BEARS WR RASHIED DAVIS CELEBRATES AFTER CATCHING THE WINNING TD WITH LESS THAN 2:00 MINUTES TO GO AGAINST THE VIKES IN THEIR 19-16 VICTORY.

There was a moment in the fourth quarter of the Chicago Bear’s (“My Beloveds”) hard fought 19-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings that Rex “The Wonder Dog” Grossman looked like a hick rookie, a free agent undrafted reject from some Iowa junior college who accidentally wandered on to the field and lined up behind center.

With the ball spotted perilously on his own 7 yard line (thanks to the brain cramp of rookie punt returner Devin Hester who fielded the ball on the 5), Rex dropped back on first down to pass. He kept going back…and back…and back..until, finding himself in his own end zone and under pressure, threw a wounded duck of a pass in the general direction of running back Thomas Jones who was lying on the ground at the 4 yard line having slipped down.

To say the pass was a wounded duck is being charitable. That baby was one dead bird. It was, in fact stiff. Bereft of life. It rested in peace. Its metabolic processes were history. It was off the twig. It kicked the bucket. It shuffled off its mortal coil, ran down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. (HT: Monty Python)

This was most certainly an ex-duck of a pass. And cornerback Antoine Winfield, who may have been the most surprised person in the Baggiedome, gratefully gathered in the errant pass and walked the 4 yards into the end zone for a Minnesota touchdown – the first by either team for the game.

If Wonder Dog had been a typical Bears quarterback, the scenario that would have unfolded for the rest of the quarter would have been ugly indeed. A bruising loss of confidence which would probably have led to defeat. But the Spurrier-trained Grossman proved that not only does the Old Ball Coach still know how to turn out NFL quality QB’s, but that young Rex has within himself something that can’t be taught; a winning attitude and indomitable spirit.

Shaking off the blunder like a seasoned vet (rather than a youngster who has started exactly 10 games in his career), Grossman drove My Beloveds for two fourth quarter scores, including a 24 yard touchdown pass to Rashied Davis with less than 2 minutes to go that put his team ahead to stay.

It was Wonder Dog’s first great comeback victory. And while there will probably be disappointments along the way, there is little doubt the kid has what it takes to make the Bears a championship ball club, if not this year then in the very near future.

This is because when all is said and done, Rex doesn’t have to do much of anything in order to bring My Beloveds victory. It’s a dark and menacing thing, this Bear’s defense and before the year is through, it may very well prove that it can take its place alongside the great defensive clubs of all time, including the 1985 version of My Beloveds.

There really is no similarity between the two. This year’s edition is much, much the speedier and their schemes and blitzes are more intelligently designed and called. This is a thinking, living, breathing unit who move to the ball with a frightening agility, surrounding a hapless ballcarrier and devouring him like a single, ravenous beast. The ‘85 crew was a manic collection of caged animals that Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan let loose on Sundays. Brutality and intimidation were weapons they used to great psychological effect. This year’s squad is definitely more cerebral albeit with notable exceptions. I would not like to be a running back, for instance, being stood up by a linebacker and watching Mike Brown bearing down on me. At that moment, I believe I very well might rethink that offer from the brother-in-law about helping him run that car dealership outside of Selma.

Pat Forde at ESPN.Com is agog:

Give the Slobberknocker Award for the most tenacious D to the Chicago Bears. Lining up opposite these guys is like lining up opposite a firing squad. Odds of survival are slim.

The Bears don’t simply run to the football. They take the bullet train. Big holes and expectant big plays evaporate. Even on a Sunday when Chicago missed an unusual number of tackles, it still never suffered a serious breakdown.

Understand this: last year people wondered aloud whether the 2005 Bears defense was better than the legendary ‘85 Bears defense. But neither unit began the season like this.

In ‘85, the Bears gave up 59 points in their first three games. In ‘05, the Bears gave up 39 points. This year, after opening with two of three on the road, the result is 23 points—including just one offensive touchdown—and less than 800 total yards.

As an example, Tommie Harris, a 295 pound cat-quick defensive lineman with the wingspan of a Condor and the strength of a Minotaur, took matters into his own hands late in the fourth quarter with the Bears trailing 16-12. Facing third down, if Minnesota converted and got the 1st and ten it would have virtually been over for My Beloveds.

But Tommie saw something in the way the Vikes the left guard was getting into his stance that be believed indicated the guard would “pull” in order to help block the outisde run:

I just had to step up and make a play. I saw the guard was sitting kind of light and I knew I had to get off the ball and get in the pocket. He pulled and I got behind him all I could get was to the ball and I tried to knock the ball out.”

Easy, right? Replays show that the massive Harris was so incredibly quick that he was actually on top of the running back Chester Taylor before he was able to secure the ball. With one swipe of his mighty paw, Harris knocked the ball from Taylor’s hands and defensive end Adewale Ogunleye recovered it on the Minnesota 37 yard line.

Wonder Dog took care of the rest, cooly converting a 3rd and eight situation with a spot pass to Mushin Mohammed before stepping up and firing the winning TD to Davis.

Next week is a nationally televised game against last year’s NFC Super Bowl representatives the Seattle Seahawks. The young Bears will have their hands full trying to stop Shaun Alexander and the powerhouse Seattle offense. But with Grossman gaining ever more confidence as the season wears on, look for the upset as My Beloveds will defeat the ‘Hawks 24-13 at home.