The Chicago Bears let this one slip away.  The Seattle Seahawks stole another game at Soldier Field (third win in three years), beating the Bears 23-17 in overtime.  Jay Cutler to Brandon Marshall looked as reliable as Montana to Rice, but they needed someone else, anyone else, to step up.  Earl Bennett had a chance to bury the Seahawks early, but whiffed on a sure touchdown catch.

The defense is starting to show their age with injuries abound.  They can’t force five turnovers every week, but they needed more than just one this week.  Lovie Smith didn’t do them any favors by saving his timeouts in overtime.  The Bears need to learn from the mistakes they made here and get back to their winning ways.

Quarterback – A
This may have been Cutler’s best game of the season, throwing for 233 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.  His QBR was 94.1, the third best in the league this week.  His throws were crisp, his feet were agile, and he was upright for most of the game.  It’s too bad his effort was wasted.  He brought the team back with 20 seconds to go, but the defense couldn’t even give him a chance to win it in overtime.

Wide Receivers – B (for Brandon)
This category might as well be renamed “Brandon Marshall.”  Earl Bennett had a nice touchdown catch, but missed a long pass from Cutler that could have been the difference in the game.  But then, he left the game with a concussion, leaving the Bears with Eric Weems, Dane Sanzenbacher and Marshall.  It was almost enough to win.  Marshall finished with 10 catches and a season high 165 yards.  Even his pass interference penalty was one of the smartest things I’ve seen a receiver do in a long time in Chicago.  The icing on the cake would have been a touchdown catch in overtime.  Alas, it was not meant to be.

Running Backs – B-
Matt Forte broke his three- game drought without a run over 10 yards or a catch over four yards.  He finished with 30 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown, and 66 rushing yards, but only averaged 3.1 yards per rush.  Michael Bush torched the Seahawks defense for 5.6 yards per carry, but only ran the ball seven times.  This running back tandem combined to have a pretty productive game, yet again, but it seems like Lovie Smith still doesn’t know how to go with the hot hand.

Tight Ends/Fullback – C-
Kellen Davis still stinks.  Matt Spaeth is still a capable blocker, but his false start killed the Bears momentum early in the game.  If it weren’t for him, the Bears fourth down debacle may never have happened.

The Bears are finally using a healthy Evan Rodriguez to give Cutler another pass-catching option.  Rodriguez caught two passes for eight yards and even threw a few nice blocks.  Did I mention Davis still stinks?

Offensive Line – B-
This group may not (strike that … will not) make the Pro Bowl, but they are playing better than anyone could have hoped.  Their run blocking may be a little below average, but they are doing everything they can to keep Cutler from getting thumped.  J’Marcus Webb did have a costly false start late in the fourth quarter, but the rest of the guys held their own and only gave up one sack, which was after Cutler botched a fake handoff.  If this group can stay healthy, they may be effective enough to give the Bears a chance at a deep playoff run.

Defensive Line – D
There is no excuse for giving up 176 rushing yards and a 5.5 yards per carry average.  The Seahawks also had five runs of over 10 yards on their final two drives.  Keeping Seahawks QB Russell Wilson in the pocket was a challenge all day, one they failed at miserably.  They did manage two sacks (Julius Peppers, Stephen Paea), but everyone ran out of gas at the end and there were too many missed tackles.  Shea McClellin continues to improve and could be a big factor in the Bears playoff run.  Henry Melton continues to have a Pro Bowl-caliber season.

Linebackers – B-
Brian Urlacher looked great on one play and old on another.  In the end, he finished the game with eight tackles, one pass deflection and a hard fought forced fumble.  If he were healthy, he could have 12-15 tackles and force a turnover every game.  He’s still a great linebacker.

Lance Briggs played well, but could be a liability if his injury doesn’t heal quickly.  Nick Roach seems to make a big play or two every game.  He might be seeing a lot more playing time if Urlacher and Briggs continue to be slowed by injury.

Secondary – D
Once Chris Conte left the game and Craig Steltz filled in, I knew the Bears had an open wound that could easily be exploited.  Major Wright seemed to be lost without Conte.  He missed an interception that could have ended the game and then missed a tackle on WR Golden Tate that could have stopped the Seahawks at the goal line.

The cornerbacks were also guilty of missed tackles and not stopping the Seahawks when it mattered.  Giving up 293 yards, two touchdowns and an 85.4 QBR to a rookie quarterback is unacceptable for this group.

