August 21, 2008
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Rahula Strohl
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Bear with Us
Play-by-play of the NFC title game from a guy who has his touchdown whistle at the ready.
Current drive
You know the storylines, don't you? Well, here's a quick, three-paragraph refresher.
Bears won a lot this season—14 out of 17 games, in fact—but no one cares if they . The Saints won a little less frequently than the Bears—only 11 out of 17 games—but no one cares because it's a downright miracle they .
Since it's a downright miracle the Saints made it this far, anyone whose team is no longer alive—or in the case of Lions and Cardinals fans, hasn't ever been alive—is rooting for the Saints. Even Chicago-heart-on-his-sleeve Michael Wilbon said he'd be rooting for the Saints—if he weren't a Chicago native.
While the Saints are stirring sympathetic passion from the third-party fans, the Bears have been stirring passion from their fans since Papa Bear moved 'em up from The Soybean Capital of the World. Because of the intense emotion, the majority of local yokels, in and on the Web, are picking the Bears, while the majority of national folk are picking the Saints.
So that wraps it up.
I watched a lot of columnist-yelling-at-each-other shows this week. A lot. Fortunately, Woody Paige has, for the most part, been booted early on Around the Horn, so that makes it bearable. ("Bear"able. Get it? Get it? Unfortunately, I do, too. I'll stop.)
Jay Mariotti, who has said he's rooting for the Saints for the past couple of months, predictably picked them to win, as did Paige. We've been told a lot that the Saints are unlike any offense the Bears have faced this year, but Michael Smith flipped it: "I like the speed of the Bears defense. It's the fastest defense Reggie Bush has faced this year." Bill Plaschke made for a split down the middle on ATH.
The Sports Reporters guys all went with the Saints, and Sunday NFL Countdown played out as one would expect. The guy with a Chicago connection (you know who) picked the Bears and the four dudes with no Chicago connections were rockin' the Saints.
Oddly enough, Stephen Colbert, who got his start with Second City, is coming down on the New Orleans side of things. Of course, bears are regularly No. 1 on his Threat Down, so we understand why. He said he believes that if a bunch of Saints can't beat a collection of Bears, then it's like God doesn't exist. But if the Saints win, Colbert said it would be as if Hurricane Katrina never happened.
He had Lynn Swann on his show on Wednesday to help him trash talk the three non-Saints teams in the playoffs. When Swann told Colbert that the Bears' weakness this season has been Rex Grossman's inconsistency, Colbert said:
"Hey Bears! Your quarterback is gross, man! He turns it over more than a drunken sorority pledge at a toga party!"
Colbert went on to say that Saints quarterback Drew Brees will tame the Bears the way St. Corbinian tamed an actual bear in the eighth century.
Meanwhile, America's finest news source reports that we're all wondering what we did to deserve so much Joe Buck. Amen. Also, turns out Bill Belichick ain't so smart.
That's enough pre-game prognostication. A few last points before I say, "Football soon":
Same deal as always. Auto-refresh and comment board on the right, if you are Web cam enabled, add your own comment on the game. I will do a few of Web cam updates (pre, halftime and post, I believe) and you can e-mail me to tell me how ugly I am or how my voice grates at your very soul.
On my way to get a polish sahsij for lunch, I had the song "Aiko Aiko" in my head, which is a Bayou song. This will not do, I told myself. So I put the catchiest song from "The Blues Brothers" on the iPod: "Shake Your Tailfeathers." And if you look down the side for related videos there, you can pick and choose from your favorites from the movie. And what about the boogaloo?
Football soon.
FIRST QUARTER
Chicagofan, click on the Web cam link on the right of Bear with Us. Says "Talkback" with the picture of the painted dude with a Bears hat. And Pedro Polish, that subhead refers to sausage. Fox had a story all about Dungy and Lovie each having the opportunity to be the first black coach in the Super Bowl. So there you have it. If you root for the Bears, you're rooting for Hurricane Katrina, if you root for the Saints, you're rooting for black coaches to be kept out of the Super Bowl. There is, of course, the possibility that you're from either Chicago or New Orleans, but that's hardly antagonistic, is it? Auto-refresh is now fixed, thank you for the catch. Dome teams are 0-9 on the road in the conference title game since 1970. Saints will receive.
