TOO HOT
At long last, Moose breaks loose
Muhsin Muhammad posted his first 100-yard receiving game as a Bear and needed only three quarters to get his 102 yards on six catches. It wasn’t just the quantity of his catches, however; it was the quality. Muhammad, who has a solid rapport with Rex Grossman, made tough receptions against tight coverage and turned in a highlight grab with a diving catch for a 27-yard gain on the second possession. Muhammad’s first five catches picked up first downs, and his sixth was for 13 yards and came up just a yard short of the sticks. As Grossman observed, they’re paying Muhammad all that money for a reason.
John Mullin
WAY TOO HOT (NO BEAR WAS COLD AGAINST PACK)
No doubt: The No. 1 QB in town
Anybody still want Brian Griese? Rex Grossman completed 18 of 26 passes, including 12 of 16 in the first half. His 98.6 passer rating was the best for any game in his career, and his 49-yard touchdown strike to Bernard Berrian was executed perfectly. Grossman drew the safeties in with a convincing play-action handoff fake, then turned and let fly immediately, aware of Berrian’s blinding speed and that if Berrian and a defensive back are even, Berrian’s leavin’. The deep pass was only part of a solid overall game. Grossman got the ball to six different receivers in the first half. He had eight completions to wideouts, five to tight end Desmond Clark and five to his backs. He even caught a pass from Thomas Jones.
John Mullin
JUST RIGHT
The calm before storming Pack
The first Bears coach to win a season-opening road game since Jim Dooley in 1970, Lovie Smith deserves credit for knowing his team well enough not to panic after an exhibition season in which it looked sloppy and complacent. Smith also became the first Bears coach to win his first three games at Lambeau Field and announced to the rest of the NFC that the Bears had learned a tough lesson in last January’s home playoff loss. Credit the offensive staff for detecting how hard Green Bay’s safeties bite on play-action fakes, which set up the Rex Grossman-to-Bernard Berrian touchdown pass on a play the Bears did not run during the preseason. Credit the defensive staff for coming after a young, intimidated offensive line and making Brett Favre look 36 going on 50.
David Haugh
