Controversial Call

Bears fan Robert Harper on his thoughts of the controversial call that may have costed the Bears the game.

Did the Bears get cheated by the refs?

Photo by: Bill Smith

The Bears lost a heartbreaking 37-34 ball game to Detroit in overtime this past Sunday. But some would say the Bears should have won that game. It appeared the Bear's defense had intercepted the ball late in the first half, but the call was reversed. Matthew Stafford bulleted a slant to wide receiver Golden Tate and has he was crossing the end zone, cornerback Kyle Fuller of the Bears stripped the ball and it was eventually intercepted by linebacker Jonathan Anderson with :53 seconds left in the half. The officials first ruled it an interception and touchback, but the play was reviewed and reversed to a touchdown for the Lions. That was a key factor in the game as the Bears lost the game by three points and if the call would have stood as an interception like first called, the touchdown would be erased and you would assume the Bears win the game.

In the end the Detroit Lions made one more play than the Bears that made the difference in the game. Late in overtime, Calvin Johnson made a leaping 57-yard pass from Matthew Stafford at the Chicago 6-yard line. The big reception set up the game winning field goal by Matt Prater. The kick gave the Lions their first victory of the season and snapped the Bear's two game winning streak.

Jay Cutler had a good game for the Bears, completing 26 of 41 passes for 353 yards with a touchdown and one interception. Alshon Jeffery had a good day at the office in his return to the lineup after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury. Jeffery caught eight passes for 147 yards and a Bears' touchdown. But the Bears struggled a bit on the defensive side of the ball and the Lions' Matthew Stafford threw the ball all over the Bears' defense. Stafford threw for 405 yards on 27 of 42 passes and four touchdowns. Star receiver Calvin Johnson caught six of those passes for 166 yards and the go-ahead touchdown that set up the game-winning field goal.

The Bears lose a tough one, but get to regroup and fix the little things as they head into their bye week.

Bear down!

Bears come back in Kansas City

The Bears offense must have been told that Sunday's game didn't start until the fourth quarter because through three quarters they were very quiet before a late spark lifted them to victory. 

From the very start of the game it looked like it was going to be a long day if you were a Chicago fan after the Chiefs took an early 7-0 lead when Jay Cutler fumbled on a sack and it was recovered by linebacker Ramie Wilson in the end zone for a TD. The Bears failed to score a touchdown on 10 possessions throughout the game. Even though the offense struggled, the defense played strong all day and kept the Bears in the game.The defense shut out the Chiefs offense in the second half and forced multiple three-and-outs late in the game, which allowed the Bears offense to put points on the board. 

Photo by: Bill Smith 

As the Bears trailed the Chiefs 17-6, Jay Cutler went to work by throwing two touchdowns in the final few minutes of the game. Cutler dropped an absolute dime to Marquess Wilson in the left corner of the end zone to cut the deficit to 17-12 with 3:05 to play. Defensive back Tracy Porter broke up an Alex Smith pass intended for Jeremy Maclin on third-and-six and the Bears got the ball back with 2:04 left. Cutler would hit rookie Cameron Meredith twice down the field for 20 and 10 yard gains. On third-and-10, Cutler fired a ball to Wilson that fell incomplete but the Bears were bailed out with a pass interference penalty by cornerback Marcus Peters which gave the Bears a first down. Two plays later, Cutler connected with Matt Forte for the winning touchdown with :18 left. Cutler actually fumbled the ball on the play but kept his composure, scooped it up, and threw it to Forte. 

The Chiefs would miss a field goal on the next possession as time expired. The Bears play the role of the comeback kids and stun the Chiefs late in the game to win their second straight game.

Bear down!

Bears get first win off the leg of Gould

The Bears record was looking like it was going to fall to 0-4 during the game against the Oakland Raiders as the Raiders took a 20-19 lead late in the game, but the Bears weren't having it. After falling down 20-19 with 2:05 left to play, the Bears offense behind Jay Cutler put together a good two-minute drive capped off by a Robbie Gould game-winning 49-yard field goal with :02 left in the game.