And here we go. Kick to the goal line and Michael Lewis slips right at the 20, possibly inside it. Nope, right at it, quick pass to Marques Colston on a stop route to the left side for seven yards, then has some time on a play fake. He throws it up for grabs between Devery Henderson and Charles Tillman and Henderson wins the jump, 1st and 10 from the Bears' 32. Brees is flushed and throws it away. First handoff of the game and Deuce McAllister gets three off guard left. Shotgun and Brees is sacked by Israel Idonije back near the 40. Idonije beat his offensive lineman and McAllister didn't stand a chance. It was almost comical. Punt is a touchback.
Olin Kreutz tries to quiet the crowd. Play fake, Grossman has nothing, tries to dump off to Thomas Jones, it's too low, 2nd and 10. Jones up the middle for five. Manny, thanks for the heads up, it is now changed to McAllister. Either way, it was comical. Grossman under pressure, ducks out of a sack and throws it away. Maynard's punt goes inside the Saints' 40, and Adrian Peterson drops Bush right at the 40. Great 1-on-1 tackle.
That last play is exactly why I like Adrian Peterson. He doesn't do much except make a huge play when they need him to. He has two forced fumbles on kickoffs this season, and his runs and receptions have all been at key times. Mark Anderson in and McAllister gets three. The Saints have some weird three-back set and Brees hits Terrance Copper on a stop route just into Bears territory. Brees then throws a little behind Colston and both he and Tillman fall over and the ball skips away, 2nd and 10. Pitch left to Bush and he gets six. Fans make some noise on 3rd and 4. Mark Anderson blindsides Brees a la the Matt Leinart hit in Week 6, Ogunleye tries to scoop up the fumble, bobbles it and the Saints recover way back somewhere. They punt to about the 20, Hester reverses field and gets to the 40.
While I agree that the Bears should have fallen on that one, it is in the parameters of Lovie's defense to go for the big play. Hence, Tillman going for the pick and not batting the ball and Ogunleye trying to scoop the fumble instead of falling on it. In this weather, they should go a little on the conservative side, but then, we don't want a Martyball situation, do we? Meanwhile, Jones gets a yard, Grossman goes deep for Berrian in the teeth of a blitz and underthrows him just enough for Fred Thomas to get a hand on it, then I believe Muhsin Muhammad (it might have been Berrian) drops a pass on a cross route that probably would have resulted in a first down. The punt goes to about the 20, and Bush runs out of bounds at the 25 or so.
Make it the 27, from where Lance Briggs does his thing and drops a run for a loss of one or two. Alex Brown gets double teamed, giving Brees enough time to hit Billy Miller on a stop route a couple yards shy of the sticks and the Saints call timeout to figure out what they're gonna do on 3rd and 2 from the 35. Rich in NJ makes an interesting point, with all the stop routes the Saints are running—the 3-step drop type of routes that a team needs to beat the Bears—a receiver is bound to slip while the DB doesn't. Swing pass left to Bush, he just barely makes the catch and gets 3 and the first. Brees then hits Colston over the middle, Colston leaves his defender in the dust by reversing the field and gets the first down and more, but Chris Harris strips the ball. Vasher scoops it up successfully and returns it to the Saints' 40.
Benson looks like he's wrapped up for a yard, but breaks free and gets four more, 2nd and 5. Benson gets a couple more. End around to Rashied Davis, he gets the first on a great sustained block on Berrian, then bounces off another tackler and gets to the 13. Benson again refuses to go down and gets five more. Fake end around, dump-off to Jason McKie and he gets four. First complete pass for Grossman. Benson gets stood up off tackle right for no gain. Timeout Bears with 2:25 left in the quarter. Check that, that was a measurement timeout. Bears are going for it, Troy Aikman doesn't like the call, but then the Bears actually call a timeout, so maybe they're thinking of taking the points and the early lead in the NFC title game. But no. They're still going for it. Benson gets it. I (cough) agree with Buck and Aikman, regardless of the fact that they picked it up, it was a shaky decision. Grossman overthrows a ridiculously wide-open Desmond Clark in the end zone. Benson gets down to the 1. Grossman tried to call a timeout on that fourth down, Sean Payton wanted a penalty called since you can't call back-to-back timeouts, but the sideline guy reports that it's not a penalty, you just can't do it. Grossman has McKie at the goal line but the pass gets batted down. Gould chips it in.
