First of all, it was an audible rookie Will Furrer called Monday night when he hit Eric Wright with the fourth-quarter TD pass that ignited the Bears` furious late-game rally in Soldier Field.
Second, Furrer said, ”No, there`s nothing unusual about my calling an audible. We do it in practice. It was a good matchup. Eric had inside position. We had a real good chance.”
Third, Furrer didn`t think he faced any ”disadvantage” because the Saints knew he had to pass to play catchup when he finally got to play with the Bears behind 31-17 and 5:15 left.
”That`s what a quarterback likes . . . to throw the ball,” said Furrer. ”That`s one reason I play this game.”
There you have it, the one, two, three story of the 24-year-old Virginia Tech newcomer who had fans talking as they left the lakefront stadium after the Saints` 34-31 victory in the exhibition opener.
No, Furrer has not beaten out and is not likely to beat out Jim Harbaugh, who had a good night himself. Harbaugh was as pleased with Furrer`s key audible as he was that he, after the first series, had been allowed to pass on the goal line and on first and second downs.
Furrer, however, excited fans as well as his largely rookie unit when he entered the game. Facing a pass-expecting Saints defense, Furrer hit three of five passes for 63 yards and scrambled for 7 yards himself as he marched his unit 80 yards in seven plays to the TD that made it 31-24 with 2:39 to play.
Furrer almost had a 57-yard scoring pass, but Anthony Morgan, behind the defense, couldn`t hold the rookie`s perfect strike into his hands.
”That`s all right,” said Furrer. ”He`ll catch them, and that gave me the chance to pass some more. I waited a long time, until almost 10 o`clock to get into the game.”
Tom Waddle tied it 31-31 with his 76-yard punt return with 1:42 left. Cary Blanchard`s field goal decided the outcome on the final play, but that couldn`t detract from Furrer`s showing, especially his 17-yard scoring pass to Wright on the play he called from the scrimmage line.
”You feel nervous when you call the audible,” Furrer said, ”and if it doesn`t work, you run for cover. But I had plenty of time to throw it, and Eric made a great catch . . . and that makes a quarterback feel great.”
Harbaugh completed 7 of 12 for 84 yards and a 10-yard first period TD pass to tight end Keith Jennings. The regular QB confirmed that it isn`t usual for a rookie to check off at the line.
”I called an audible for a touchdown in my first game against the Dolphins,” said Harbaugh. ”It went to Ron Morris in the corner of the end zone. That call tonight is good for Will`s confidence.”
Harbaugh commended offensive coordinator Greg Landry for play selection that enabled the Bears to alter their usual (and predictable) smash-mouth philosophy near the goal line.
”We called passes inside the 10-yard line, and that helped the offense score three touchdowns,” said Harbaugh. ”Credit Greg Landry for getting in the plays faster. They came in in 18 or 19 seconds, so we had time to call audibles.”
Here was the sequence on Furrer`s TD drive. He completed a pass for 17 yards to Marcus Mickel. He threw incomplete for Wright. Robert Taylor ran 10 yards on a draw. Morgan failed to hold Furrer`s pass for a possible TD. Furrer ran 7 yards out of the shotgun. Furrer passed 29 yards to Morris on the 17. Then he audibled and connected with Wright for the score.
”The offensive line did a great job for me,” said Furrer. ”I think I had more time than we had all night. We were all excited. We were rookies too. ”I was really excited and nervous because I was around Soldier Field all day and night,” said Furrer. ”When you don`t go in right away, it kind of eases the nerves. So I was pretty relaxed . . .”
Furrer said he ”didn`t know” what his performance would do insofar as Mike Ditka`s evaluation of his play.
”I thought he (Furrer) performed like I thought he would,” said Ditka.
”He`s a pretty gutty guy, a first-class kid. He`ll throw the ball with a bit of vigor, a little bit of zip. Every ball he threw should have been caught.”
