Grading the Bears
GAME BALL:
MATT HASSELBECK
Matt Hasselbeck, the 35-year-old veteran lost 14 of his previous 15 starts on the road, but he brought his “A game to earn his second road win since Dec. 2007. Hasselbeck hit 25 of 40 passes for 242 yards and 1 touchdown. He also avoided 2 sacks with clever throwaways and finished with an 87.7 rating.
Quarterback (2 balls)
Human nature says a guy with a recent concussion has to be a little concerned about his well-being. Cutler suffered 6 sacks, but half came when blitzers zoomed in untouched. But he held the ball too long several times and overthrew several receivers. Somehow his numbers (17 of 39, 290 yards) look about right.
Running backs (2 balls)
Can you give a group an incomplete? Matt Forte and Chester Taylor combined for a whopping 12 carries that led to 42 yards and Forte's opening-drive TD. The Bears tried a grand total of 4 runs after halftime, highlighted by Taylor's 24-yard plunge on fourth-and-1 late in the game.
Receivers (2 balls)
On big plays, the Bears weren't too shabby. Devin Hester drew a 58-yard pass-interference penalty on the game's second play. Johnny Knox caught 5 passes for 120 yards, including a 67-yard catch-and-run where he tapdanced down the Seattle sideline. Hey! Veteran tight end Brandon Manumaleuna caught his first pass as a Bear and chugged for 5 yards, which made up for Greg Olsen's O-fer.
Offensive Line (1 ball)
Let's see. The Bears surrendered 10 sacks two weeks ago without Chris Williams in the lineup, but only allowed 6 on Sunday with Williams making his debut at left guard. Let's call it a success! Who gets the blame when Seattle blitzers kept coming off the edge untouched? Rookie right tackle J'Marcus Webb looked like the guilty party twice, though it's hard to tell when you don't know the line call. Olin Kreutz accepted the blame afterward.
Defensive Line (2 balls)
Tackle Matt Toeaina posted the team's only official quarterback hurry, though Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck was wearing Henry Melton on his back when he flipped the shovel pass that was initially ruled a fumble before being switched (correctly) to an incomplete pass. Julius Peppers had 1 solo tackle and 1 assist.
Linebackers (2 balls)
With Lance Briggs out to nurse his ankle injury, Brian Iwuh made his first Bears start and posted a game-high 9 tackles. Brian Urlacher (6 tackles) was one of several Bears who couldn't hang on for a tackle-for-loss.
Secondary (2 balls)
Seattle receiver Mike Williams entered the day with 11 catches for 138 yards for the year. He piled up career highs for catches (10) and yards (123) working against Peanut Tillman and Tim Jennings. Zack Bowman left with a foot injury, so Jennings couldn't get a sub when he dislocated his right pinky in the third quarter. He popped it back in on the field, but it looked goofy after the game.
Special teams (4 balls)
On a day when Devin Hester tied the NFL record with his 13th TD return, Danieal Manning had his second career TD called back. Manning's 89-yard fourth-quarter kick return was negated by a holding call on Rod Wilson. The punt coverage team enjoyed a nice day. Golden Tate was swarmed for a 7-yard loss on his first return as the Bears' net (38.4 yards) was better than Maynard's average (38.1).
Coaching (1 ball)
How many times did you see Bears head out on pass routes, only to watch Seattle blitzers fly in untouched for sacks? The Bears' own blitzes never quite hit home.