Bears 3, Saints 0, :41 left in the 1st quarter
Lewis picks up a bouncing kick inside the 10, returns it to the 35 or so, loses the ball and the Bears recover. Payton challenges and it looks like he might lose this one. Adrian Peterson on the forced fumble, by the way. He may get a carry or two as a reward. He should, anyway. Call stands, ball was coming out before his knee hit. Payton is less than pleased, feeling that Lewis had regained control with his knee on the ground. Refs say no. Rex hits John Gilmore for four yards. The Bears line up but can't get the play off before the quarter is over.
Bears 3, Saints 0
SECOND QUARTER
Benson bounces outside, stiff-arms Mark Simoneau (no, thank you, I want more than just a couple) and gets brought down two yards shy of the sticks, so four yards total. Benson tries to make a cut in the backfield and slips, Gould will come on for a 43-yard try. Splits 'em.
Bears 6, Saints 0, 13:40 left in the half
Lewis picks up the kickoff on a roll again inside the 5 and is dropped around the 23. Kickoff coverage is much better than last game, needless to say. Brees hits Copper on a stop route but the refs say he was open because of interference, 1st and 20. Buck and Aikman think it's bad call. Brees tries to hit Colston on a quick-out, but Colston thinks about the cut he needs to make before catching the ball, incomplete. Bush goes up the middle, has nothing, bounces outside, has nothing, goes outside some more, gets brought down for a gain of one. Brees has all day, and uses it to throw a near-pick to Urlacher. Punt goes inside the Bears' 45, Hester returns it just into Saints territory.
Chris King saw a Bears defender get tackled on third down there and no flag for holding. I was looking out of the corner of my eye, so I didn't catch it. And oddly enough, neither did Joe Buck. No complaining about a no-call there, yet he complains about the offensive pass interference? Interesting. Benson looks like he has a hole, but Scott Shanle closes it and lights up Benson for only a yard. Grossman then has a little time and throws a beautiful seam pass to Clark for 30 yards to the 19. Benson picked up a delayed blitz, beautifully as well, on that play. Benson gets seven and the crowd is abuzz. Benson steps over fallen Saints bodies and gets the first down plus one to the 8. Benson gets stood up and pushes the pile inside the 6. Jones on, lines up as a slot receiver and Grossman throws just a little behind Jones and Jones can't handle it. That was actually a good play by Grossman, throwing away from the coverage. If he leads Jones there, it's a pick. Grossman has nothing, then throws out of the back of the end zone and Gould nails the chip shot.
Bears 9, Saints 0, 8:52 left in the half
Chris just said that as long as the defense doesn't allow any kind of major momentum play, field goals should be just fine. And the way the D is playing right now, hey, 21-0 Bears on seven Robbie Gould field goals. The Bears must have seen a weakness in the Saints or a strength in themselves on kickoffs to the left side of the field, because Gould has aimed most of his kicks there. Lewis lets this one roll, thinking it will go out of bounds, but it rolls into the end zone and he picks it up and kneels. From the 20, McAllister gets five. Swing pass to McAllister and he can't handle it. Looked like he was concerned with an impending hit. Aaron Stecker, the third and rarely-mentioned Saints running back, in on third down, but it's Brees who ends up running, scrambling for eight yards and the first. Brees with some time has nothing, dumps off to Bush and Urlacher wraps him up right there, gain of two. Another dump-off, this time to McAllister, Hillenmeyer and Urlacher drop it for a gain of five, 3rd and 3. All I heard this week was how good Reggie Bush is in space, and no one mentioned, you know, the best linebacker in the NFL. Tillman makes a great play, almost picks of a pass to Colston, and the Saints' punt is downed at the 31.
