Bears blast Rams, remain tied for first in division
November 23, 2008
BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter
ST. LOUIS — Among the reasons for optimism given in the Bears’ three-way NFC North race is that they have the easiest remaining schedule.
It’s all uphill from here. It won’t get any easier than treating the Edward Jones Dome like a home away from home and stomping the hapless St. Louis Rams 27-3, as the Bears did Sunday afternoon in a game that was over not long after it started. The Rams (2-9) are a bad team made worse by four turnovers and a string of 11 penalties. Had the Bears not pummeled them, there would have been a real problem.
Now they head to Minnesota tied at 6-5 with the Vikings for a prime-time showdown Sunday at the Metrodome, where the Bears have lost five of their last six games. Green Bay (5-5) plays at New Orleans tonight.
‘‘We needed something like this where things not only went our way, but we were able to do the things that we wanted to do,’’ said linebacker Lance Briggs, who had two of the Bears’ four interceptions as the Rams went through three quarterbacks after starter Marc Bulger was KO’d with a head injury on a first-quarter Adewale Ogunleye sack. ‘‘If we had a scheme, the scheme worked. Whatever it was that we wanted to do, we were able to do, and that’s what we need to continue for the next five games.’’
A week after the worst loss of the Lovie Smith era, a 37-3 rout at Green Bay, the Bears found a cure for everything that ailed them.
The pass rush that had gone AWOL returned in force with a season-high five sacks. The run defense that was gashed for 200 yards by the Packers limited the Steven Jackson-less Rams to 14 yards on 10 carries.
The running game that had gone missing returned in a big way as Matt Forte had a season-high 132 yards and two touchdowns and the team piled up 201 yards on the ground. With Devin Hester struggling on returns, Danieal Manning ignited the Bears on kickoffs, while Hester (87 receiving yards, 32 rushing) was more involved on offense with the long-anticipated debut of the wildcat formation.
The Bears have won consecutive games twice this season and just once last year as they haven’t been able to sustain any momentum since the Super Bowl season. It has been one step forward followed by one step back for months on end.
Now the key in their five-game season is to put a streak together. They can’t count on Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams being suspended after next week for violations of the league’s steroids policy, and hoping the Packers will fade amounts to wishful thinking.
The difference Sunday was establishing momentum on both sides. Forte powered in on a 13-yard run as the Bears went ahead 7-0 just 1:55 into the game, the seventh time in the last nine games they’ve produced points on their first possession.
From there, the pass rush was turned loose on a Rams team that was missing not only its best player in Jackson, but also left tackle Orlando Pace. Ogunleye and Tommie Harris had two sacks each. The stat sheet was a treasure trove for defensive players: 13 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, 10 pass deflections.
‘‘Let’s get this straight: Minnesota is not the Rams,’’ Ogunleye said. ‘‘They’re not going to abandon the run at any time during the game. We’ve got to stop Adrian [Peterson] and try to get another ‘W.’’’
Forte’s 47-yard touchdown run made it 21-0 in the second quarter. The shutout was spoiled when Josh Brown banged through a 43-yard field goal before halftime.
The victory did not come without a price. Three starters were knocked out by injuries: tight end Desmond Clark (right knee), strong safety Mike Brown (lower leg) and cornerback Nathan Vasher (right thumb). But as a team, the Bears got well against a sick bunch led by interim coach Jim Haslett, who was asked if he could explain to fans, many of whom stayed home, that it isn’t as bad as it looks.
‘‘Who’s to say I want to?’’ Haslett said. ‘‘It looks pretty bad to me.’’
The Bears’ idea of a six-game season only minimizes missed opportunities earlier in the year, when they gave away games to a trio of NFC South teams (Carolina, Tampa Bay and Atlanta). But it’s the rallying cry they’ve grabbed hold of for the next month-plus.
‘‘The past is in the past,’’ Smith said. ‘‘We talked about starting off strong, new season, on the road, and we’re going to define this season based on what we do from here on out. And it’s a good start.’’
