Bears dominate in regular season opener

There was always the chance that the Bears defense would return to form against the Colts and put the pressure on a surely rusty Peyton Manning. There was always the chance that Kyle Orton would play mistake free football behind a solid running game provided by Matt Forte and Kevin Jones. And in a league in which upsets are common place, there was always the chance that the Chicago Bears would beat the Indianapolis Colts in their brand new stadium.

Honestly though, who actually gave them that chance?

I know I really didn't. I expected the defense to start strong, but like always tire in the second half as Peyton heated up. I surely did not expect the offensive line to provide rookie Matt Forte the gaping holes they did. Even crazier was the offense managing to score 20 points. Normally the offense would put up only 10 to 13, forcing the defense to score if a win was to be had. Fortunately for the Bears, the defensive scoring was icing on the cake.

The Bears dominated the line of scrimmage all night against the Colts. Rushing for 183 yards is always going to put a team in position to win. Justifying his starting status, Matt Forte rushed for 123 yards on 23 carries, averaging a fantastic 5.3 yards a rush. Now, breaking off a 50 yard run on his fourth carry certainly helped that average, but Forte made the plays when they were needed. Kevin Jones added 45 yards on 13 carries, effectively spelling Forte all night. If the offensive line can stay healthy, this running game has the chance to be one of the best in the league.

In the passing game, Kyle Orton was efficient and patient. He spread the ball to 7 different receivers. Only Forte caught more than two passes, but when the running game is that effective, a ten catch receiver isn't necessary. The tight ends made huge plays, with Greg Olsen making a great play at the end of the first half to set up a field goal, and Desmond Clark going for 26 on a brilliant play action pass on third and one.

Defensively, the Bears showed up to win. Holding the Colts to only 53 yards on the ground is an impressive feat for any team, especially one whose recent weakness has been against the run. Joseph Addai was knocked out of the game after a slight head injury, avoiding further damage. He wasn't the only Indy star with injury troubles.  Manning was under pressure all night, even if the Bears only registered two sacks. Clearly Peyton was not his usual self. When he attempts 49 passes, the corresponding yardage should be in the 400's. Last night however, Peyton never managed to hit anyone for more than 15 yards. Most of his completions were on slant routes, going for anywhere between 5 and 10 yards. On one of those slants to Marvin Harrison, cornerback Charles Tillman showed why he is master of the punch-out by stripping Harrison which was recovered by Lance Briggs and ran in for the touchdown. The defense also scored a safety, adding 9 points to the offense's 20.

Now, the game wasn't perfect for the Bears. It was a good start, but there is room for improvement. Devin Hester made an utterly boneheaded play on the second half opening kickoff. He took the kick seven yards deep in the end-zone, but didn't down it right away. When I saw him walking slowly towards the goal line I knew he was going for it. His real mistake was taking so long! He stayed in the end-zone for a good three seconds before finally deciding to break for it. He was tackled at the three, and the Bears ended up punting from their familiar end-zone which gave the Colts great field position on their way to a touchdown. The coaches need to establish that these arrogant mistakes are not acceptable before they happen. Hester should know better, and if he doesn't learn they he should be benched like any player that doesn't listen.

Lovie Smith also mismanaged the end of the first half. He foolishly was settling for a field goal as he burned his final timeout after a useless run up the middle. Orton then surprised him by hitting Greg Olsen on the sidelines for a first down, but there was no time left for a shot at six points after the offense spiked the ball.

The defense also would have been caught for a penalty when the Colts rushed up to the line after a second down play. Manning and the Colts are known for doing this. They catch the defense with too many men on the field and get 5 easy yards. Lovie Smith should know this and prep his players accordingly.

In the end, these were minor issues in an otherwise major victory. No one should be anointing the Bears to the super bowl and Orton as League MVP, but it was a great win to start the season. It shouldn't erase the memory of their super bowl loss to the Colts either, but its nice to exact any measure of revenge.

This weekend the Bears head to Carolina to face the Panthers after their improbable win over the San Diego Chargers. Carolina proved they are dangerous even without Steve Smith, but the Bears aren't going to be pushed around. Look for John Fox's team to establish the run early as they test the Bears' front seven.

I'll worry about the Panthers later. I'm too busy relishing this win.