Chicago Bears 2012 Rewind: Bears defeat Lions in a wonderful defensive display
Oct 22, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher (54) recovers a fumble by Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell (35) at the goal line during the third quarter at Soldier Field. The Bears won 13-7. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
This Monday Night game was anything but pretty. It was a hard-hitting slugfest between NFC North Rivals. It also marked the Bears first win against a division foe. Here’s how it went down.
Game Summary
The offense started out hot, for a change. On the first drive, Jay Cutler hit a wide open Brandon Marshall on a beautiful play action for a seven yard touchdown. Here’s the clip. http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000083989/Cutler-to-Marshall-7-yd-TD
Oct 22, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) is sacked by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
The rest of the half was relatively boring until late in the second, when Ndamukong Suh body slammed Jay Cutler. It was a vicious hit. It looked like he would not be able to easily recover. However, he was able to come in a play later to a standing ovation. Here it is: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000084089/Cutler-comes-back
The second half featured some big plays, especially from the defense. Charles Tillman, the game’s MVP, was able to shut down Calvin Johnson for the vast majority of the game. The play of the game came towards the end of the third, when Joique Bell tried a second down end zone dive. Henry Melton hit him and somehow forced a fumble, and Brian Urlacher made a fantastic recovery. Here is the play of the game: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000084068/Bell-fumbles-at-1-yard-line
Detroit eventually scored in the fourth, but not until the game was out of hand.
Bright Spots
The Chicago Bears dominated defensively. As I mentioned before, Charles Tillman shut down the league’s best receiver. Megatron had only 3 catches. Jay Cutler only threw for 150 yards, but he still played a fearless game. Brandon Marshall tallied 6 catches of his own for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Oct 22, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Detroit Lions during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Things to learn
The theme of the game really was the Lions missing opportunities and the Bears shutting them down in big situations. However, as the Bears found out later in the season, sometimes it doesn’t matter how well your defense plays, if the offense can’t produce. And in this game, the offense had trouble producing. This year, the Bears need to amplify their offensive production in games like this.