Pride check
This game was as much about revealing the Bears’ pride as it was about finding an offensive leader in Brian Griese. All the talk leading up to Sunday’s game put even more pressure on players and coaches to avoid falling to 2-5 and out of the playoff hunt. Sure, driving 97 yards on 11 plays in the final 1:52 says a lot about the Bears’ ability to make clutch plays. But it said even more about the resilience of a team that still knows how to win — right now its biggest strength.
Griese’s the word
Consider how remarkable the following sentence is: The Bears won the battle of the quarterbacks against the Eagles and that made the difference. Donovan McNabb looked like his vintage self in leading the Eagles to a fourth-quarter touchdown drive that gave Philly the lead, but Griese answered with his defining drive. Most impressive, Griese’s helmet broke so he couldn’t communicate with coaches on the final drive that was all him. Can you hear him now?
More familiar ‘D’
When the Bears’ defensive stars play like stars, the defense can survive being short-handed. Brian Urlacher looked pretty healthy in leading the team in tackles with 12. Tommie Harris resembled his Pro Bowl self more times than not in getting two sacks. The Bears’ tackling improved, especially in the red zone. Giving up 334 total yards and just one TD to an offense like the Eagles’ represents progress for a Bears defense that needed this boost of confidence.
‘H’ Factor
Devin Hester’s mere presence made a significant impact on offense and special teams. Five times the Bears started a series beyond their own 35 after a punt or kickoff by the Eagles, who were determined not to let Hester beat them. On the final series, attention paid to Hester downfield cleared out the underneath routes for Griese to find other guys. The Bears can put up with Hester’s confusion lining up if it means the defense is even more mixed up trying to defend him.
