Biggest surprises
Bernard Berrian. Nobody expected a receiver entering this season with 28 career catches to be missed as much as Berrian will be in the coming games. More than any other factor, the way Berrian’s speed and sure hands created a new dimension for the passing game turned the Bears’ offense into the NFL’s second-highest scoring unit in the first half (29.2 points per game).
Mark Anderson. Fifth-round picks typically spend their rookie seasons buried on the depth chart correcting flaws that made them fall in the draft. Then there’s Anderson, who missed a big portion of training camp but adjusted quicker than anybody imagined. If Anderson matches his 7.5 sacks in the second half, he could be one of the few part-time players making plans for the Pro Bowl.
Ricky Manning Jr. The attention paid Manning’s brush with the law and the possibility of a league suspension has overshadowed the fact he has been the Bears’ best big-play corner in his role as nickel back. The Bears knew they were paying $21 million for a solid player but didn’t necessarily expect Manning to lead the team in interceptions, as he does with four.
Biggest disappointments
Mike Brown’s injury. Brown raised doubts about his durability himself during exhibitions and they were confirmed when he left the Cardinals game with a season-ending Achilles’ injury. Brown’s absence showed up most glaringly against the Dolphins when the secondary missed his run support.
Running game. Statistics can be deceiving because teams have dared the Bears to beat them through the air, and they have. But a team that wants its identity to be its ground attack needs to average more than 3.4 yards per carry and 104 yards per game.
Run defense. Giving up 91.9 rushing yards per game still ranks seventh in the NFL. But the 49ers’ Frank Gore and Dolphins’ Ronnie Brown have enjoyed consecutive 100-yard games against the Cover 2, single-gap control defense that must lock it up better than the Bears have.
Unsung heroes
Robbie Gould. As good as Gould has been with his record-setting 22 of 22 field goals, eight touchbacks have made him a defensive weapon as well. The mark of how solid Gould has become in his first full NFL season is that fans already take his accuracy for granted.
Desmond Clark. Committed to reshaping his body during an off-season in which Bears fans clamored for a new tight end, Clark is on pace to catch a career-high 58 passes this season. He’s a smart receiver who has found the seams, especially against two-deep zones.
Brendon Ayanbadejo. The guy plays on every special team and filled in capably at strong-side linebacker when Hunter Hillenmeyer missed the Lions game with a concussion.
Good coaching decisions
Using the tight end. The Bears have been talking about throwing more to the tight end for 40 years, but finally offensive coordinator Ron Turner followed through. Whether it’s Rex Grossman simply finding Clark more or Turner calling plays designed to make them the primary option, the Bears have made the position more than simply a guard wearing a number in the 80s. Finally.
Sticking with Grossman after awful exhibitions. A coach not as secure, and stubborn, as Lovie Smith might have buckled to public pressure and considered changing quarterbacks as Grossman struggled through exhibitions. But Smith never wavered and Grossman rewarded that faith in six of the eight games to post a 7-1 record.
Turning to rookie free safety Danieal Manning. Manning still plays like a tentative rookie at times, especially against the run, but the Bears are a better defense with his speed on the field. Smith recognized the same thing and replaced Chris Harris after two games even though the defense had given up only seven points in eight quarters.
Questionable coaching decisions
Play-calling against the Cardinals. Calling passes on nine of the first 10 plays, including a bomb on the first one, threw the offense out of synch and failed to let Grossman establish a tempo.
Waffling at running back. Maybe Cedric Benson remains confused about his role because it never has been defined. Against the Dolphins, Benson and Thomas Jones alternated just enough to keep either from getting into a rhythm every running back needs.
Allowing complacency to creep in before Dolphins’ loss. If the Bears consider Tommie Harris a team leader, his comments about the casual tone of last week’s practices cannot be dismissed or ignored.
Bad plays
Grossman’s 7-yard interception return for a touchdown by the Vikings’ Antoine Winfield. Ill-advised throw in third game revealed first real sign of Grossman’s biggest weakness– decision-making when rushed.
Grossman’s 20-yard interception return for a touchdown by the Dolphins’ Jason Taylor. Grossman’s field vision is considered a strength, but somehow he never saw Taylor looming in his line of sight.
Cedric Benson’s fumble with 2:54 left against the Bills. Muffed handoff from Brian Griese cost the Bears’ second shutout of season’s first half.
Images to remember
Postgame scene in locker room in Arizona. Defining moment of Bears’ season was marked by awestruck players gathered around locker-room TV watching highlights of a 20-point comeback even they had to see to believe.
The “Berrian Bounce.” Berrian’s impromptu leap into fans in the southwest corner of Soldier Field after a touchdown reception did make an impression even if it didn’t catch on.
Thomas Jones congratulating Benson after his first NFL touchdown. It was another reminder of how far Jones’ professionalism goes in the locker room and why teammates value his role as the team’s No. 1 running back.
Images to forget
Alex Brown tripping over a blade of grass after 18-yard interception return against the Bills. The media guide swears Brown played quarterback in high school, but he didn’t look like a former quarterback on that play.
Urlacher limping down tunnel at the end of the Dolphins game. Nothing served as a more vivid reminder of the Bears’ vulnerability than the sight of their gimpy MVP.
Devin Hester fumbling punt he caught inside the 10. The Bears led 3-0 when Hester, for some reason, backed up to the 6-yard line and muffed Donnie Jones’ punt in the first of six turnovers Sunday.
Best pregame, postgame meltdowns by foes
Roy Williams. Soldier Field employees still searching scoreboard for all the points the Lions left on the board in 34-7 loss after Williams’ victory guarantee.
Former Miami Dolphins guard Bob Kuechenberg. He criticized Nick Saban’s team for not having a soul, motivation many Dolphins players said they used to help them beat the Bears.
Dennis Green. Green’s outburst after blowing 20-point lead looked like his audition for the next Holiday Inn Express commercial.
Biggest plays
Berrian’s 49-yard touchdown reception against the Packers. Six plays into the season, the Bears announced this offense would be different.
Rashied Davis’ 24-yard touchdown catch with 1:53 left against the Vikings. The fourth-quarter rally provided tangible evidence Grossman could overcome adversity and Davis had found a niche as a clutch receiver.
Brian Urlacher’s strip and Charles Tillman’s 40-yard fumble return for a touchdown against the Cardinals. The Bears trailed by 13 points with five minutes left, similar circumstances to the beginning of Sunday’s final Dolphins drive (28-13 with 5:53 left) at the end of which Urlacher was injured.
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dhaugh@tribune.com
