Bears Fall To 4-6

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Nov 19, 2007 2:46PM

The Bears headed out Seattle, a place where they hadn't won since 1976. They returned to Chicago still having not won out there since the Ford Administration, falling 30-23.

What went wrong this time? Amazingly, perhaps it was not giving Cedric Benson the ball enough! A week after he gained 73 yards on 28 carries, Benson ran for 63 on just his first two carries on Sunday. Or at least somebody wearing his jersey on the field did -- we're still in disbelief. Yet in spite of back-to-back runs of 43 yards and 20 yards, he only ran the ball nine more times the rest of the game. With Benson's lack of production prior to Sunday, we understood and supported Ron Turner's plans for getting Adrian Peterson more carries. But when Benson actually looked like a featured back, Turner should have adjusted his gameplan.

Maybe more carries by Benson would have prevented the Bears from falling behind and having to turn to their passing game. While Rex Grossman played fairly well in his return to the starting line-up, his critical fumble while scrambling in the fourth quarter killed a possible game-tying drive.

The Bears defense had shown moments of their old selves in Oakland last week, but they reverted back to the sub-par squad they've been most of this season. Matt Hasselback threw for 336 yards and two TDs, while Maurice Morris--the Seahawks' backup running back--averaged just short of five yards per carry on his way to 87 yards and a score. In years past, if the Bears offense managed to put 23 points on the board, that guaranteed a Bears victory. But not with this defense.

At 4-6, we all realize the Bears won't be making the playoffs. Too bad Rexy hasn't figured that out yet. Maybe he's worried about the fans chanting for Orton...

Photo by AP Photo/Ted S. Warren