Jensen: Future opponents much better than Bills

[UOK]

TORONTO -- The Bears didn't fall into the typical trap for a team facing an inferior opponent.

Before and immediately after Sunday's game, a 22-19 victory at Rogers Centre, the Bears universally praised the still-winless Buffalo Bills.

''I think people get caught up in the 0-8 part, but they are a good football team,'' said Bears safety Chris Harris, who sealed the game with an interception of a tipped pass in the final minute. ''I don't know if people were expecting us to win by 20, 30 points, because this is the NFL and that doesn't happen often."

Especially for the Bears.

This season, against the good teams and the bad, the Bears eventually find themselves in the fourth quarter in a tight game. During their 3-0 start, the Bears' largest margin of victory was by seven points (27-20) over the Dallas Cowboys. And the 23-6 ''rout'' of the Carolina Panthers was anything but smooth.

At Soldier Field, they lost by a field goal to a pair of mediocre teams (Seattle and Washington), so the Bears aren't going to apologize for beating the Bills by a field goal.

''The only [thing] that matters is winning,'' linebacker Brian Urlacher said.

Up next: Vikes, Dolphins, Eagles

After what appeared to be the soft part of their schedule -- they faced only two teams with winning records -- the Bears are 5-3. But their M.O. may not work with their next three opponents: the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.

The Vikings (3-5) are in turmoil, yet they're loaded with talent. The Dolphins (4-4) were handled 26-10 by the Baltimore Ravens, yet they've beaten the Vikings and Green Bay Packers at the Metrodome and Lambeau Field, respectively. And the Eagles just pushed their record to 5-3 by beating the defending AFC champion Indianapolis Colts.

Playing what Harris described as a ''semi-home'' game Sunday -- the crowd seemed against the Bills -- the Bears eked out a win.

Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the game with the league's ninth-highest passer rating (91.1), and he played admirably for much of the game, dinking and dunking the ball down the field against the Bears' vaunted defense.

But the journeyman showed why he's now 8-20-1 as a starter. With his team up 19-14 and following a three-and-out by the Bears, the Bills' offensive coaches called the perfect play.

Receiver Steve Johnson, who had gashed the Bears for 122 yards up to that point, gained a full step on cornerback Tim Jennings on a double-move.

''We've been setting it up the whole ballgame,'' Bills coach Chan Gailey said. ''They've been biting and biting and coming closer, and we set it up.''

Fitzpatrick, who wasn't pressured, needed to lead Johnson to notch what likely would have been a 71-yard touchdown. But the pass was short, and Jennings bobbled and ultimately intercepted the ball, even tacking on 39 yards to set up a touchdown for his offense.

''It was the killer instinct,'' Fitzpatrick said of what his team was missing. ''That play was the difference in the game right there.

''Whether we would have iced it or not, we would have been in good shape to hit that to Stevie."

Does Brett Favre miss that throw? Or what about Chad Henne, Michael Vick or even Kevin Kolb?

Burden still on the offense

Just when the Bears' offense shows some positive signs (converting seven of 12 third downs and giving up just one sack), the Bears' defense shows some negative ones. Through three quarters, though they made the Bills one-dimensional by stuffing the run, Fitzpatrick completed 20 of 32 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown.

''It kind of felt like they exploited some stuff,' linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said. ''But we didn't underestimate them. We knew they were a good offense.''

Now come some better ones.

And the onus will be on the Bears' offense.

''I think defense is keeping us in games and keeping us alive,'' said quarterback Jay Cutler, who completed 17 of 30 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. ''As long as we keep coming along offensively and catch up to the defense, I think we will be a really good team come December.''

But with an even tougher slate in December (at Lambeau Field and the Metrodome, and host to the New York Jets and New England Patriots), the Bears likely need the offense to hit its stride sooner than that.