Special Teams – C+
Eric Weems looked like he never returned a kick or punt before in his life.  He only had done it 195 times before this game.  Why he took the kickoff out of the end zone with 24 seconds left, I don’t know.  He’s lucky Marshall caught that bomb from Cutler.

Punter Adam Podlesh did everything he could to keep the Seahawks deep in their zone, but the defense couldn’t hold them.  Robbie Gould looked like he could have hit that game-tying field goal with his eyes closed.  If only he had the chance to make one early in the game.  Overall, the special teams played well, but didn’t make a big enough impact in the game.

Coaching – D+
The play-calling from Mike Tice is improving, but I think Bush needs more touches.  For once, the defense let the team down, when the offense made a miraculous comeback.  That being said, why didn’t Lovie use a timeout in overtime to give the defense some rest?  I can deal with going for it on fourth down and inches early in the game, but Lovie not recognizing that his defense had nothing left is inexcusable.

Overall – C

Looking at the 41-3 score, you would assume the Chicago Bears (4-1) dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) throughout the game.  But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  The score was 3-3 at halftime and then Lovie Smith got … loud.  According to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune, Lance Briggs described what happened at halftime, “I don’t know exactly what [Lovie Smith] said, but it was loud, though.  Probably the loudest I’ve ever heard him. Whatever he said, it sunk in. And it jump-started us.”

It was perfect timing for Lovie to show some raw emotion, because the Bears responded with a 17 play scoring drive, two defensive touchdowns and three offensive touchdowns.  Everything started to click.  The defense now has five touchdowns in three weeks and leads the league with 17 takeaways.  The Bears are going into the bye with a lot of momentum, but will gladly take the time off to let a few guys heal up.

Let’s check out the grades for their dominant Week 5 performance against the Jaguars.

Quarterback – B+
As Boomer stated yesterday, it was a tale of two halves, especially for Jay Cutler.  He threw an interception on his first pass and over/under threw too many receivers.  He went into halftime completing just 50 percent of his passes for 110 yards and only one field goal to the Bears credit.  Then, he started to find Brandon Marshall all over the field, leading the Bears on four scoring driving in four chances in the second half.  He finished the game 23-for-39 for 292 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.  As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race.  Cutler is beginning to show that he can be clutch when he needs to be.  I just hope he is a little more careful when he runs the ball.  Slide, Jay, slide!

Wide Receivers – A
Marshall caught 12 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown, Alshon Jeffery had a nice touchdown catch and Devin Hester show his speed once again, making a beautiful 39-yard reception in the fourth quarter.  Overall, Marshall had the bulk of the catches, but when he was covered, the other receivers were able to get open and make plays.  It looks like Jeffery is going to miss a few weeks after fracturing his right hand, but at least he did it while catching a touchdown.  It looked like he was getting into a groove, so hopefully he can pick up where he left off when he returns.

Running Backs – A+
Matt Forte finally looked to be 100 percent, rushing for 107 yards on 22 rushes and catches two passes for 20 yards.  Michael Bush contributed as well with 52 total yards on six touches, including a nice show of athleticism.   This is the type of game that Mike Tice envisioned when taking over as the offensive coordinator.  He stuck with the run on the first and second down and set up manageable third downs.  Eventually, the passing game also opened up and the Cutler took advantage.  Forte’s longest run was only 14 yards, but he was consistently breaking tackles and gaining first downs.  Even third-string running back Armando Allen joined in the fun with a nifty 46-yard touchdown run to cap off the victory.

Tight Ends/Fullback – C
Kellen Davis once again showed his upside and his shortcomings.  In the first quarter, he dropped a pass that was right in his hands, but then made two nice catches to keep the Bears first scoring drive alive.  After the first quarter, he wasn’t targeted again.  Davis and Matt Spaeth did a nice job blocking, giving Cutler time to throw, but they will somehow need to get open and catch some more balls with Jeffery out.  I feel as though we have seen the ceiling for Davis.  Let’s face it, he’s just average at best.

Offensive Line – B+
This grade is a bit skewed by the multiple mistakes from Gabe Carimi.  He single-handedly stopped the Bears from scoring a touchdown in the third quarter with two false starts in the red zone.    He also gave up the only sack on Cutler.  Other than Carimi, the line played very well against a below average Jaguars defense.  J’Marcus Webb has fallen off the fans radar and seems to have responded since Cutler bumped and yelled at him a few weeks ago.  I also want to mention that Roberto Garza has played extremely well all season.

