Bears vs. Lions

Where do we begin, hmmm. The Chicago Bears took on the Detroit Lions for the season opener yesterday and the outcome on paper looks just great. But, if like me, you sat and watched the actual game, you would be a little disappointed with the way the Bears played that game. Offensively coming out of the gates the Bears were firing, making the first drive look very good. They only came away with 3 points, but it gave fans a little confidence in their team. Then the Bears of old that we all know so well showed up and did what they do a little too often, penalties, fumbles, and interception, yeah the usual. So with 1:33 left on the clock, the Lions scored off a Javid Best 4 yard TD, which could have gone either way, not sure if the ball broke the plain. Now it's 13-3 and their backs are up against the wall, but they figured it out and Jay Cutler threw a pass to Matt Forte for a 89 yard TD. 14-10 with only 1:03 on the clock, all you have to do is hold on to the lead, let's go defense. Matthew Stafford drops back and who is coming from behind, the 90 million dollar man, Julius Peppers with the big sack and forced fumble recovered by Tommie Harris, which led to a Bears 31 yard field goal by Robbie Gould. Some life has been brought back into Soldier Field only being down 14-13 going into halftime. Then right back to where they started, mistake after mistake. The bright spot throughout the game has been the defense, led by Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs who combined for 17 tackles. Finally after all the horrible play from both teams offensively, the Bears found another spark when Cutler hooked up with Forte for a 28 yard TD catch. Just hold onto the lead, the defense needs to continue the play they've had all game, but no the big play is here with an apparent TD catch by Calvin Johnson, a.k.a Megatron. But wait, did Johnson not hold onto the ball all the way through in the endzone, c'mon man you have to know that rule. As a fan we've seen this many times throughout different games and it is clear that you must maintain possession through the whole process of the catch. Don't celebrate until you see the official signal TOUCHDOWN!! Here is the official rule: If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete. Clear as day, there it is. So did the Bears win that game, yes they did but it just wasn't pretty. Defensively, the Bears need to be aware of the big play in game winning situations, be able to hold. Next week the Bears take on the Cowboys, let's hope they will make all the necessary adjustments needed to come out with a better win.