Idonije enjoys 'special' homecoming
TORONTO — Bears special teams proved no less effective north of the border.
Defensive end Israel Idonije produced a huge game-changer with a patented blocked extra-point kick in a return to his native Canada, while Buffalo native Corey Graham made a winning dodgeball move on a punt late that helped pin the Bills back in Sunday's 22-19 Bears victory at Rogers Centre.
“That's just a part of what we do on this team we block kicks,” Idonije said. “That's one of the things that we focus on.
“Any chance we get to come aggressively we do.”
Bills kicker Rian Lindell had set an NFL record with 321 extra points without a miss, and he lined up to kick the Bills into a 14-14 tie with No. 322 in the third quarter after running back Fred Jackson's 4-yard touchdown run.
But Idonije swatted it down.
“Lack (Brian Urlacher) a great push, Pep (Julius Peppers) a great push to my right, and then I have the easiest part of the job, getting my hand on it,” said Idonije, who has 7 career blocked kicks.
The block was the league-high 20th by the Bears since Dave Toub became special-teams coordinator in 2004.
“Of course, that miss kind of changed the course of the game a little bit,” said Bears coach Lovie Smith.
It forced the Bills to attempt a 2-point conversion after their next TD. That failed, leaving the Bears behind 19-14.
It also meant that the Bears could take a 3-point lead after their final TD with a 2-point conversion and keep the Bills from doing any better than force an overtime by kicking a late field goal.
“The win is important,” Idonije said. “The best part.
“It's in Canada, that's important. The icing on the cake is to be able to come here and win in front of these great Canadian fans.
“It's a great feeling. It felt great to be back here on Canadian soil, be back home. Eight years later, the first NFL game where I heard the Canadian anthem. It's a great feeling.”
Idonije, who still has a home in the Winnipeg area, also had half a sack in his homecoming.
“When you come home you expect some big plays,” Smith said. “Being the only Canadian guy on our team, a lot of fans for him were here.
“You want to see him do something to help your team win not just in a role, being gray and blending in, but standing out.
“He's made a lot of big plays like that in his time in Chicago, but it was good to see him do it here in Canada.”
The Bills never did get that shot at a game-tying field goal, partially because a former fan of theirs made another special-teams play.
Graham, whose family made the 1½-hour drive north from Buffalo, dodged Brad Maynard's bouncing punt by making a move like a matador, then downed it at the 1-yard line to bottle up the Bills' offense with 1:04 remaining.
A replay confirmed he hadn't touched the ball at the 12, but it came close.
“I didn't touch it,” Graham said. “I knew it wasn't a chance it would be overturned because I didn't touch the ball.
“It was close to my chest, but it didn't hit me at all. I knew it wasn't going to be a problem. I was more worried about me being out of bounds than the ball hitting me.”
The Bills could only drive as far as their own 25 before Chris Harris sealed the win with an interception. The pick set off a loud roar from Bears fans, American and Canadian alike.
“That's consistent; we're America's team, the Bears,” Idonije said. “Every game we go to we have incredible fan support.
“We're probably the best travel team in the NFL. There's no question about it. Today was like a home game out there.”