Rex Grossman’s season-threatening ankle injury and subsequent surgery caused hand-wringing and woe among plenty of the Bears’ faithful–but never the foundation.
Player after player reminded anyone who asked that this season isn’t about one player, whether that player be Grossman, new starting quarterback Chad Hutchinson or mystery man Cedric Benson.
Training camp words became prime-time performance Saturday night at the RCA Dome as the Bears got a punt return for a touchdown by Bobby Wade, an impressive outing by Adrian Peterson and several big defensive plays in a 24-17 victory over the Colts.
The team effort did its best to take the spotlight off Hutchinson and some occasionally shoddy pass protection by the offensive line.
But it’s hard to hide from the following numbers, especially when they came against a first-string Colts defense that played just four regular starters because of injury.
Hutchinson went 5-for-8 for 40 yards, two interceptions and a passer rating of 35.4. He was sacked three times and fumbled once, recovered by Bears lineman Terrence Metcalf.
Hutchinson didn’t hide.
“Uh, not good,” Hutchinson said, when asked to assess his play. “I’m going to look at the film and get better, learn. It can really only go up from here. That’s the positive part.”
Antoineo Harris provided the winning points, scoring on a 1-yard run with 13 minutes 5 seconds remaining to cap a 13-play, 80-yard drive engineered by Kyle Orton.
But that couldn’t obscure the obvious: “We didn’t play as well as we need to on the offensive side,” coach Lovie Smith said.
Things started inauspiciously when cornerback Marlin Jackson drilled Muhsin Muhammad as he leapt to snare a third-down pass from Hutchinson. The carom landed in the hands of linebacker Gary Brackett, his first of two interceptions.
But Indianapolis looked jet-lagged from its exhibition opener in Tokyo on its opening possession, posting three straight false-start penalties and then an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on Hunter Smith’s first punt, which Wade fielded for no gain.
On his second chance, Wade broke a tackle by Jonathan Welsh and picked up strong blocks from Charles Tillman and Dustin Lyman to break off a 54-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead.
“I got a big passion for punt return,” Wade said. “I wish I had an opportunity my last two years.”
If not for a personal foul on linebacker Brian Urlacher, the first-team defense would’ve weathered six possessions by the high-octane Colts offense with just two first downs surrendered and no points.
But Urlacher was whistled for blasting intended receiver Dallas Clark on an incomplete pass that turned a third-and-19 into new life. Payton Manning capped the eight-play, 58-yard drive with a 25-yard scoring strike to running back Dominic Rhodes on which Manning pump-faked to the middle of the field, freezing Tillman and safety Mike Brown.
“We’ve had glimpses, but we gave up a cheap touchdown there at the end,” Smith said. “Great defenses can’t do that. We still have a ways to go.”
Otherwise, it was big-play night for the Bears’ first-string defense.
Adewale Ogunleye and Tommie Harris forced Edgerrin James fumbles on back-to-back Colts possessions, killing them on one and two plays, respectively. Tillman recovered the first and safety Brandon McGowan scooped up the other.
“It was amazing to be able to do that, to get that kind of pressure on the best offense in the league,” Ogunleye said. “And to do that with no blitzing.”
The second turnover led to a 4-yard touchdown run by Peterson, giving the Bears a 14-0 lead with 12:42 to play in the half. Peterson accounted for all the yardage after a false start penalty on tackle Fred Miller pushed the drive’s start to the Colts’ 37-yard line.
Peterson, starting for the resting Thomas Jones and the absent Benson, finished with 60 yards on 14 carries.
“We were able to run the ball,” Smith said.
The first of James’ back-to-back fumbles came one play after Hutchinson’s second interception, a pass intended for tight end Desmond Clark and thrown into double coverage.
On Hutchinson’s final possession, he was sacked twice.
“I felt great; that was the funny part,” Hutchinson said. “I wasn’t nervous. I felt awesome out there. That’s what’s funny about this game: Sometimes on the days you feel great, you make those kind of mistakes.”
Doug Brien’s 50-yard field goal gave the Bears a 17-7 lead. But the Colts responded with 10 unanswered points to tie the game in the third quarter.
Mike Vanderjagt kicked a 45-yard field goal and James Mungro scored on a 1-yard run to cap a two-play, 12-yard drive set up by Orton’s fumble on a sack.
“We can and will get better,” Smith said.
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kcjohnson@tribune.com
