Good day for Bears’ Knox, but 3 drops

OAKLAND, Calif. — Wide receiver Johnny Knox had 4 catches for a career-high 145 yards, including an 81-yard reception that set up the Bears’ final touchdown and a 29-yard TD grab that accounted for the team’s first points and its only lead of the day.

But Knox also had 3 drops that could have made things easier for first-time starting quarterback Caleb Hanie.

“We all took turns doing our mistakes,” Knox said. “It was our first time playing with Caleb. We just need to learn from our mistakes and rally around him and make positive things out of the mistakes we made (Sunday).”

Knox also had a 56-yard kickoff return. The 81-yard catch, with less than minutes remaining, was the longest of Knox’s three-year career.

“The safety was sitting (on a shorter route),” Knox said. “It was late in the game, so we had to get a big play and catch them deep. We got what we wanted, but it just wasn’t enough.”

Knox’s two most productive games of the season have come back to back; he had 97 yards on just 3 catches a week earlier against San Diego. Knox entered Week 12 second in the NFL with a 19.9-yard average per catch, and he’s now up to 22.2.

Moral support:After he had surgery on his fractured right thumb in Denver on Wednesday, Jay Cutler flew out on his own to provide support for quarterback Caleb Hanie, making his first NFL start.#147;Jay was great,#148; Hanie said. #147;He was with me the whole time, all along the way, just calming me down and helping me out as much as he could. He was great. At one point we just started talking at random about something, and that just got my mind off things and I felt calm after that, so he was a good presence on the sidelines.#148;Fast big man: Lance Louis saved what could have been an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown into a field goal by running down Raiders linebacker Kamerion Wimbley.#147;I just tried to make a play,#148; the 320-pound Louis said. #147;I just put my head down and tried to go after him, and I got him. I guess that#146;s good, right?#148;Louis was flagged for a horse-collar tackle, but he saved the Bears 4 points.#147;I just tried to get him and take him down,#148; Louis said. #147;The important thing is we held them to 3.#148;Close call:The Bears nearly recovered an onside kick after they closed to within 25-20 with 2:11 remaining. It looked for a moment that Corey Graham had the ball, but David Ausberry came away with it.#147;It was close,#148; Graham said. #147;There was a lot of fighting for the ball, a lot of pulling and grabbing. We had an opportunity to get the ball. I can#146;t say either of us had it more than the other.#147;But in the end he won the battle.#148;Injuries, inactivity:Linebacker Brian Iwuh suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter and did not return. #133; Sunday#146;s inactives were quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Josh McCown, cornerback D.J. Moore (sprained ankle), guard Ricky Henry, tight end Andre Smith, linebacker Jabara Williams and nose tackle Anthony Adams.