Jones up the middle for 14. He juked a defender about five yards out that allowed him to get to the second level. Jones gets a couple more. Jones cuts in the backfield and has all sorts of space to the right side. He stiff-arms Josh Bullocks, the guy he juked two plays earlier, and isn't run out of bounds until he's at the 20. Jones for eight more. Back to that 33-yard run, McKie had a great lead block, then Jones saw Clark sealing off the outside and bounced there. Great vision, great blocking. One for Jones, then two, and it's 1st and goal from the 9. Buck said, "For all we've heard about the two-headed monster of the Saints, how about Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones?" Imagine that, the Bears got overlooked. Maybe there was something to the whole "we don't get no respect" dealie. Jones goes left, has nothing, reverses field and gets run down by Jay Bellamy at the 2, and that's the warning. HB, you make a good point about Briggs helping Urlacher, but it works both ways. Each guy makes the other better. I think Hunter Hillenmeyer is better than any linebacker on the Saints, and he's substantially the third best linebacker on the Bears. Where was this in the lead-up to this game? And Nuances of Investing & Golf, great handle. Don't get it, but I like it. Jones gets two and six, yards and points, respectively. Gould hits it.
Bears 16, Saints 0, 1:56 left in the half
That drive was 8 plays, 69 yards, all carries for Thomas Jones. Michael Lewis takes it from the 10 to the 26, gets lit up by Peterson and the crowd loves it. Peterson feeds off of the crowd. Love. That. Guy. Brees has a little time, steps up and hits Colston for eight, but Colston can't hang on, 2nd and 10. Tank Johnson breaks free, Brees rolls out and throws it away, Alex Brown, on the sideline for that play, catches it. Brees hits Colston over the coverage of Urlacher down the middle of the field to the Bears' 45, then the Brees hits Devery Henderson inside the 30 for another first down and the Saints call their final timeout. Not sure when they called their other two, I'm sorry for that lack of reporting. From the 27, Brees hits Colston on the left sideline for five. False start, 2nd and 10 from the 27, 1:02 left in the half. Henderson finds a hole in the zone but Brees can't hit him. Nowhere near Henderson. Mark Anderson comes off the edge and Brees steps up, hits Copper on the left sideline at the 13, Vasher just got beat. Then Brees hits Colston past Tillman for the touchdown. Tillman slipped trying to jam Colston. Carney hits the PAT.
Bears 16, Saints 7, :46 left in the half
Hester bounces outside but stumbles, so he only gets to the 34. Jones gets a couple around the end and the Bears will run one more play. Grossman throws it away with :12 left. There was some miscommunication, Grossman thought they were going to run the half out, then told Grossman to get back out there. Rather than risk a pick, Grossman just chucked it away. Then he takes a knee and the fans aren't happy. I don't understand that, they could have gone downfield at least once, they had both of their timeouts.
Halftime: Bears 16, Saints 7
Halftime thoughts: Check out our live streaming halftime show with Dan Hampton and Glen Kozlowski. I'll check in a little later with halftime thoughts and the Web cam. Barrington Bear, good call on the Saints timeouts, thanks for the heads-up. I am, um, NOT going to provide play-by-play of Fall Out Boy's halftime show. I fixed the link, folks. On second thought, since you've got Danimal and Koz, I'll leave my Web cam thoughts until game's end and just write my halftime thoughts like the old days (i.e., the regular season). The Bears' touchdown drive was all runs, and all Thomas Jones. They'll probably keep it on the ground. The Fox halftime guys said Grossman will need the handcuffs removed if the Bears are gonna win, but judging by eight runs for 69 yards, I don't think so.
THIRD QUARTER
Hester tries to bounce it outside, slips a little and protects the ball, Bears have it at the 23. Grossman has time and hits Berrian at the 40. Grossman then airs it out for Berrian, whose feet get tangled up with the defender, refs say it was incidental, no flag. Jones gets a couple up the middle. Grossman goes downfield, but he and Muhammad weren't on the same page and the Bears will punt from their 42. Reggie Bush has been fired, at least for this kick, as Michael Lewis fields the kick inside the 10 and returns it up the sideline past the 40, but a flag is down for block in the back or holding or something and the Saints will be stuck inside the 10.
It was a block in the back that wasn't even near the play, stupid penalty for the Saints. Play action and Brees hits Copper for five yards to the 12. Reggie Bush gets behind the defensive backs somehow and Brees puts it right in his bread basket and he's off to the races. Can't catch him and it's a one-score game. Bush taunted Urlacher at the end of that run. Might not want to poke a Bear like that, Reggie. PAT good.
