Bills Defeat Bears 23-20: The Morning After
Sep 7, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) makes a diving catch against Buffalo Bills free safety Aaron Williams (23) during the second half at Soldier Field. Buffalo Bills defeat the Chicago Bears 23-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
OFFENSIVELY: The Bears got off to a strong start, but it wasn’t until a head-scratching flea flicker play was called, that the offense started to sputter. Jay Cutler’s two interceptions were reminiscent of his “Screw it, I’m gonna throw it across my body and off my back foot.” mentality that plagued him his first few as the Bears signal-caller.
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The first interception didn’t seem to be Cutler’s fault. It looked as if Martellus Bennett was supposed to run a curl route, and Cutler expected Bennett to be in position to make the catch. The second interception, however, was on Jay. And, the most frustrating about it is that Cutler should be better than that last pick. It was late in the fourth quarter. The game was on the line, and he threw the ball across his body into the outstretched arms of Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams. Adam Hoge of 87.7 The Game said it best..”That pass can’t happen.” Not at this stage in Cutler’s career. It’s worth noting that aside from the two interceptions, Cutler played well; throwing for 350 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bears are definitely limping to San Francisco for their upcoming game on Sunday night football. Center Roberto Garza and guard Matt Slauson left the game with injuries. Veteran center Brian de la Puente filled in during Garza’s absence, and performed well. Slauson and Garza are set to have MRI’s on Monday.
Starting receivers Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall missed time throughout the game due to injury. Marshall returned to action, but Jeffery was held out for precautionary reasons. Matt Forte averaged 4.8 yards per carry and amassed 82 total yards, which is also a testament to the Bears offensive line playing well, regardless of injuries.
FINAL THOUGHTS: It wasn’t as bad as it looked. Now, generally, I’m a glass half-empty type of guy when it comes to the Bears. I’m definitely a pessimistic fan. But, I’m not ready to give up on this team, and you shouldn’t be either. The Bills have a hell of a front seven, a speedy receiving corps, and a solid running back combo in Spiller and Jackson. I know that doesn’t make the loss any less hurtful, but you must keep in mind just how talented Buffalo is.
The game went to overtime, everyone. The Bears weren’t blown out. The Bears lost yesterday because of turnovers, questionable play-calling, and missed defensive assignments. We’ve heard this before, right? Can this Chicago team find a way to eliminate defensive mental mistakes, get after the quarterback, and have the offensive firepower that us fans know the Bears are capable of? God, I hope so. Here’s to hoping Marc Trestman and Mel Tucker can find a way to stun San Fran at home.
The Bears need to put this game behind them as fast as possible. Sunday Night Football against the Niners is going to approach quickly, and I know Colin Kaepernick is licking his chops after seeing what a mobile quarterback can do to this defense.