Defensive Line – B
Corey Wooton was the only Bears to sack Blaine Gabbert, but he did it twice and forced a fumble that was recovered by Julius Peppers.  After the last few weeks, this performance seemed to be a bit of a letdown.  However, if giving up 60 rushing yards and three points is the worst they play all season, I’ll take it.  Henry Melton has slowed a bit from his quick start and didn’t record a tackle against the Jaguars.  Let’s hope he doesn’t fall into a slump like he did last year around this time. (Games 4-7 he had just one tackle and zero sacks).

Linebackers – B+
Brian Urlacher still doesn’t look like himself.  He’s definitely a few steps slower than he was last year and doesn’t seem to have the burst we’ve always seen from him.  A long bye week should help to heal his aging body.  Lance Briggs, on the other hand, is playing at a level as high as Urlacher did in his prime.  Briggs recorded his second pick-six in as many weeks to go along with a sack (almost a safety) and four total tackles.  He’s definitely holding down the fort while Urlacher is getting healthy.  Nick Roach had a nice pass deflection in the end zone and has been doing a nice job containing and covering running backs and tight ends.

Secondary – A
Is it just me or is Major Wright starting to look like a Pro Bowl safety?  He and Chris Conte are patrolling the secondary like a couple of veterans.  Tim Jennings, however, briefly reverted to mediocrity in the first half, capped off by giving up a 34-yard reception to Cecil Shorts (longest play from scrimmage by a Bears opponent in 2012).  He bounced back in the second half and finished the game as the Bears leading tackler with six.  Charles Tillman equaled Briggs’ pick-six repeat, making them the first set of teammates in NFL history to have back-to-back games with interception returns for touchdowns.  Anyone who worried about Tillman after the Giants preseason game should now be resting easy.

Special Teams – C+
For the first time in a long time, the Bears special teams unit has been the weakest phase of the game.  They haven’t made any big mistakes, but they haven’t been very special.  The coverage team held Jaguars KR Rashad Jennings to just 21.7 yards per kick return.  Hester had four punt returns for eight total yards and one kick return for 28 yards.  Adam Podlesh averaged just 40.7 yards on three punts and kicked one into the end zone.  The consistent bright spot has been Robbie Gould, who continued his perfect season, making two field goals and five extra points.  He’s on pace for over 150 points this season, which would break Kevin Butler’s franchise record of 144 points, set in 1985.

Coaching – A
Even a person who has been critical of Lovie Smith’s coaching style has to give him a ton of credit for motivating the Bears at halftime.  The Bears outscored the Jaguars 38-0 in the second half after looking ineffective throughout the first and second quarter.  Mike Tice has shown that he’s willing to establish the run early, but also go the pass when it’s working.  Any time that a team can come out of halftime with a drive of 17 plays for over nine minutes, you have to give credit to the coaching staff.

Overall – A-

Lovie Smith still has the Monday night magic.  He improved his Monday Night Football record to 8-2 as the Chicago Bears destroyed Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys, 34-18.  Jay Cutler had the offense working like a well-oiled machine, led by the strategic play-calling of Mike Tice.  The Bears defense had 5 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, 1 sack and forced the Cowboys to bring in Kyle Orton to finish up the game.  It was a thing of beauty down in Big D.

Let’s give the Bears a report card they will be happy to bring home to Chicago.

Quarterback – A
Cutler was firing on all cylinders after the Bears established their running game in the first half.  He went 11-for-12 for 221 yards and 2 TDs after halftime, slamming the door on any hope the Cowboys had for a comeback.  Cutler’s fumble in the third quarter was his fault, but the defense got the ball back immediately.  He then led the offense on two scoring drives of over 60 yards.  Overall, it was his best game of the season, and you can tell that once he gets the offense flowing, they are unstoppable.  Not to mention he has now won 8 of his last 9 starts.

Wide Receivers – A-
Even without Earl Bennett in the lineup, the Bears wide receivers played a great game.  Marshall racked up 138 yards and a touchdown, while catching pretty much everything thrown his way.  He even showed some nice moves after the catch.  Hester showed that, with his speed, he can be a great asset to Cutler.  His 34-yard touchdown catch is a sample of what the Bears were expecting to see, after adding two big wideouts around him.  Alshon Jeffery didn’t catch everything that came his way, but seems to be getting open more and more each week.  Watch for his productivity to increase as he learns how to play in the NFL.

