Let's keep that Bears victory in perspective
As impressive as the Bears' domination of the Colts was Sunday night, it's probably too soon to make reservations in Tampa for Super Bowl XLIII on Feb. 1.
Yes, the Bears' defense made Peyton Manning look ordinary. It didn't allow him to complete a pass of more than 20 yards, even though he threw 49 times.
But keep in mind, Manning hadn't thrown a pass in a game in eight months - not even a preseason game.
And Colts insiders say Manning has lost about 15 pounds following July knee surgery to remove an infected bursa sack from his left knee, surgery that kept him from playing in the Colts' five preseason games. Manning didn't even practice until Aug. 26.
Because of the rust, Manning clearly was a fraction of what he usually is, and he was playing behind three new interior linemen, including two rookies who were late-round draft picks.
None of them were projected as starters until guard Jake Scott departed in free agency and injuries sidelined Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday as well as four-year veteran guard Ryan Lilja.
Manning barely overthrew an open Reggie Wayne in the end zone during the second quarter, and the Colts settled for a field goal instead. Later, he barely missed Marvin Harrison on a deep sideline pattern.
In a couple of weeks, when the rust is off, Manning probably wouldn't miss either of those throws.
But the Bears didn't win Sunday simply because of Indianapolis' inadequacies and mistakes. They also did a lot of things about as well as they're capable, including getting 9 points from the defense.
Most important, the Bears took an early lead and kept it. If they can do that consistently, they can continue to win with a balanced and conservative attack.
To be successful, the Bears really do have to get off the bus running and keep running until they get back on it.
They still don't have a true No. 1 receiver, and they won't for the remainder of the season. They don't have the kind of offense that can make up large deficits.
As long as the score is close, the Bears have a chance to win any game by running frequently and using a ball-control passing game.
But if opposing defenses can turn their pass rushers loose, the Bears' makeshift offensive line won't be able to protect Kyle Orton. This is not an offense that will be successful throwing 40 times a game.
Orton was sacked just twice by an excellent Colts defense, but keep on mind he threw just 21 passes. That's 1 sack for every 10.5 passes, a worse ratio than last year's 1 sack for every 13.2 passes when the offensive line was considered a major weakness.
"Having the lead really helped," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said late Sunday night. "But it was just important to have it be a close game. We didn't necessarily have to be in the lead, just have it be a game where we could run the ball. Our defense played great, and that enabled us to try to be patient, run the ball and do the things we wanted to do."
The Bears get another break this week, when they face the Carolina Panthers without Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith. But the Panthers pulled off just as big an upset as the Bears in Week 1, traveling across the country and defeating the Chargers in San Diego.
If the Bears can pull off another impressive road victory, maybe it's not too soon to start dreaming about a Florida vacation in the middle of winter. Just make sure the tickets are refundable.
Even Bears coach Lovie Smith, he of the half-full glass, is keeping things in perspective.
"To me, it's 1 win," Smith said Sunday night. "You don't win championships the first quarter of the season."