1. Offensive defense
The Bears were horrendous on defense from the outset, paving the way for an insurmountable 31-3 halftime deficit. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer barely got touched by the defensive line all day as he finished 20 of 24 for 233 yards and five touchdowns. Save for Lance Briggs, the linebackers made little impact. And the secondary, including Charles Tillman, looked extremely suspect. Second-half adjustments don’t matter much when you’re behind by four touchdowns.
2. Ced what?
Where was that speed burst in Chicago, Ced? Former Bear Cedric Benson looked like an entirely different tailback, rushing for 98 yards on 20 carries in the first half and finishing with a career-high 189 yards on 37 carries. He set the tone early with an 18-yard run on his fourth touch. Benson actually surpassed the 100-yard mark in the first half but got dropped for a loss before halftime. Safe to say he got his revenge.
3. Last word
Chad Ochocinco held true to his promise and performed his version of the samba after a third-quarter touchdown. The flamboyant Bengals wide receiver danced all over the Bears, backing up his trash talk with two scores. Ochocinco showed his respect for Tillman by running him ragged. Ochocinco also got under the Bears’ skin, drawing a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Kevin Payne.
4. Left behind
With the Vikings dropping a 27-17 decision to the Steelers, the Bears had an opportunity to draw closer in the NFC North standings. Instead, at 3-3, they remain behind Minnesota (5-1) and Green Bay (4-2), and they lost to the Packers in the season opener. The best part about Sunday’s game is that the loss was against an AFC foe. No matter, the 45-10 defeat was the worst of the Lovie Smith era.
