The Bears dominated the first half, then stayed focused and on target in the second. Cutler threw for 226 yards and remained reliable throughout the game. The offensive line held the opponent off more effectively; everyone did their part to move the ball down the field and score. It was a notable team effort to get big plays on the field.
Forte rushed for 145 yards. He is practically unstoppable with talent rivaling the legend Walter Payton. He makes big plays happen. He is fearless, hits hard and is obviously disciplined. He represents the type of talent that belongs on a franchise tag.
Williams picked up 59 receiving yards, Hester contributed 46, but no big run-backs for him today. The offensive line operated as a team today. Communication appeared to be clear and there were fewer errors; they had 7 penalties for 54 yards.
Urlacher’s defense hit the Bucs hard with 4 interceptions, 1 sack and a brutal face-off at the line of scrimmage. At the half the Bears’ defense had only allowed five first downs. Stingy and steady they did a good job getting in the way of the ball and defending the line. It was the defense that cinched the win in the end with Moore’s interception in the last minute of the game.
Kudos to Lovie Smith for challenging the call when Urlahcher’s interception was called back by a Bucs personal foul. It was a confusing play. Brian intercepts Freeman’s pass and is tackled. After hitting the ground he loses control of the ball and fumbles. The Bucs recover. At the start of the play, there’s a facemask penalty, so the ball gets called back with extra yards on Tampa. It was very confusing.
Have the Bears found the formula to success or did they just beat out the worn out Bucs? The Bears were pretty worn out themselves. It’s hard to know whether a longer stay in London would have helped or hurt them. It didn’t seem to help the Bucs pull out a victory.
The Bears have definitely improved over the last three games. Even in the loss against the Lions, Cutler’s poise was clearly better. He held it together amid the sacks, his form was flawless and he still did his best to get the down. The defense hit a rough patch and appear to be recovering. Hopefully the next week off will serve them all well to face the second half of the season.
The Bears return to Monday night football against the Eagles in Philidelphia, Monday, November 7
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