By Jim Coffman
I stepped off the shuttle bus at the end of the line just to the west of Lake Shore Drive at 18th Street and caught a glimpse of amazing Soldier Field. It has been said many times, many ways but it still bears repeating: The place most closely resembles – especially when you look at it from the west-southwest – a saucer-shaped UFO hovering mere inches above 80-year-old colonnades built to honor veterans of World War I. World War I! It may be hideous, but it is spectacularly hideous! Is there a more bizarre-looking, prominent sports facility in this great country of ours? I think not! We’re No. 1. We’re No. 1.
After 15 weeks of televised football this fall, I decided to venture out into the elements for Sunday’s contest with the hated Packers. As usual, my timing was impeccable – the Bears played by far their best game of the season and prevailed by four highly satisfying touchdowns. Actually, my timing usually isn’t quite this good. In my only 2005 game at the Field, I watched Carson Palmer and the Bengals give the boys in Blue and Orange a whuppin’.
But that was nothing compared to the single game I took in the year before. That one featured a terrible Redskin team led by Mark Brunell trying oh so determinedly to give the Bears a victory. But good old Jonathan Quinn, the backup quarterback hand-picked by Lovie’s first offensive coordinator, Terry Shea, as just the guy to run his offense, ran it alright – straight into the ground. Ah Terry, you one-year-wonder, we hardly knew ya’. Wherever you are, just remember one thing: Don’t give up. Another recent, ever-so-overmatched Bears offensive guru, Gary Crowton (Dick Jauron’s first guy), is doing just fine these days. He will return to action Jan. 7 directing the offense for . . . possible national champion LSU.
And now, onto . . . the Highlights!
* When the renovated Soldier Field re-opened, the word was that fans with first dibs chose seats on the east side of the stadium, where they could kick back during afternoon games and enjoy cozy sunshine. But they pay for it on days like Sunday, when merciless westerly winds blast away. That was also the side of the field where the Packers felt the brunt of The Hawk whistling down on them all day long. My friend Jon’s seats are on the west side, not far behind the Bears’ bench, so we were sheltered from the worst of it. By about midway through the second quarter, the upper-deck stands on the East Side had pretty much cleared out. But impressively enough, most of those folks were back in their seats early in the third. And even in Sunday’s bitter, bitter cold they couldn’t have been feeling too much pain after Peanut Tillman’s glorious punt block and definitely not after Brian Urlacher’s pick six.
* Given those winds, there is no overstating how well Kyle Orton threw the ball. All day long his spirals were as tight as tourniquets. In conditions when it took only a moment for the slightest wobble to deteriorate into a mortally wounded duck, Orton’s passes did not falter.
* You had a chance to double your 3-0 lead after three lame runs inside the 10 . . . but instead you went for it on 4th-and-goal from the three-and-a-half, Lovie? But slap my mouth – coach Ron Turner had just the play, spreading the field and crossing Muhsin Muhammad into a wide-open portion of the end zone. But then, all together now, “Not agaaaaiin!” Moose dropped a pass that hit him in the exact midpoint of his body. And Green Bay took over on downs. Fortunately the Bear defense held and soon thereafter, the second chapter of the Packer punting fiasco (after a fumbled long snap on an earlier attempt) unfolded. Punter Jon Ryan had to take a couple steps to the side to field a wayward snap and Darrell McGlover stretched out for the first block of the day.
* From our seats we had a very good view of the Bears’ long-snapper par excellence Patrick Mannelly’s unique little commute. He went back and forth from the sideline heater to a spot down the sideline near his special teams coach four times during the Bears’ epic opening drive. He obviously is supposed to be right there in case third downs turn into fourth downs and he has to go in, but each time the Bear offense converted and Mannelly hustled back to the heater. Overall, Mannelly had another great game. He snaps the ball like Orton was throwing it.
* So many Bears were out there in short sleeves, apparently trying to assert their dominance over the weather, to prove their toughness forever. Guys, we know you’re tough. Put on some sleeves! One guy did re-think his shirt choice. I’ve got to give Jon credit for noticing that Adam Archuleta put on another layer before the second half began. Of course Archuleta is also the guy who was summarily drummed out of the starting lineup about a month ago. Coincidence?
* The Bears were leading by multiple touchdowns and for the second time today, Brett Favre was lying on the field in the fetal position (after corralling a loose ball). Life was sweet. Favre’s comeback season is a heck of a story and all, but we really don’t need to hear a whole lot more about it around here. Then again if he’s going to keep finding ways to lose to the Bears he obviously shouldn’t hang it up just yet.
* Israel Idonije had another great game, especially on defense. He may be undersized at defensive tackle but the Bears need to figure out ways to get him in games, and not just on special teams. So – coaches Bob Babich and Ron Turner – don’t come back (to training camp in 2008) until you have found ways for Idonije to make more of an impact on defense and Devin Hester to do the same on offense.
* Hester barely touched the ball in this contest after playing a significant pass-catching role in two of the past three games. All is forgiven and forgotten after a sweet victory but the inconsistency with which he touches the ball on offense continues to make one wonder about what is going on when game plans are created.
* And one other thing. Can Bears who commit false starts (three more in the first half against the Packers) be forced to leave the field immediately and do 50 pushups in front of the crowd behind the Bears bench? At least in the season finale this week against the Saints? Lovie, you can do this.
* Did you see that Sunday night score? It was Washington, a whole bunch of points-Minnesota, a few meaningless late touchdowns. So much for all that chatter about how dangerous the Vikings and their vaunted running game would be in the postseason. The Bears’ defensive performance last week hinted at the fact that people were anointing Minnesota a playoff dark horse a bit too soon. And the Redskins blew it away.
* Last year the Packers wrapped up a late-season resurgence (a four-game win streak after losing eight of their first 12 games) with a decisive victory over the Bears in their finale. It was a game that didn’t matter to the Blue and Orange because they had already clinched the top spot in the playoff pecking order going in. After the victory, the Packers went about convincing themselves that it was significant, that it was a definitive sign of better days to come. I’m usually a firm believer that victories after a team has been eliminated from playoff contention (ones that occur after all pressure has been eliminated) are absolutely meaningless. But something turned the Packers around. And it can certainly do the same for the Bears as they look forward to 2008.
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Jim Coffman brings you Bears Monday every . . . Monday.
Posted on December 24, 2007