Fireworks preceded Sunday night’s kickoff, and onto the field rode the Viking mascot on a motorcycle as a cheerleader on a purple snowmobile trailed close behind. In the stands, 64,144 screaming fans blew into bullhorns, while over the speakers they blared the Rolling Stones loudly enough to set off car alarms in the parking lot.
Delirium rocked the Metrodome.
It was enough to give the Bears a headache.
But if the Bears’ heads throbbed as they left the stadium after their 24-13 loss to Minnesota, it was more likely from having them knocked all over the field by a mammoth Vikings offensive line.
Minnesota (2-0) mauled the Bears’ defensive front, grinding out 202 rushing yards and controlling the clock for 38 minutes.
Forget the Randy Ratio. The simple math said that the Vikings’ offensive linemen, who outweighed the Bears’ defensive front seven by an average of 45 pounds per man, pushed Bears defenders out of the way whenever they wanted, however they wanted.
The Bears simply couldn’t make a stop to get off the field when it counted, the dagger coming during a 93-yard, 16-play drive in the fourth quarter that ate up 9 minutes 42 seconds. The Bears still had a chance at that point, trailing 17-13, but never came up with the big defensive play when they needed it most.
For one tense, brief moment, it looked like the second loss of the season wouldn’t be the hardest one of the night for the Bears. Quarterback Kordell Stewart went down and required medical attention with 2:25 left in the game after a hard tackle by defensive end Lance Johnstone.
The extent of the injury was unclear, but it wasn’t thought to be serious. After a few anxious minutes in Beardom, Stewart jogged off the field as Chris Chandler replaced him.
Chandler threw an interception to safety Brian Russell two plays later. That sealed the loss for the Bears, who showed improvement against the Vikings but probably not enough to inspire hope for the playoffs.
In fact, since the NFL schedules increased from 14 games to 16 in 1978, only 19 teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-2. The eight teams that began 2002 with an 0-2 record had an average total of six wins last season.
Only four teams that started 0-3 have ever reversed fortunes quickly enough to make the playoffs–the barometer for success in this defining season for coach Dick Jauron.
It was a night that quickly got off to a bad start.
The Vikings looked deep on the first play of the game and caught the Bears napping with a 51-yard pass to wide receiver Kelly Campbell to the Bears’ 5-yard line. The Bears had begun the game with five defensive backs, with safety Bobby Gray entering as the nickel back instead of Charles Tillman. But Campbell’s streak pattern came on the side of veterans Mike Brown and R.W. McQuarters, and only a coverage mix-up might explain how Campbell was left so wide open.
Jauron issued an official’s challenge, but replays showed that Campbell had possession with both feet inbounds. It cost the Bears a timeout.
Two plays later, running back Moe Williams scooted up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 just 63 seconds into the game.
The Bears answered the Vikings’ quick score by committing themselves to the running game earlier than they had in their season-opening 49-7 loss to San Francisco. Anthony Thomas, who had 53 yards on 10 carries, got the ball on the first play from scrimmage and broke off a nifty 34-yard gain that included a cutback reminiscent of his 2001 form.
That moved the ball to the 20, but the drive stalled after jumpy left tackle Mike Gandy had a false start on third-and-9 that preceded a Stewart one-hopper to Marty Booker.
It was the first of two Gandy false starts. The Bears settled for Paul Edinger’s 42-yard field goal.
Randy Moss served as little more than a decoy as the Vikings went right at linebackers Brian Urlacher and Warrick Holdman. On a 12-play, 92-yard drive that lasted 7:12, in particular, Bears defenders looked like they were catching blockers more than they were taking them on.
The threat of the run set up the touchdown at the end of that drive. Culpepper faked like he was going to take off on a quarterback draw, froze Urlacher, then released a soft pass to tight end Jim Kleinsasser to take a 17-3 lead.
The Bears responded with their most impressive, improvisational drive of the young season despite not having a timeout after burning their last one with 9:57 left in the half. Taking over at the 40 with just 1:55 left in the half, Stewart frantically but effectively steered the Bears downfield. A third-and-13 conversion at the Minnesota 25 summed up in a few seconds what the Bears seek out of Stewart all year long.
With his receivers covered, Stewart took off up the middle and broke a couple of tackles on his way to a 14-yard gain. After a spike to stop the clock, Stewart then found David Terrell on a fade route in the front right corner of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Terrell pushed off slightly on defensive back Denard Walker but got the no-call from the referee that usually implies respect.
Terrell’s TD made it 17-10, and a game was on.
Stewart made strides in his second week in the offense, even if occasionally he locked in on his primary receiver more than Bears coaches would like. His 49-yard dart to Dez White with 7:11 left in the third quarter showed that Stewart can impress as much with his arm as with his legs if given time.
But once again for the Bears, there were too many ifs and not enough answers.
