Morning Box Score: Brown Gives Bears Hand Of God '08, Victory
By Marcus Gilmer in News on Dec 23, 2008 4:20PM
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
For the second straight week, the Bears have gone to overtime. For the second straight week, a penalty on the first overtime drive helped them out with good field position. And for the second straight week, the Bears pulled out a narrow victory, 20-17, with their playoff chances still intact, a fitting end for the most played NFL regular season rivalry at 176 times (the teams have met 177 total times and the Bears lead 91-80-6).
On a night fit for the men who play on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, it was the Green Bay Packers who dominated the first half. A fake punt set up the first Packers touchdown late in the second quarter but Danieal Manning mounted another fantastic kickoff return to the Packer's 29 yard-line, but all the Bears could muster was a Gould field goal. Packer QB Aaron Rodgers led a sharp drive on the ensuing possession to give Green Bay a 14-3 halftime lead. The Packers dominated the first half, out-gaining the Bears 221 yards to 48.
But a break on special teams early in the second half turned the tide in the Bears' favor. Brad Maynard's punt glanced off Packer special-teamer Jarrett Bush and the Bears' Jason Davis was able to pounce on the ball to give Chicago a first-and-ten at the Packer 27. After a rough first half, QB Kyle Orton hit Greg Olsen for a 3-yard touchdown. After a Packer field goal early in the fourth quarter gave Green Bay a 17-10 lead, it was up to the Bears to find a way to tie. And find a way they did, courtesy of Matt Forte.
Like Orton, Forte struggled early, rushing for only 20 yards in the first three quarters, but had a big final drive in regulation with a long rush to give the Bears great field position, a fourth down conversion, and a two-yard touchdown run to tie the game with just over three minutes left. A dumb Adrian "Not Purple Jesus" Peterson penalty gave the Packers great field position and led to a 38-yard field goal attempt by the Pack's Mason Crosby. And it is then that the hand of Alex Brown - henceforth referred to as The Hand of God 2008 by Bears fans - reached up and blocked the field goal kick and thus gave new life to the Bears. Said Brown of that moment: "Unbelievable. You want to make the offensive lineman think you're going to go here, and try to make a move and it kind opened up right there. You get a hand up and hope the kicker kicks the ball to your hands."
Just like last week's game against the Saints (grumble) the Bears got the ball first - with a little help from Brian Urlacher's head, which deflected the coin toss - and a horse collar tackle on Greg Olsen on the first play of overtime gave the Bears fantastic field position. A few plays later, Orton hit Forte for a 14-yard pass to convert a third down and set Robbie Gould up for what proved to be a 38-yard winner. Orton finished 14 for 27 with 142 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Forte rebounded from that abysmal first half to gain 73 yards on the ground and 28 in the air, plus that crucial touchdown.
The Bears never led in regulation and were out-gained by 115 yards, but somehow find themselves on the cusp of the playoffs. A victory this weekend over the Houston Texans (or even a tie) and a Viking loss to the Giants would give the Bears the NFC North crown. And even if the Vikings win, the Bears are still in line for a possible wild card - "with a Chicago win and Dallas loss or tie and Tampa Bay loss or tie OR Chicago tie and Dallas loss and Tampa Bay loss." Simple, just like everything with the Bears.