BRIAN URLACHER IS AT A LOSS FOR WORDS FOLLOWING THE BEARS BIZZARE 24-23 COME FROM BEHIND VICTORY IN PHOENIX ON MONDAY NIGHT
Stravnisky penned a ballet with the myth of the Phoenix as a theme that remains one of my favorite pieces of music of all time. In the last movement of the piece, the composer uses an extraordinarily dramatic combination of jarring melody and uplifting counterpoint to portray the bird’s rebirth after having consumed itself in fire.
That combination of music and the theme of coming back from the dead brings to mind the performance of Brian Urlacher and the Chicago Bears’ defense in the second half of their game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. Stifling the Cardinal offense by holding them to a field goal for the last two quarters, my beloveds roared back from a 20 point deficit to pull out a miraculous 24-23 victory on a night where the offense might as well have stayed in the locker room.
Urlacher was everywhere, playing the game as a man possessed. In the fourth quarter alone he stripped the ball from Cardinals running back Edgerrin James that was subsequently picked up by Peanut Tillman and run in for a score. He blocked 2 passes, delivered several titanic blows to receivers and running backs while making 6 solo tackles. NFL analysts routinely talk about Ray Lewis of Baltimore as the best middle linebacker in the game today because of his ability to take over a game and dominate it. I daresay that those analysts should run a tape of Urlachers performance in the fourth quarter and perhaps alter their judgement about who the number one defensive player in the league truly is.
And every one of Urlacher’s plays was absolutely necessary. That’s because the vaunted Bear’s offense performed a little ballet of their own – obligingly handing the ball to the Cardinals on 6 different occasions and pirouetting in circles for most of the night. Much credit must go to the Cardinals whose defense looked more like the Bears’ defense at times than Chicago’s crew. Flying around the field with enthusiasm and abandon, they delivered enormous hits on Chicago’s receivers, several times separating them from the ball to prevent gains. They ganged up on running back Thomas Jones, allowing the Bears’ star a measly 39 yards on 11 carries. And their blitz schemes befuddled Bears’ quarterback Rex “The Wonder Dog” Grossman.
Indeed, Wonder Dog had his absolute worst day as a pro, going a horrendous 14-37 for 148 yards with 4 interceptions and 2 fumbles. The offense could only manage a field goal and never seemed to be in sync. Again, much of the credit for the Bears’ confusion should go to the Arizona defense. But in the end, it was the defense on the other side of the field that won the game for my beloveds.
In addition to the fourth quarter strip and TD by Tillman, the defense also caused a Matt Leinart fumble which was returned by safety Mike Brown for a score with just seconds left in the third quarter. Leinart performed as well as one could expect from a rookie. After a spectacular first quarter where he went 8-9 and 2 TD’s, the Bears defense asserted themselves and stifled the youngster for most of the rest of the game. The Heisman Trophy winner ended up going 24-42 for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. He did a good job with the two minute drill late in the game and got his team within very makable field goal distance (40 yards). Unfortunately for Phoenix, pro bowl place kicker from last year Neil Rakers missed to the left and the game was over.
But the truly magical moment in the game occurred with less than 3 minutes to go. After a brave stop by the defense, the Cardinals were forced to punt on fourth down. Taking the high kick was Devon Hester, one the smallest men in the NFL and certainly one of the fastest. Running straight up the field, he juked one tackler and ran by two more potential stoppers for a jaw dropping 82 yard punt return that put the Bears ahead to stay 24-32. The Bears announcers anointed Hester “The Windy City Flyer” following an equally spectacular punt return for a TD in week 1 during the team’s 26-0 drubbing of the Packers. I think that might be one nickname that sticks.
No team can play at the top of its game for an entire season. But with a defense like the Bears’ – speed, ferocity, and big playmakers – a lot of defects can be hidden and a lot of games can be won that probably should have been chalked up as defeats. Could this mean that the Bears have a chance to go undefeated for the year? The odds are heavily against it.
But don’t talk odds to Urlacher and the Bears defense.
5:09 am
I didn’t see most of the game – I don’t have a t.v. so I listened to it on WBBM. Listening to football on the radio is underrated. It isn’t as good as actually watching the game of course, but it has a certain throwback romantic appeal that I like. And the Chicago Cardinals play second fiddle yet again.
Wow, what a game!
