Rex Grossman’s season-threatening ankle injury and subsequent surgery caused hand-wringing and woe amongst 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 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 an exhibition game against 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, which was recovered by lineman Terrence Metcalf.
“We were happy that we were able to get the ball into the end zone,” coach Lovie Smith said. “We had a tipped ball that took us out of position on the first drive. The second interception hurt too, but at the end I thought we moved the ball fairly well. We were able to run the ball.”
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 still 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 run for a 7-0 lead.
“[Wade] gave us a look at what he can possibly do,” Smith said.
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 got 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,” said Ogunleye, who in the fourth quarter left the field holding his right wrist. “And to do that with no blitzing.”
The second turnover led to a 4-yard touchdown run by Peterson, who 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.
Peterson’s 11-yard gain on third-and-1 kept the scoring drive alive, as did a roughing-the-passer penalty on Larry Tripplett. The Bears led 14-0 with 12 minutes 42 seconds left in the half.
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 triple coverage.
On Hutchinson’s final possession, he was sacked twice.
“This was the first game for Chad as the starter, but going into the next game we’ll be better,” said Clark, making his exhibition debut.
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 hit 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 Kyle Orton’s fumble on a sack.
Antoineo Harris put the Bears up 24-17 with 13:05 to play, scoring on a 1-yard run that capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive.
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kcjohnson@tribune.com
