Imrem: Redemption day for Tucker, Bears defense
Mel Tucker can peek his head out of Halas Hall this week.
If he does the grocery shopping, the Bears' defensive coordinator can go to the store without worrying about hearing whispers from fans in the produce aisle.
Of all the people in the Bears' organization who earned a measure of redemption Sunday, Tucker might top the list.
Not general manager Phil Emery, even though he did provide enough depth on defense for the Bears to win at Atlanta 27-13.
Not quarterback Jay Cutler, who rallied from a couple of straight “bad Jay” games to be “good Jay” again with a flawless passing performance.
Not defensive end Jared Allen, who is paid a lot of money to collect quarterback sacks and finally recorded his first of the season against the Falcons.
Not wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who looked perfectly healthy for the first time in awhile and was able to do more catching than philosophizing.
Not even head coach Marc Trestman, whose team was outscored 34-3 in second halves the past two weeks but inspired the Bears after halftime this time.
Untie them all for now from the whipping posts that talk radio and newspaper columns can be.
But Mel Tucker is the most worthy of a quiet week of preparation for the next week's challenge because for two seasons he has endured as much criticism as anyone, and probably more.
Never mind that the Bears' defense has been a bit better this season after being atrocious last season. It was a lot better on this day, of all days.
For the first time in a long time — maybe years — the Bears' defense looked like Bears fans are accustomed to a Bears defense looking like.
The Bears finally hit somebody hard enough to be heard from Peachtree Street to Rush Street. Defensive backs especially played in a physical manner that would make former Bears hit men Doug Plank and Gary Fencik proud.
The pass defense was helped by a Bears front line that was intact with Allen and Jeremiah Ratliff back in the lineup together.
But the real story here is the Bears' linebacking corps, which was missing the first four players on the depth chart.
Starting in their places were Darryl Sharpton, Khaseem Greene and Christian Jones.
Now, the joke after this game could have been that the Bears' linebackers played like Al Sharpton, Cee Lo Green and Lo Lo Jones.
Well, they weren't Mike Singletary, Wilber Marshall and Otis Wilson, but they weren't a Three Stooges punch line either.
“(Linebackers coach Reggie Herring) just told us to have fun,” Greene said.
Fun would be an upset for defenders. A high-scoring game was anticipated because even at full strength neither of the defenses has been the '85 Bears.
But the oddsmakers' over-under of 54 points finished under by 2 touchdowns because the Bears overcame adversity.
Instead of Cutler having to direct scoring drives on every possession, the defense's performance allowed him to be careful instead of reckless.
“They did an unbelievable job,” Cutler said. “To lose as many guys as they did, especially late in the week, is a testament to how hard they're working and how well the defensive coaches are instructing them.”
The expectation of a wide-open game was shattered when the Bears held Atlanta to 3 points in the first half.
Then after the Falcons tied the score with 10 points early in the third quarter, Bears defenders caught their balance and had their way the rest of the game.
“It starts with Mel and Reggie,” Trestman said. “Our entire staff did a tremendous job. They coached hard and were demanding, and our players responded.”
At least for a week, Mel Tucker can go out for dinner without wondering whether he will have to hear snickers from the next table.
mimrem@dailyherald.com