Photo by: Bill Smith

Gould's kick gave the Bears their first win under coach John Fox and improved their record to 1-3. The Bears got a good lift from quarterback Jay Cutler who returned to the lineup after missing a week due to a hamstring injury. Cutler threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while completing 28 of 43 passes. For playing through an injury that most guys wouldn't, Cutler played an outstanding game and led his team to victory.

Martellus Bennett and Eddie Royal were on the receiving end of the two touchdowns thrown by Cutler. The Bears erased deficits of 14-6, 17-16, and 20-19 during the game and got their first win since last Nov. 23 when they beat the Buccaneers 21-13.

The Bears hope to get another win as they prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs next week.

Bear down!

Bears blanked by Seahawks

With two key players on the offensive side of the ball, Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery, out with injuries, the Bears were relying on a big game from their defense and running game when they faced Seattle. Chicago's plan seemed to be working in the first half as the defense only allowed two field goals and 125 total yard. Bears running back Matt Forte rushed for 64 yards on 15 carries in the first half.
The Bears had some more trouble on special teams this week as they allowed Seahawks Tyler Lockett to return the second half kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown giving Seattle a 13-0 lead. Seattle would go on to dominate the second half, outgaining the Bears 246-37 in second half yards. Seattle's Russell Wilson connected with tight end Jimmy Graham for a 30-yard score late in the third quarter for Seattle's only offensive touchdown.
Wilson completed 20 of 30 passes fro 235 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions. Seattle's Marshawn Lynch exited the game with a hamstring injury, but rookie Thomas Rawls picked up the slack by rushing for 104 yards on 16 carries.

Photo by: Bill Smith

This is the first time the Bears have started the season 0-3 since the 2003 season and is also the first time they have been shut out since the 2002 season finale when they lost to the Buccaneers. The Bears will look for their first win of the season next week when they host the Oakland Raiders.

Bear down!

Cardinals scrape the Bears

Photo by: Bill Smith 

After a tough week 1 loss, the Bears hoped to bounce back in week 2 as the Arizona Cardinals came to town, but sadly that wasn't the case for the 'Monsters of the Midway'. The Bears defense was nowhere to be found in a 48-23 loss to the Cardinals Sunday at Soldier Field. The Bears allowed four touchdowns on five possessions during one span of the game. Not only did the defense give up touchdowns, but the offense and special teams also gave up crucial touchdowns on Sunday. 

The Bears knew they were in for a long day when they gave up a score on the very first game as the Cardinals David Johnson returned the opening kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown. The Bears would answer back though as Jay Cutler tossed a 48-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Josh Bellamy to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter. On the Cardinals first offensive possession they marched down the field and Carson Palmer would eventually connect with Jaron Brown for a 6-yard touchdown giving them a 14-7 lead. The Bears would answer once again though as the Bears put together a drive  themselves and handed the rock to running back Jeremy Langford who punched it in from 1-yard out as the Bears tied the game 14-14. Arizona would react fast and took control as they scored two touchdowns in a span of 52 seconds to make it a 28-14 game. The Bears wouldn't fold when faced with adversity. They generated two turnovers in the second quarter of the game, but weren't able to capitalize with touchdowns as they had to settle for two field goals from Robbie Gould to make the score 28-20 at halftime. 

The Cardinals put an end to the game real quick in the beginning of the second half as they scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the third quarter making it a 42-20 score. The Bears would eventually add another field goal to their score and the Cardinals would find the end zone one more time to make it a final 48-23 score favoring the Cardinals. The Bears defense could not stop Carson Palmer and the Cardinals offense. Carson Palmer threw for 185 yards and four touchdowns and Larry Fitzgerald caught three of those four touchdowns. The Bears shot themselves in the foot all day, committing 14 penalties for 170 yards.

On the offensive side of the ball for Chicago, Cutler looked good completing 8 of 8 passes for 120 yards and one touchdown before leaving the game with an hamstring injury early in the first half. Cutler will be looked at more later in the week to determine the severity of the injury. 

After this loss, The Bears dropped to 0-2 for the first time since the 2003 season. The 48 point put up by the Cardinals were the most points the Bears have ever allowed at home in franchise history. The Bears are on the road at Seattle next Sunday! 

Bear down!