Bears 16, Saints 14, 12:20 left in the 3rd quarter
Kick goes out of bounds. Cue Nelson Muntz. Will Smith drops Jones for a loss of a couple. This is a story all about how Thomas Jones got flipped, turned upside-down. Grossman dumps off to Jones and he drops it, 3rd and 12. Grossman overthrows Moose by about two inches and Maynard will punt. Bush fields it at the 19 and returns it to the 17.
Going back to Bush's touchdown, he came out of the backfield and Chris Harris was coming over to defend him but got picked by the receiver. Okay, they're giving him progress to the 18. McAllister gets five. Brees pump fakes to Bush split out wide left, then comes back over the middle and almost gets picked off by Tillman. Urlacher was covering Bush too tightly for Brees' liking. Brees hits Mike Karney out of the backfield just before getting lit up by Ogunleye and Karney gets to the 33 for the first. Brees passing again, dumping off to tight end Mark Campbell for four. Dump-off to McAllister and he has some space, gets into Bears territory to the 47. Another dump-off to McAllister gets seven. Inside handoff to Karney has the Bears surprised and Karney gets down to the 29. Brees gets flushed, Urlacher tips a pass and it falls in a cushion in the Bears' defense, incomplete. Saints pick up a Bears blitz but coverage is good, Brees sails Copper. Brees sails Henderson and Billy Cundiff, not John Carney, does not have the leg to make a 49-yard field goal. Gee, did I say this game would come down to the kickers?
From the 37, Grossman airs it out to Davis but leads him by about a foot too much, incomplete. Benson gets eaten up for a loss of three. Quick slant to Berrian gets good yards, but not enough yards for a first, it'll be 4th and 4 or 5. Maynard goes for the coffin corner and gets it, out of bounds at the 5. That's a 51-yard punt. No 88-yard touchdowns this time, fellas.
Flurries starting to fall, Brees drops into the end zone, gets pressured and throws it away. Brees in the end zone again, throws it away, was not out of the pocket, refs confer, say it was grounding and that's a pair of points, folks.
Bears 18, Saints 14, 5:27 left in the 3rd quarter
Judging by the comments, either y'all in readerland are happy about the results or a bunch of people just farted. Free kick returned to the 36. Benson gets a couple, then loses a couple, 3rd and 10. Bears try to set up a screen, but the running back was in on blitz protection, Grossman throws it away, Saints decline a hold and Maynard's punt hugs the sideline and rolls into the end zone. Jeez, just one odd bounce and it's the coffin corner again, but it just rolled up the sideline.
Pitch to Bush and he slips, but finds a hole and shoots up the middle for 12 or so. False start. Back to the safety for a second, while the refs were conferring, Ogunleye stood behind them doing the safety signal. But since he's wearing pads, he can't get his hands over his head, so it just looked like he was praying. Run gets nothing, pass to Billy Miller just short of the sticks brings up 3rd and 2. Anderson pressures Brees and he underthrows Karney. Short punt but it takes a Saints bounce inside the 20 and rolls out at the 15.
Comeback route to Berrian gets 13 and the first. Fred Thomas turned his hips and was helpless when Berrian came back for the ball. Jones gets six around left end. Grossman has time, steps into a throw on a skinny post to Muhammad for another 20 yards and that's the quarter.
Bears 18, Saints 14
FOURTH QUARTER
Thomas Jones getting his massive biceps rubbed by someone on the sidelines. Grossman has Berrian on another comeback route to the left, first down to the Saints' 33. Grossman hit as he throws up the left side for Berrian, Berrian breaks free from his defender, makes the catch while falling backward to the 1, gets up, runs in the end zone, touchdown. Payton keeps the red flag in his pocket, PAT is good.
Bears 25, Saints 14, 14:24 left in the game
Kickoff to the right side again, dropped at the 28. McAllister gets a pair. HB, I don't really know Oak Park's basketball schedule. And holy jeez, we got people offering up their wives to Bernard Berrian. Ogunleye smacks Brees, thinks he has the ball, looks like it gets stripped from Ogunleye and recovered by a Saints receiver. From the replay, the ball was coming out when Ogunleye hit Brees, he collected the ball on the ground, was touched down by an offensive lineman, and Lovie challenges the call (I think it was that Brees was just down). This should be Bears ball at the 26. Both offenses are on the field. I hope the refs make them stay out there for one play. Bears ball, and the crowd approves.
