Play by Jennings makes Lovie's point

For as many reasons as you can find to criticize Lovie Smith, and there are always several to choose from, on one point there can rarely be argument.

The Bears finish plays, and they finish plays for their head coach.

And there's generally a signature moment within a game that symbolizes how hard Smith's players are willing to play for him.

On Sunday against Atlanta, it was corner Tim Jennings who stood out.

“The defense never gives up on a play,” Jennings said. “We always run at the football until there's a whistle.”

On the third play of the third quarter and the Bears ahead 16-3, the Falcons had third down and about a half-yard to go from their own 15.

Michael Turner burst through the middle and began coasting down the field for what looked like an 85-yard touchdown run.

Jennings was farthest from Turner when the play started and four Bears were closer when Turner broke the line of scrimmage.

But trailing Turner by about 7 yards and with Turner at full burner and Jennings at a stop, Jennings nevertheless took off after Turner and eventually chased him down, some 53 yards later.

A couple of minutes after, the defense held and forced Atlanta to kick a field goal, cutting the lead to 16-6. A touchdown would have pulled the Falcons to within a score and might have swung momentum.

But Jennings never quit on the play, the Bears scored on their next possession, and that was pretty much the game.

“We count ‘loafs,' and that would have been a loaf if I hadn't gone full speed after him,” Jennings said. “That is what we do. That's all. It's no big deal. You go full speed until the play ends.”

There have been dozens of times during the Smith era in which a play like that has occurred, and then the Bears have forced a turnover before the opposition could punch it in.

It's why Kellen Davis and Earl Bennett tried to chase down Kroy Biermann on his 50-yard interception return for a TD.

It's what the Bears do, and for that you have to give it up to the head coach.

Martz moments

Mike Martz had a pretty good day with the playbook Sunday, but he continues to prove that he just can't help himself when it comes time to run out the clock.

His ego simply won't allow it, so up 30-6 with 12 minutes left in the game and the Bears driving, just before the interception, Martz tried a direct snap to Earl Bennett, which went nowhere.

In the fourth quarter with a huge lead against an opponent with little chance to come back, Martz had Jay Cutler drop back to pass 10 times vs. 9 run calls.

Seriously, all the Bears needed to do was hand off, get a few first downs and keep the defense off the field, so where was the power running game the experts promised all of last week?

Screen time

While the Bears failed to run the ball, the good news is the two screens to Matt Forte and Devin Hester accounted for more than 100 yards, and more than a third of Jay Cutler's passing yards.

Now in his fifth season as a receiver, think the Bears have finally figured out that Hester's not really a receiver at all, and that the best way to utilize his brilliance in the open field is to, well, actually get him into the open field?

Yeah, how about that. Get him the ball on the run so that he's facing the defense and has room in front of him.

What an idea.

Contract talk

While Lance Briggs was pretty much invisible, getting completely taken out on a couple of big runs and managing to get in on only 3 tackles, Matt Forte was terrific catching the football.

Said Jay Cutler about Forte: “His ability in this offense is endless. He's such a smart player, and he's so versatile. This offense really can't run without him back there. He's a threat all over the field. There aren't many running backs in the league that can do what he does.”

How's that for an endorsement from the quarterback?

New Cutler?

It's way too early to say Jay Cutler's a different guy, but seeing him go to bat for a teammate who's trying to get paid, fight for calls on the field, cheer on the defense after scores, and express frustration and happiness without looking like he just had a glass of sour milk, it sure makes you think he's trying to be a different guy.

Timeout

Getting plays in on time continues to be a problem as the Bears wasted a pair of timeouts in the first half.

In the second half, they were out of timeouts with 12 minutes left in the game, having used one for a failed challenge, one on defense and the last when the play was either late or Cutler simply didn't believe Martz was calling the Wildcat for Bennett.

And finally …

Charles Tillman on the defense being characterized as over the hill: “I don't see any gray beards in hair. I don't see any white hair. Is Santa Claus in here and I missed it?”

brozner@dailyherald.com

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