Bears coach Lovie Smith likes to divide the season into four-game quarters as a means of avoiding the sense of a long season stretching endlessly out in front of his team. He also likes to dismiss results like the Bears’ 4-0 record for the first quarter as the season’s equivalent of a game’s first quarter.
“We just finished up our first quarter; 4-0 in our first quarter, which is big, but no more than that,” Smith insisted Monday, recalling that last year the Bears were 1-3 at this point and close to spiraling into the NFL abyss.
But the first quarter of a game does apparently mean a little bit more for the Smith Bears, who have won nine of the 10 games over the last two seasons in which they have led after one quarter.
“The first quarter, the difference it makes, is hard to say,” Smith conceded, “but we like the position we’re in right now.”
The first-quarter results take on particular meaning with the current Bears because if they have proved one thing, it is that they are closers. They are good enough to get leads and too good to be caught from behind.
Smith dismissed the notion of overlooking a team like Buffalo next Sunday to begin the season’s second quarter, a so-called “trap” game because the Bears are favored by more than a touchdown.
“I don’t know anything about `trap’ games,” Smith said. “I know about the Buffalo Bills. We look at one game at a time.
“`Trap game?’ That’s a good football team. They beat Minnesota; we had trouble with Minnesota. They lost close games to the Patriots and the Jets. We won’t look past them.”
Defensive end Alex Brown said after Sunday’s 37-6 win over Seattle that the Bears should be considered one of the NFL’s best. After four games last season, the fourth being a meltdown in the closing minutes at Cleveland, they were rightly considered one of the worst.
But “it’s too early to start talking about the Super Bowl,” said tackle Fred Miller, a veteran of a Super Bowl with St. Louis and an AFC championship game with Tennessee. “We’re still taking things a game at a time. We have a pretty good team around here and the makeup to possibly be [in the Super Bowl].”
Grading on a curve, with last year’s 11-5 team as the base line, the Bears are far ahead of 2005:
Offense
Rex Grossman is the NFL’s fifth-rated passer and is the single biggest difference from ’05 on offense. Through 2005’s first quarter, the Bears were scoring just 15.5 points per game, including a defensive touchdown.
“I’m just real pleased with the decisions [Grossman] is making,” offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. “He’s naturally aggressive, which is a huge strength for him, a huge plus. He’s really doing a good job now of knowing when to be aggressive.”
Despite no defensive player crossing a goal line, the Bears have a winning margin of 21.7 points per game, best in the NFL. Grossman is tied with the Giants’ Eli Manning with eight TD passes. The Bears had two at this point a year ago.
The Bears’ No. 2 receiver last season, Justin Gage, had 346 yards and two TD catches for the season. No. 2 receiver Bernard Berrian after four games this season has 316 yards and three TDs.
Defense
The Bears have allowed 29 points through four games, fewest in a first-four-game stretch since 1937. Last season they allowed the Cincinnati Bengals 24 and the Cleveland Browns 20.
The difference has been the line. The defense is allowing only 81 rushing yards per game, the offense is scoring points to force teams to pass, and the pass rush ranks third in the NFL with 15 sacks.
More significantly, 14 of the 15 sacks have been by linemen. The Bears had 10 sacks through four games last season, but only three were by linemen.
Tackle Tommie Harris’ five sacks are tied for the NFL lead.
Special teams
Robbie Gould has not missed on 13 field-goal tries and has 15 straight dating to last year. Last season he was 1-for-2 after four games. Doug Brien had missed three of his four tries before being released. Brad Maynard’s punting net is nearly 4 yards higher through the first four games this season.
Smith added one other area that is contributing to the Bears’ success: “That fourth `phase’–I’m talking about the home crowd–definitely did their job [Sunday]. They were into the game from the warmups to the end of the game. With all four phases, we’re a hard team to beat.”
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Quarterly forecast
The Bears finished the first quarter of their season with Sunday’s 37-6 annihilation of the Seattle Seahawks. Because NFL teams like to break the season down into quarters, so will we:.
SECOND QUARTER
– Vs. Buffalo Bills: Playing well for Dick Jauron; think he might like a `W’ against ex-boss Jerry Angelo?
– At Arizona Cardinals: The Matt Leinart era may be something to worry about in the future, but not yet.
– Vs. San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith still hasn’t shown he can play, and neither have a lot of other 49ers.
– Vs. Miami Dolphins: Surprise of the NFL for all the wrong reasons; Nick Saban was once the Bears’ choice over Lovie Smith?
Analysis
These teams have won a combined five games in ’06. Reality says the Bears won’t go 16-0, but they will play three of four at home. Prediction: 4-0.
THIRD QUARTER
– At N.Y. Giants: First of three trips out East starts with a team that is reeling now but could turn it around.
– At N.Y. Jets: Nearly upset Indianapolis but for late Peyton Manning heroics; supposed doormat not acting like one.
– At New England Patriots: No receivers? Fading champs? Don’t try telling Bengals that.
– Vs. Minnesota Vikings: Gave Bears all they could handle in Metrodome. If Vikes smarten up, a rematch to worry about.
Analysis
This is the grinder. Three straight road trips against teams that have some talent and the one home game is a grudge match. Prediction: 2-2.
FOURTH QUARTER
– At St. Louis Rams: Dangerous game; Marc Bulger passed for 328 yards Sunday. But Bears’ speed is built for turf.
– Vs. Tampa Bay Bucs: Jon Gruden can look longingly across the field at Brian Griese and wonder what he was thinking.
– At Detroit Lions: Will have beaten somebody by then and have some talent, just not enough for this year.
– Vs. Green Bay Packers: Pack would love to give Brett Favre a lovely parting gift, but that didn’t work in first game at Green Bay.
Analysis
So, should the Bears rest Grossman and some starters again? Hardest thing may be maintaining focus. Prediction: 3-1.
— John Mullin
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jmullin@tribune.com