7:18 am
WOW! What a game! I’m not a Chicago fan, but I am a Rick Moran Fan, so YEA BEARS! I’m happy for you Rick, and for your town.
9:52 am
In my opinion Brian has been and is the best linebacker in football for 3 years! He is the reason the Bears have got to the playoffs. Rex has been one of the reasons the Bears do not win in the playoffs. I thought Rex had improved but now?
10:02 am
Oh, please. Chicago won this game on a missed field goal by Arizona. That is the reality.
The Bears were outplayed, especially in the first half, by the Cardinals, with a raw green rookie at quarterback. The Arizona Cardinals, of all teams. And Arizona head coach Dennis Green said it all. “The Bears are who we thought they were! Now, if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! But they are who we thought they were! And we let them of the hook!”
He’s right about that. The Cardinals lost this game. The Bears didn’t win it.
Not to take anything away from the Chicago defense and special teams, they made plays when they had to—two fumble returns for touchdowns, one punt return for a touchdown. But when a team with an offense that can only generate one field goal has to depend on its defense and special teams for a win, it doesn’t bode well for the future.
I guarantee you that if Chicago comes out flat in the first half, like they did on Sunday, against any other team, they’re toast. No way Grossman turns over 4 interceptions and 2 fumbles against any other team, and the defense and special teams salvage out a win. No way. Not against any other team.
The Cardinals are cursed. That does not mean the Bears are blessed.
Undefeated? Give me a break. No team will ever go undefeated in a 16-game season. It’s just not possible. But even if a team did go 16-0 in the regular seaon, they’d get knocked out of the playoffs real quick, because the amount of energy required to win every regular season game won’t leave enough for the post-season. This we all know.
But then, who am I to talk? I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan, and I’m in misery. I see the Cowboys’ chances of winning anything of significance in the near or even distant future as nill. As in none, zero, zip, nada. And it breaks my heart.
The Chicago Bears are a good team, a very good team. I would have to say a much better team than the Cowboys at this point. And they do have the talent and potential, and more importantly the head coach, to do it all this year. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least. (What would really surprise me is if the Cowboys post a winning season this year.)
But let’s get serious. Undefeated? I seriously doubt it.
10:22 am
Once again, the Cardinals find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
It would have been better for the Cardinals to be blown away as expected than to have lost like this.
Some teams just know how to win…it’s who they are. The Cards just know how to lose…it’s who they are.
Funny, from the 101 loop (Glendale) you can see a big “1” on the side of the stadium. Some people think it’s a gate number, I think it’s a prediction of the number of games the Cardinals will win in any given year.
I love the Phoenix area. I live in Glendale. It’s really a great place. What a shame we’re saddled with the NFL’s losing’est owner.
No point changing coaches or players, we need to fire the owner.
11:34 am
C’mon Gwain. I say that the odds are against a perfect season. And I also make it pretty clear that the Bears didn’t deserve to win.
Why get on my case? You make it sound as if I wrote that the Bears are super bowl locks.
You’re just depressed because you have to put up with that clown T.O, and his sideshow. Cheer up! Cowboys should make the playoffs anyway. Weak schedule and a good defense will see to that.
12:49 pm
Weak schedule and a good defense . . .
Why, I thought you were talking about the Bears there again.
1:26 pm
I apologize for getting on your case, Mr. Moran. But football just gets me hyped.
However, you are wrong that I’m depressed because I have to put up with T.O. and his sideshow. I love T.O. (now that he has a Blue Star on his helmet), and the sideshow is largely a media creation (you should know it all about that).
I’m depressed because I have to put up with Bill Parcells and his sideshow. You know, the one that includes an endless parade of favored former players who have never won anything—Testaverde, Anderson, Johnson, Glenn (he did win with the Patriots, without Parcells), Bledsoe (he did lose with the Patriots, with Parcells). And they haven’t won anything yet. I’ll be shocked if they make it to 8-8 this year.
At least your Bears have a real coach, Lovie Smith. At least he’s game planning in the 21st century. And he always has his team ready to play at game time.
Well, almost always. The game this last Sunday being the one notable exception. Howbeit, he found a way to win, that’s all that really matters. But he had to depend on the other team making a mistake (missing a field goal) in order for that to happen. That’s my point.
Chicago may well do it all this year. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least. They have the talent and they have the coach. And they appear to have destiny on their side. I wouldn’t bet against them.
But if they play like they played on Sunday against any other team, especially in the post-season, all bets are off.