Defense takes care of business
It felt like Bears-Packers, with the victorious, bundled-up fans chanting, “Bears still (stink)!” as they exited frigid Lambeau Field following the home team's playoff-clinching, 10-3 win over the NFC North champions Sunday.
It felt like winter in Green Bay, with a game-time temperature of 19 degrees reduced to 5 with the wind chill.
It didn't feel like postseason football to Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, however, despite the conditions and the outcome not being decided until safety Nick Collins intercepted Bears quarterback Jay Cutler at the Green Bay 11 with less than 20 seconds left.
“We weren't playing for anything,” Urlacher said matter-of-factly after playing the entire game, even though the Bears were already locked in as the No. 2 seed in the upcoming playoffs behind Atlanta in the NFC.
“Everything we needed to do was done already. The crowd was loud obviously because a lot was on the line for them, but it didn't feel like a playoff game.”
Bears cornerback Charles Tillman didn't go that far.
“Every game feels like the real deal to me,” Tillman said. “This wasn't just a dress rehearsal. Those boos were loud.”
A week after surrendering 34 points to the Jets at Soldier Field, the Bears defense shut out Green Bay's powerful offense for a half. The pass-happy Packers came in averaging better than 25 points per game.
But Urlacher dismissed the notion that the defense got anything back or returned to form. Two weeks before the Jets game, New England put up 36 points in a blizzard at Soldier Field.
“I don't think there was anything to get back,” Urlacher said.
“Teams are going to score,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “Our defense has done a great job all year.”
Green Bay pounded the Giants 45-17 at Lambeau the previous week, but the Packers did little against the Bears' Cover 2. Tillman recovered a first-quarter fumble caused by D.J. Moore and made a diving interception, weaving through Packers for a spectacular 42-yard return, in the third quarter.
The Packers were just 2 of 11 on third-down plays.
“We didn't do a whole lot different what we've done in the past,” linebacker Lance Briggs said. “We actually kind of scaled back a little bit. It was more about technique and fundamentals.”
“We didn't win, but we played pretty good,” Moore said. “We know how good we are on defense.”
Green Bay pulled even at 3-3 in the third and went ahead early in the fourth. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed a 46-yard pass down the right sideline to Greg Jennings and on the next snap flipped a 1-yard pass to a wide-open Donald Lee in the end zone.
“We probably should have held them to 3 (for the game),” Tillman said. “I think we should have won the game, but you got to tip your hat to them. They played awesome. They scored when they needed to score, and we got outplayed.”
Rodgers, coming off a 4-touchdown, 404-yard passing performance against the Giants, finished 19 of 28 for 229 yards with 1 touchdown pass and 1 interception. His 89.7 passer-efficiency rating was solid, but below his season average (101.2).
Veteran receivers Donald Driver and Jennings had 5 and 4 receptions, respectively.
“I was running like a chicken with my head cut off trying to cover those receivers,” Tillman said. “(Rodgers) is a good quarterback. He's got a heck of an arm, and when he rolls to his right he has an ability to throw it really, really far without actually setting up. And his receivers, for whatever reason, they have the ability to get a lot of YAC (yards after catch) when they catch the ball.”
YAC, Charles?
That feels like football.