Running Backs – B+
The Bears came out running early.  Then we once again saw the value of having a backup like Michael Bush when Matt Forte went out after the first play.  Forte did come back and rushed for 52 yards on 14 carries, but the passing game was clicking so well, he didn’t need to do much.  Bush only gained 29 yards on 10 carries but gained a few nice short yardage first downs early in the game.  Forte also had a nice game blocking.  As long as these guys stay healthy and the Bears run early and often, they will be as important as anyone on the offense.

Tight Ends/Fullback – B+
After a bad drop early in the game, Kellen Davis finished the game with 3 catches for 62 yards, his best career game to date.  His acrobatic, over-the-defender catch in the fourth quarter showed his potential.  The only critique from Monday night was that every time he catches the ball, he’s on the ground or about to topple over (He does this all the time.  He has 4 Yards After the Catch on 6 receptions this season.)  Matt Spaeth also excelled in his role as the Bears sixth offensive lineman, despite a false start penalty.  Those solid performances aside, I still would like to see Kyle Adams get on the field a bit more.

Offensive Line – A-
Finally, the offensive line looked like they belong in the NFL.  No penalties, DeMarcus Ware only had 1 sack (which was more Cutler’s fault), and the receivers had time to get open.  And best of all, no injuries.  Tice set these guys up for success with his game plan and Webb, Rachal, Garza, Louis and Carimi all responded.  Monday night was a great effort to build on moving forward.  The only complaint is that the running game only averaged 3.7 yards per carry…but, any Bears fan has to be happy with what we saw against one of the best defenses in the league.

Defensive Line – A+
The only sack was registered by Henry Melton, but the line played a huge part in Tony Romo’s 5 interceptions.  Not to mention that they held the Cowboys to 41 rushing yards.  Stephen Paea is living up to the expectations put on him when the Bears picked him in the second round in 2011.  Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije didn’t show up much on the stat sheet, but their presence was felt.  Add in Amobi Okoye, Corey Wooton and Shea McClellin and the Bears have one of the deepest lines in the league.

Linebackers – B+
It is obvious that Urlacher is not the same guy he was five years ago, but he’s still the leader of the defense.  Lance Briggs showed some sweet moves on a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown (longest in the NFL this season) and was all over the field making tackles.  Nick Roach had a nice tackle for loss as well.  The Cowboys did excel at short and mid-range plays to the tune of 396 passing yards, but the Cover 2 got the turnovers when they needed them.  Despite their average age of nearly 31 years old, Briggs, Urlacher and Roach showed that they can execute the Cover 2 as well as any LBs in the league.

Secondary – A
The Cowboys threw and threw and threw on Monday night, racking up nearly 400 yards.  The Bears secondary waited and waited and waited, until Romo made a mistake…err…5 mistakes.  Major Wright (2 INTs), Charles Tillman (1 INT, 1 TD) and D.J. Moore (1 INT) accounted for 4 interceptions and killed drive after drive.  Tim Jennings ended his four game interception streak, but blanketed Kevin Ogletree on a pass that bounced off his hands and into the waiting arms of Major Wright.  The Bears secondary now leads the league with 10 interceptions.  Tillman’s seventh career defensive touchdown showed that a veteran cornerback can make plays just by reading the quarterback’s eyes.

Special Teams – B
The special teams didn’t do anything spectacular, but they neutralized the Cowboys special teams.  You know Dave Toub wants fireworks from his guys each week, but sometimes vanilla is all you need.  Robbie Gould made 2 field goal attempts to remain perfect on the year.  Hester had a few average kick/punt returns.  Adam Podlesh’s 3 punts helped pin the Cowboys deep in their own zone and the coverage teams didn’t allow any big plays.  Overall, just what the Bears needed on a night that the defense took center stage.

Coaching – A
It looks like Tice is a lot different than Mike Martz.  He actually learns from his mistakes.  He stuck to the run in the first half and exploited the Cowboys downfield in the second half.  I can’t wait to see what Tice calls next week.  Even Lovie had a productive game.  No bad challenges and he had timeouts to spare when the game ended.  I’m not on the Lovie bandwagon yet, but his defensive mindset looks to be fueling the Bears early on in the season.

Overall – A