Now, that’s how you make a roster.
Wide receiver Ahmad Merritt, on the proverbial bubble, returned the opening kickoff of overtime 87 yards Thursday night to set up Paul Edinger’s 25-yard field goal that gave the Bears a 13-10 victory in the opening game of the Lovie Smith era.
Before that, it took until 2 minutes 30 seconds remained in the fourth quarter before the coach’s signature on his new team was legible.
That was when cornerback Nathan Vasher recovered a Dane Looker fumble forced by linebacker Joe Odom on a potential game-winning drive and gave the Bears the look of a team styled by a man who made his reputation shaping defenses in St. Louis.
But other than those brief glimpses of an attacking, opportunistic defense, Smith’s homecoming revealed how far he and the Bears have to go to get his new house in order.
A rash of penalties marred the dramatic ending and left an impression the Bears were undisciplined. “We’d get a few yards, and then the penalties would knock us back,” he said.
Referees threw flags on four of the 16 plays that made up the opening drive. The penalties included three false starts and a holding penalty. The Bears committed 17 penalties for 145 yards through three quarters.
A holding penalty on guard Mike Gandy negated a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rex Grossman to fullback Bryan Johnson.
Grossman exhibited command and completed 4 of 5 passes for 39 yards. Backup Jonathan Quinn rallied the Bears to tie the game 10-10 with a 15-play, 88-yard drive.
Running back Thomas Jones provided the brightest spot of regulation for the Bears, squirting through the Rams’ defense for 53 yards on seven carries. The way Jones cut back across field for a 26-yard gain when a toss sweep looked stopped on 3rd-and-1 provided a glimpse of his big-play capability.
“The offensive line did a good job of blocking,” Jones said, “and I just took care of the rest.”
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BEARS TRACKER
Other news
Smith has decided to make coordinators Terry Shea and coordinator Ron Rivera off limits to the media after games. … The Bears stayed at the same hotel as “Idol” judges Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, fitting for a team of relative unknowns trying to make it big.
Injuries
Offensive lineman Terrance Metcalf sprained his left ankle in the first quarter. … Wide receiver Bobby Wade suffered a cut on his elbow that was treated in the locker room.
Bears out there
Ex-Bears receiver Dez White had one catch for seven yards in Atlanta’s preseason opener Thursday night.
Rex news
Oops! On 3rd-and-1 on the first series, Grossman initially lined up behind left guard Mike Gandy before realizing he wasn’t the center.
Next up
The team has Friday off but resumes practice at 3:55 p.m. Saturday with a session in Bourbonnais. The Bears also practice at 3:55 p.m. Sunday.
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