Bears' trick punt return foiled by a penalty

Seated in front of his locker underneath the Soldier Field stands, Corey Graham reached out with his right hand and grabbed a reporter's left tricep.

Grabbed might be too strong of a word. Perhaps more of a gentle clasp.

Nonetheless, Graham's not-so-dramatic re-enactment explained what FOX's cameras couldn't show you: Why Graham was flagged for a hold that negated Johnny Knox's 89-yard punt return for a score with 51 seconds left.

“It was an inside release (by the Green Bay gunner),” Graham said. “I grabbed him a little bit. Gave him a bit of a shove. We were probably 30 yards away from Johnny. It was not a blatant holding, but I guess it was too much.

“I've got to just let him go. I've got to not even touch the guy.”

That's the worse aspect to Graham's penalty, which kept the Bears from pulling within 27-24.

Had the fifth-year veteran run into the tunnel or into the stands instead of staying with his man, he would have had the same effect on the trick-play return.

The Bears trotted out something they'd been working on since last year … something they worked on throughout the week.

Special-teams coach Dave Toub told his guys it would work as planned — and it fooled the cameras as badly as it fooled the Packers.

As Tim Masthay's punt went in the air, Devin Hester and almost all of the Bears' return team drifted toward Green Bay's sideline. The camera focused on Hester as well.

While the Packers' coverage team went to feast on Hester, Knox caught the ball near the Bears' sideline.

Knox said the Bears knew Masthay would kick it there due to the Packers' tendencies depending on which hash they were on.

With the punter the only guy he had to beat — and with a blocker in place to dispose of him — Knox jogged up the right sideline for the 89-yard score.

“Yeah, it surprised me,” Knox said of the Packers' poor coverage. “That's why I didn't really run that fast.”

When referee Mike Carey announced the holding penalty on Graham that occurred officially at the Bears' 20-yard line, Toub stood on the sidelines shaking his head in disbelief.

The worst part of the touchdown that wasn't? The Bears should't be able to use it again because it's on tape for the whole league to see.

“I'm sure they're going to notice because they don't put me on punt return that much,” Knox said.