Bears 40, Bills 7
CHICAGO (AP) - Calling the Chicago Bears
an offensive juggernaut might seem to defy logic, tradition and the
lineage of gritty defenders from Butkus to Singletary to
Urlacher.
Believe it.
Getting a huge boost from their trademark
defense, the Bears scored the first five times they had the ball
Sunday and ruined the homecoming of former coach Dick Jauron with a
40-7 drubbing of Jauron's Buffalo Bills to go 5-0 for the first time
in 20 years.
Rex Grossman threw two touchdown passes,
Cedric Benson scored his first two NFL touchdowns and the Bears
capitalized on five Buffalo turnovers as they piled up their biggest
points total since 1993.
Suddenly, the team that always counted on
its defense to make up for an anemic offense in recent seasons is
averaging 31 points a game, outscoring even the high-flying
Indianapolis Colts through five games.
''That was a fun game,'' said Grossman,
who sat out the fourth quarter after going 15-of-27 for 182 yards
and the two touchdowns.
''Anytime you execute like that - offense,
defense, special teams - anytime you play like that, it's so much
fun.''
That was the operative word for Brian
Urlacher, too, enjoying his team's newly resurgent offense.
''It's fun to watch,'' he said. ''Rex is
throwing the ball pretty much wherever he wants to.''
Robbie Gould aided the cause with four
field goals, improving to 17-for-17 for the season, as the Bears ran
their scoring margin to an eye-opening 156 points scored and 36
allowed.
Tough defense was the Bears' hallmark
during Jauron's tenure from 1999-2003, but a shaky offense kept
Chicago out of the playoffs every season but 2001. His teams managed
30 points just four times in five years, and never more than 37.
The 'D' remains as stingy as ever, or more
so. Chicago yielded just 145 total yards to the Bills (2-3), and the
last-minute touchdown it gave up was only the second TD the defense
has allowed all season.
But an injury-free Grossman and the
high-powered passing game have made the NFC's only unbeaten team
more dangerous on offense than it has been in years.
The Bills compounded that by giving the
ball away frequently after going three of their first four games
without any turnovers.
''It was a long day for us, obviously,''
Jauron said. ''We knew they were an outstanding football team coming
into the game. ... All the things that we couldn't have happen,
happened.''
The outmanned Bills found themselves in
trouble early and often against a speedy, aggressive defense. They
dug themselves a hole on the opening drive when Brian Moorman
fumbled the snap on a fake punt and Brendon Ayanbadejo recovered at
the Buffalo 40. Six plays later, Gould kicked a 42-yard field goal
to open the scoring.
Following a 43-yard field goal, the Bears
blew open the game with three touchdowns in a nine-minute span of
the second quarter.
Grossman hit Bernard Berrian for an 8-yard
score to make it 13-0 after Thomas Jones carried five times for 35
yards on the scoring drive.
Bills quarterback J.P. Losman was
intercepted by Lance Briggs on the ensuing drive. Five plays later,
Benson bulled in from 1 yard for his first TD.
''It was really cool, especially on the
first one,'' Benson said. ''It's neat stuff.''
Following a 62-yard bomb to Berrian on
Chicago's next drive, Grossman found Rashied Davis in the end zone
for a 15-yard score that made it 27-0 at halftime.
The Bears extended the rout in the second
half with Gould's field goals of 32 and 41 yards, and Benson's
second 1-yard TD late in the fourth quarter following a fumbled
kickoff recovered by Israel Idonije.
Buffalo scored on a 5-yard TD pass from
Losman to Lee Evans with 1:06 remaining.
Jones had his first 100-yard game after
rushing for 1,335 a year ago, finishing with 109 yards on 22
carries. Benson ran for 48 yards on 14 attempts.
Losman was 14-of-27 for 115 yards and was
sacked three times.
Willis McGahee, who came in leading the
NFL in rushing, was held to 50 yards on 14 carries.
''We gave them a lot of stuff,''
cornerback Terrence McGee said. ''They are probably one of the best
teams in football, if not the best team in football, but I thought
we gave them a lot of opportunities and it hurt us.''
The bad news for opponents is that coach
Lovie Smith thinks they will get better.
''We like what we see right now,'' he
said. ''But I don't think you can peak after five games.''
Notes: The Bears shut down Buffalo despite
having two defensive linemen inactive: Adewale Ogunleye, who was
nursing a hamstring injury, and tackle Ian Scott, who wasn't listed
as having an injury. ... Berrian entered leading the NFL with three
TD catches and four receptions of 40-plus yards, and added one of
each. ... Chicago has won its first three home games by a combined
111-20. |