally seen enough to pull Quinn in favor of Craig Krenzel, a rookie picked in the 5th round of last spring's draft.

Quinn himself sounded as relieved as any Bears fan that he was off the field. "Coach Smith said if we stalled out, there was a good chance they would start Craig in the second half. You have to admire the man for being a man of his word. If you say you are going to do something, you do it. He did." Now is Quinn headed off the roster? With the team eying former #1 Draft pick Tim Couch, will the Bears cut Quinn to open up a roster spot?

The loss, however, cannot solely be blamed on the play under center. Numerous penalties also doomed the Bears. On their first possession, a 77-yard TD run by Thomas Jones was called back because of a David Terrell penalty well away from the ball. A stupid roughing-the-passer penalty following jumping offsides turned a 3rd-and-2 situation into a first down that allowed Tampa Bay to drive down for an eventual field goal. A taunting penalty following a Tampa Bay turnover at the 24-yard line pushed the Bears out of field goal range. And R.W. McQuarters was called for a pass interference that negated an interception. So in spite of the bad QB situation, the Bears still could have won the game had they not make so many reckless mistakes.

The Bears face the San Francisco 49ers -- also 1-5 -- on Halloween in what's shaping up to be a scary game. With an edge towards the #1 draft pick to the winner, er loser, will the Bears demonstate that they are the worst team in the NFL or will they actually win a game?