By Jim Coffman
The Bears offense struggled again against the Packers. The defense stepped up but it still hasn’t paid nearly enough penance for so many poor pre-December performances. And in crunch time on Monday night, the special teams failed to stop the sort of late kickoff return that results in the returning team prevailing just about 100 percent of the time.
But the coin toss team kicks ass!
And it doesn’t just kick ass, it kicks ass when it counts. Who really cares who wins the coin toss at the beginning of NFL games? But in overtime, well, in overtime the coin toss is all, because the No Fun League still insists on the same old fundamentally unfair format – the one that does not ensure a level playing field (the team that wins the toss can go down and score without the opposition having a chance with the ball). College football has a different, much better set of rules of course, with both teams starting possessions from the opposing 25-yard line in each overtime.
But back to the coin toss. For the second consecutive week, the Bears clearly intimidated the opposition into a hurried heads-or-tails. Even the ref felt the heat on Monday and shanked the flip. And then . . . well . . . nice header, Brian Urlacher! Way to send that coin tumbling toward the side that ensured the Bears would seize possession with a solid kick-off return beyond the 30, bust out a beautiful pass to Greg Olsen out of the backfield (thanks for breaking it down Jaws! – ESPN’s Ron Jaworski, one of the three best football analysts alive), benefit from yet another of them new-fangled horse-collar calls and then hand the ball off or pass it to Matt Forte just enough times to set up Robbie Gould for yet another perfect clutch kick.
Now, try substituting the notes on this splendid victory for your favorite Christmas Carol lyrics. They fit:
* On the field goal attempt, I believe that was the 1,000th straight perfect snap and perfect hold executed by Patrick Mannelly and Brad Maynard, respectively. I know I’ve gushed about these guys before but it ain’t me braggin’ on ’em if they back it up every stinkin’ time. Maynard has bounced back after a mediocre to poor stretch of punting in the middle of the season but even if his punting hadn’t improved later on, he might have been worth keeping around just for his holding.
* I have to send a shout out to my wife for this: As the Packers were lining up for the penultimate field goal attempt with 25 seconds left in regulation, Julie actually said “Come on Alex Brown, you haven’t done anything in a while.” And then Mr. Brown raised up that massive Mickey-Mouse mitt of his and stuffed that kick.
* How much did the Bears have riding on this game? There was Lovie actually waving his arms up and down in unison after Brown’s beautiful block. It was definitely as demonstrative as he has ever been. And Forte, who so embodies his coach’s “I not only will never let you see me sweat, I won’t even let you see me exert myself” ethic, was positively howling at the moon after his final reception brought the ball down to about the Packer 20. Even with all of Forte’s great runs and receptions, especially the ones in the drive on the way to the tying touchdown (and what a break on the fourth-down first down inside the 10 during that march – if the yellow laser line signifying a first down on TV had been right, the Bears would have been at least a couple feet short), his biggest play was not fumbling that second-to-last “handoff” before the final field goal.
* Jason Davis earned his keep. The former Illini backup fullback slid in and didn’t let that punt return deflection off a blocker get away. Ron Turner’s former Illini buddy can definitely stick around another week . . . hey, one more thing about that Forte non-fumble . . . um, Mr. Orton? The next time your running back is a foot and a half from sprawled out on the turf a beat before you give him the ball? Eat it.
I suppose one negative note is required. Maybe we could sing about the details of this one in a Festivus carol.
* Orton suffered for some drops but he also tossed his share of stinkers. I still think he can throw the deep ball, that he’s just been in a slump, but the pass to an on-the-loose behind the defense again Hester early in the second half was yet again severely underthrown. And the other sub-par pass to Hester, the one that skipped off his hands high into the air before finally bounding into the end zone right before Gould’s first field goal? That ball was thrown way too hard for that short a pass.
That’ll have to do for now.
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Jim Coffman brings you the city’s best weekend sports roundup every Monday because he loves you. Except when there is a Bears game on Monday night. Then he not only brings you SportsMonday in advance, but BearTuesday afterwards. You can write to him personally! Please include a real name if you would like your comments to be considered for publication.
Posted on December 23, 2008