Critics be silenced! The Chicago Bears have defeated the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers!
A week after his less-than-stellar outing against the Green Bay Packers, Jay Cutler came home to Chicago and proved to be worth the king’s ransom that was paid for his services. Though there is certainly room for improvement, this is a win the Bears desperately needed.
On the their opening possession, the Steelers drove the ball 92 yards down the Bears throats to the result of a Matt Spaeth touchdown grab on fourth and goal from the one. Chicago looked doomed to fall to a superior team, but the football gods came down and deemed my Bears worthy of victory.
Or Jeff Reed decided to miss a couple field goals. Either way, I’ll take it.
Jay Cutler redeemed himself with a clutch 27 of 38, 236 yards and two TD performance against the Steeler defense, keeping the Bears in the game with excellent throws while avoiding costly turnovers. While jumping, he lasered a throw to Kellen Davis in the end zone for Chicago’s first score in the second quarter. Down seven in the fourth quarter, he tossed it to rookie receiver Johnny Knox, who went up and made sure the ball hit him between the numbers, coming down with it in the end zone for the tying score.
After Jeff Reed missed his second field goal of the second half, Jay Cutler got the ball in his hands with the game on the line and didn’t disappoint. Chicago’s offense went 41 yards (including a gorgeous deep pass over the middle to Greg Olsen) and drained the clock, setting up a 44 yard field goal by Robbie "Better than Platinum" Gould to win the game. On the following kickoff, the Steelers fumbled, securing the victory and a 1-1 record for the Bears.
Defensively, Chicago still needs work, in spite of giving up only 14 points without Brian Urlacher. They allowed Pittsburgh to find their running game, allowing 105 yards on 22 attempts. Their typical “bend but don’t break” defense was on display, with a consistent soft spot 8-12 yards from the line of scrimmage. Steeler receivers routinely found their way in that area and practically stood still, with Roethlisberger finding them every time. It’s a by-product of Chicago’s defensive look, which features its linebackers close to the line of scrimmage, either blitzing or faking the blitz. Being that close means they can’t get back in time to stop some of those over the middle throws. To me, that’s a problem. I don’t want to get dinked and dunked on; I want to stop what the opposing offense is doing. I’d like a linebacker back in coverage every now and again.
Individually, we learned a few things from this game. Alex Brown was the monster of the defensive line this week, producing Chicago’s 2 sacks on Roethlisberger. Corner Charles Tillman looked to be close to 100% and back to his old self. Zack Bowman is definitely a step up from Nathan Vasher. Knox could turn out to be a steal out of the fifth round with his speed and game-breaking ability. His six receptions led the team, breaking the typical “rookie receivers can’t make an impact” rule. Hunter Hillenmeyer filled in admirably for the injured Urlacher, perhaps lessening the need to sign a bigger name free agent.
As big of a win as this was, it was far from perfect. Bear receivers and tight ends dropped far too many passes, and the running game was stymied for a second straight week. Matt Forte only racked up 29 yards on 13 carries, a paltry and nearly inexcusable sum. We thought having Jay Cutler would free up the running game, not stifle it! That being said, they were playing against two 3-4 defenses that are built to stop the run. Hopefully a trip to Seattle will solve the problem.
I gave myself some extra time to write this recap, making sure I avoid being too giddy over the win. That being said, WE BEAT THE FREAKING STEELERS! There, I’m good. Check back soon for my Final Drive of Week 2 and the preview of the Bears and Seahawks. Thanks for reading!
