Don’t overreact
Injured safety Mike Brown didn’t need
to break down in tears to make the point. But Brown’s postgame reaction drove it home: This one hurt the NFC North’s last-place Bears. A team that wants to pride itself on running the ball couldn’t, a defense that deserved better got suckered on a trick play and a special-teams mistake opened the door for the Chargers. But of all the mistakes, the biggest one would be letting a loss to one of the NFL’s best teams damage its psyche.
Oops, they did it again
Rex Grossman lost the grip on the ball. Cedric Benson lost a fumble in his own territory. Brandon McGowan gave it away at the Bears’ 29 when he fell asleep on a punt return and let the ball hit him in the shoulder for a fumble. The Chargers scored four plays later. It was contagious — as Adrian Peterson’s lost fumble on the next series showed. Every team makes mistakes, but those aren’t the kind an elite team can tolerate — especially when playing a better one.
Turner Bowl
So was the pivotal play drawn up years ago in the Turners’ back yard in Martinez, Calif.? The turning point — and key call — came on an apparent sweep right to LaDainian omlinson that sucked in the Bears’ defense long enough for Antonio Gates to get open. The 17-yard halfback TD pass took advantage of the Bears’ quickness and was a great call by Chargers coach Norv Turner, who got the better of brother Ron, who called an overly conservative game for the Bears.
Real Deal
Bright spot? Any concerns about whether defensive tackle Tommie Harris would be able to return to Pro Bowl form coming off hamstring surgery were answered in the third quarter. That’s when Harris fired out of his stance like a ball out of a cannon to force a fumble on the Chargers’ 1-yard line before the center snap hit Philip Rivers’ hands. Harris likes to go by the nickname “Real Deal,” but that was unreal quickness to force a turnover that looked big at the time.
