Bears Tue Oct 02 2012

Defense, Cowboys Miscues Lead to Bears Rout

By Chad Ruter

Thank you cards can be sent to Dez Bryant, c/o Jerry Jones, to the right of the giant video board, Arlington, TX. Without him, the Bears Monday Night Football beatdown of the Cowboys would've been a whole lot closer than the 34-18 final.

Bryant dropped three third down passes he should've caught, resulting in punts during the first and second quarters (the drop during the opening drive of the second quarter would've put the Cowboys inside the Bears 10-yard line) along with a field goal instead of the continuation of a drive in the third quarter that left the Bears with a 14 point lead. Not to mention his ill-timed miscommunication with quarterback Tony Romo on a hot read that resulted in a Charles Tillman pick-six.

Romo can't be blamed for the first three interceptions, as he was either vilified by his receivers or his offensive line that couldn't stop the Bears front four for the majority of the game. Henry Melton might get the game ball defensively, wreaking havoc in the middle with an early sack and forcing the play that resulted in Lance Briggs' interception (which should be reclassified as a fumble) return for a touchdown.

It's hard to complain about anything the Bears did defensively. They got off the field quickly on a number of possessions, held the explosive Dallas receivers in check throughout, and stuffed any ounce of a running game DeMarco Murray tried to produce. Major Wright picked off two balls (one thanks to Bears MVP Tim Jennings, along with Kevin Ogletree not getting his hands up), but did get beat on a couple of deep passes that luckily fell incomplete. Sure, the unit netted only four points on the night (18 allowed, 14 scored), but there's no such thing as a perfect game in football.

And then there's Jay Cutler. Oh Jay. I still can't figure out why every TV producer hates you. They must, because during a commercial break, they saw offensive coordinator Mike Tice sit down next to you, followed by you walking away and getting some water, and Tice following you a few seconds later to chat. It should've never been shown, but since it plays into the narrative of the world outside the locker room believing you're a horrible leader, it got airtime on a national broadcast. Instead of meekly answering the question in the postgame press conference by saying, "I don't have to sit by him the whole game do I?" you should've just told the truth. You were trying to bum a cigarette off the trainer.

Speaking of Tice, he deserves a hat tip and golf clap for that offensive gameplan (other than the delay in getting plays in). Run the ball, chipping and double teaming DeMarcus Ware on nearly every pass play (one of the few times they didn't, he got that strip sack), short passes over the middle, the works. You have to remember that prior to this season, he had only called plays for a couple of games when he was in Minnesota. That's it. If he can continue to draw up beauties like he did last night, the offense can be powerful.

Cutler stepped up in the pocket on a number of deep drops, showed great footwork, made an incredible touchdown pass to Devin Hester that only two or three other people on the planet could make, and was patient. Don't forget about Brandon Marshall though. He got open all night long, and even when he wasn't, he was still able to catch passes using a savvy veteran pushoff (re: offensive pass interference that will never get called). He looks, acts and sounds like a totally different human being than he was during his time in Denver and Miami. Time will tell, and hopefully his happiness remains even when the team is struggling.