Apparently, the Saints defense has a chance to get on the field. Shux, I wanted to see Reggie Bush line up at middle linebacker. Benson loses a bunch, but the Saints were offside, 1st and 5 from the 21. Benson gets four and Aikman and Buck are talking about Fred Thomas getting benched for being bad against Berrian on that last series. He got benched in the Eagles game, too. Benson to the 14 for the first down. Benson again, this time for four yards. Benson yet again, he hops over a couple of prostrate bodies and into the end zone. Benson the X-factor, as David Haugh called it yet again. Benson and Jones make nicey nice as the crowd goes wild for Robbie's PAT.
Bears 32, Saints 14, 11:37 left in the game
There was dead silence from the announcing booth from the time Benson crossed the goal line to the commercial break. Maybe it was to let the crowd say it all. Maybe not. All I know is, Buck was similarly quiet when Podsednik went yard on Brad Lidge in Game 2. Publanski, I would pay good money to see Buck break down a la Denny Green. Kick was retuned to the 26, from where Brees dumps off to Bush for five yards. VA Beach Jason, solid modification of the old When the Saints song. Brees goes long to Nathan Vasher and I'm surprised I can't hear Soldier Field from 435 N. Michigan.
Benson gets three from the 38. Benson for another four. Clock rolls under 9:40 as Jones gets one and Maynard will punt. The clock will be under 9 minutes at the snap. Dante Wesley downs it at the 8. This is early-season Bears stuff.
Phil, Khan wasn't a Klingon, and "Revenge is a dish best served cold" is a Klingon proverb. Want more info on the Klingons? Ask this guy. Incomplete pass. Bush catches it on a comeback route, loops around the defense and gets the first down to the 21. Brees steps up, hits Bush across the middle for another first down. Brees flushed and hits Billy Miller to the 40, 2nd and 3. Brees hits Colston over the middle and Urlacher lights him up but good, incomplete. Mark Anderson blindsides Brees, Brees intentionally grounds for the second time this game, and the Saints will go for it because what else can they do down 18 with 7:28 left. Danieal Manning appears to pick it off, but wisely drops it as he gets hit, the Bears will have it on the Saints' 30.
So Ben Bohn has joined the (for him) Dark Side. And Ben, I don't know quite what will happen the week before the Super Bowl, but you all will be updated on what we will be providing for the weeks. False start and Jones gets it back, 2nd and 10. Dumpoff to McKie loses a yard, clock under 6 minutes. Jones gets 12 and the first and he is pumped, so is the crowd. Mike Brown applies some Chap Stick. Buck eulogizes Sean Payton's rookie season. Jones gets five more inside the 15. Jones has nothing on the right side, says what the hell, I'll try the left side and oh my Jordan, there are two fat guys and a dude getting leveled by Desmond Clark. Six more, ah, make it seven thanks to Robbie.
Bears 39, Saints 14, 4:19 left in the game
Adam Caldarelli just IM'd me, "Who's that, Marcus Allen?" Kick return gets to the 30, dumpoff to Bush gets six, then another pass to Bush, he gets out of bounds and it's 3rd and 1. Thomas Jones and Ruben Brown hug and the camera then moves to Virginia. Incomplete pass, 3:33 left. Bush gets stuffed and the Bears will have it with 3:24 left.
Tank and Reggie share a little moment as someone runs for three yards. Lovie and Urlacher share a moment. Benson gets five as the clock will hit the warning. The Bears hit Lovie with the Gatorade, though most of it beads up and rolls off his official NFL parka, some had to have gotten down his neck. That can't be warm. Be warned that two minutes are all that separate the Bears from the Super Bowl. Benson loses a couple, then goes for it on 4th and 4 and gets close and the refs will measure at 1:07 to see if the D will trot out there once more. First down, if only because the refs don't want to stop the clock. Rashied Davis hugs Lovie shortly after Luvs dons his NFC Champions hat. Urlacher has one on too, as does Gould (Robbie breaking his to the right!). Rexy kneels. Crown their ass.
Final thoughts: Lots of mopey Saints players in dirty uniforms, lots of very happy Bears players in clean unis. Lovie and Rexy hug. Lovie smooches his wife. We go to commercial. Wow. That's all I can muster. Check the Web cam in about five or 10 for more.
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