Fact:
Jeff Garcia’s across-the-body pass was picked off by Charles Tillman and returned 22 yards for a touchdown with 8:43 left in overtime Sunday.
The Bears (4-3) broke a first-place tie with Detroit (3-4) but also secured a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Lions, whom they beat 38-6 in an earlier meeting.
The Bears led 13-3 at halftime, then the Lions had consecutive scoring drives to tie the game with 13:20 left in the game.
Thomas Jones (left) fumbled on the ensuing drive at Detroit’s 28, then the Lions caught a huge break on the next play.
Rookie quarterback Kyle Orton (right) was 17-for-31 for a career-high 230 yards with a TD for the Bears.
Kevin Jones’ 6-yard TD run was the first rushing TD allowed by the Bears all season.
Footnote
Mike Brown (right) was heard complaining afterward, “Man, that’s my job.”
It’s a sad day in the NFL when you’re playing the Lions for first place. But what the heck, we’ll take it.
A tie game with 13:20 left. That, my friends, is usually a Bears fan’s worst nightmare.
I might be crazy, but I thought I saw Cedric Benson near the end of the game. You know, on the field and running and stuff. I really thought he had gone back to Texas.
Impressive, but what’s even more impressive is that he has started seven straight games as a rookie. Folks, you gotta go back to Jim McMahon for those numbers.
You don’t give up a rushing TD until Week 8. I’m telling you, it smells like 1985 around here.
———-
Edited by the sports staff of RedEye.
