Bears vs Dolphins: Bears Trail 14-0 at Halftime

Oct 19, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff (90) sacks Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

What a mess!  I’m not sure which is worse, the Chicago Bears offense, their defense or the Soldier Field turf.  The Bears trail the Dolphins 14-0 after a pathetic half of football on Chicago lakefront.  The top storylines of the first half have to be another pathetic start by the Bears offense, Ryan Tannehill’s best Aaron Rodgers impression, Jeremiah Ratliff’s coming out party with a 3.5 first half sack performance and the god-awful Soldier Field turf.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a home game without a dumbfounding Jay Cutler interception.  His second quarter miscue leading to a Mike Wallace touchdown.  The Bears offense was a disaster in the first half, putting up only 54 yards.  Jay Cutler had a 40 passer rating while Matt Forte only attempted 2 rushes.  TWO!  Brandon Marshall had one catch for -3 yards.  I’m not sure what exactly the Bears game plan was coming into this game, but it ought to be torched.  What did they do all week?

Meanwhile, Ryan Tannehill is doing his best Aaron Rodgers impression in the early going, 14/15 for 176 yards and two TD’s, completing his first 13 passes of the half.  He’s attempted a couple of runs in the read/option scheme to keep the Bears off balance defensively and attempt to hold the pass rush at bay.

That didn’t seem to bother Jeremiah Ratliff, who was all over the field for the Bears defense.  His 3.5 sacks are one of the best Bears defensive lineman performances that I can recall in some time.  Other than Ratliff, Lamarr Houston has shown some signs of life while Willie Young continues his fine play.

The Soldier Field turf might be the leading tackler for both teams today.  Players are slipping and sliding all over the place.  It’s an embarrassment for a major market team like the Bears.  They don’t have a plodding, smashmouth game any more; they need to be able to run precise routes and have reliable footing.  It’s a joke.

For the Bears, they need a 180 turn in the second half if they want to get their first home win of the season.  It was pretty much an awful performance all around with just a few exceptions.