The Bears (7-7) fell apart after leading 14-7, seeing the Seahawks (7-7) score 24 unanswered points. Caleb Hanie threw three interceptions, two of them were returned for touchdowns. The game was a microcosm of the season. Off to a good start, and then it quickly unraveled. The Bears have lost 4 in row since Jay Cutler left with a thumb injury.

Everyone is hoping Johnny Knox will be fine (Tribune Photo).

Quarterback
Caleb Hanie (10-23-111, TD, 3 INT, 5/34) had another memorably bad game. Two pick sixes quickly erase some nice things he did with his feet to pick up some first downs as a scrambler, and to buy himself time to find open receivers. So sure, there was some good, but it was far outweighed by the bad. He was sacked four times. The sack at the end of the half was on him for holding the ball too long. I think he didn’t want to put the ball up and risk yet another interception, when this was probably the only time he could risk it. Some of his passes appeared to be thrown into triple coverage. The interception that wasn’t returned for a touchdown was an underthrown pass to Kellen Davis. He’s still missing some very short throws that are costing the team in terms of picking up first downs. His most perfect-looking pass was probably the strike he threw to 323-pound defensive end Red Bryant, who gathered the ball in and lumbered 20 yards for a touchdown. Josh McCown (1-2-12, INT) came in at the end and added an interception of his own. This was a real horror show. GRADE: F

Running Backs
Khalil Bell (15/65, 5-43, TD) had his best game as a Bear. He continually ran for tough yards and made some decent cuts. Hanie found him for a 25-yard touchdown pass on a route that broke from the right seam to the left sideline. Marion Barber (11/33) picked up a few nice first downs and had a 10-yarder called back on a holding penalty by Kellen Davis. Tyler Clutts had some good blocks leading up in the hole. GRADE: B

Receivers
Johnny Knox had a 15-yard reception and then fumbled the ball away to Denver. What happened next left everyone feeling awful. As he scrambled for the loose ball, he was hit head-on by a defensive lineman and was bent over his back at nearly a 90-degree angle. He was subsequently carted off the field on a board and taken immediately to a hospital. It was reported that he had movement in his extremities. Everyone is hopeful for him to have a full recovery. Dane Sanzenbacher (2-26) had a key first down reception but couldn’t hang on to a pass in the flat. Earl Bennett and Roy Williams only had one reception each. GRADE: D

Offensive Line
Today was J’Marcus Webb’s turn to have a horse bleep game. He allowed two sacks and was flagged for holding twice. Webb was continually beaten to the inside. Lance Louis held his own until he also allowed a sack in the second half. Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz is taking advantage of his athleticism, calling him to pull on counter plays from right tackle to left tackle. The interior three of Williams, Garza and Spencer were average. Run blocking was average as a whole, but pass protection, which was good early, eventually broke down. GRADE: D

Defensive Line
The front 7 really did a great job to hold Marshawn Lynch to 42 yards rushing on 20 carries. Julius Peppers had a sack and forced fumble of Tarvaris Jackson in the end zone. The fumble was recovered by Israel Idonije (5 tackles, FR, TD) for a touchdown. The defensive tackles, especially Matt Toeaina (5 tackles) and Anthony Adams (3 tackles, TFL) came up big against the run. Rookie Stephen Paea even had an early tackle for a loss. There was some pressure, but there was only the one sack. GRADE: B

Linebackers
Lance Briggs (4 tackles, 2 TFL) recovered from an early missed tackle to play well the rest of the way. He had great pressure on a blitz, and one of his tackles for a loss was of Jackson (19-31-227, TD) on a busted play. Brian Urlacher (6 tackles, TFL) didn’t really make many impactful plays. In fact, it appeared he had a clear shot at a fumble recovery but somehow couldn’t come up with it. Nick Roach had a tackle for a loss and a pressure/qb hit. GRADE: B

Secondary
Craig Steltz again made the most of his start, leading the team with 8 tackles. His sure tackling prevented a third down after Briggs couldn’t wrap up. Steltz was making plays from sideline to sideline and very near the line of scrimmage. Chris Conte took a bad angle and left his feet on one of Seattle’s big plays. He later suffered a foot injury and had to leave. Brandon Meriweather (6 tackles) replaced Conte. Cornerback Tim Jennings (2 tackles) was beaten for a 43-yard completion by Obomanu and also committed pass interference. Charles Tillman had some issues wrapping up on his tackles, and was beaten by Morrah the tight end for 20 yards. Tillman appeared to be injured and had to leave the field. Nickel back D.J. Moore allowed a third and 9 conversion to happen in front of him. He was also beaten deep but the pass was incomplete. There were too many third and long conversions that they allowed in front of them, they didn’t produce any turnovers, and the tackling was poor. GRADE: D

Corey Graham was flagged for using his teammates to propel him on a field goal block. This turned 3 points into 7 as this is an automatic first down. It looked to me like he leaped OVER the defensive linemen. Marshawn Lynch ran it in for a touchdown on the next play. Graham redeemed himself by expertly downing an excellent Adam Podlesh punt at the 4-yard line. This field position set up the Peppers/Idonije sack/forced fumble/touchdown. Returns were below average. Devin Hester was eventually pulled from returning kicks as he could not be counted on to make a good decision. He kept signaling for a fair catch, and then would run away from the ball. Bennett replaced him on punts. Knox and then Bell replaced him on kickoffs. Punts were otherwise average, kickoffs were good and field goals were nonexistent. Punt return coverage had a buster, where Podlesh needed to knock Leon Washington out of bounds after a 36-yard return. GRADE: C

I cannot argue with the offensive play calling. Martz ran it enough. He continually put Hanie into manageable third down situations. How do you coach around a quarterback who cannot hit a checkdown pass, and throws the ball out late into triple coverage? The defense, which put 7 points on the board, played well for a half and then must have been disheartened as the offense surrendered 14 back on two pick sixes. But the coverage was too loose. It’s unacceptable to see so many third and longs get converted. Who do these coaches need to talk to about the holding penalties? It seems ironic that the Bears would get called for holding 3 times this week, when a week ago, Peppers was held on almost every play. Full-on nose dive mode here, and there seems to be little hope of pulling up. GRADE: D

I picked the right winner and picked a blowout (24-3). I wish I was wrong more often, but it’s going to be hard to pick the Bears again unless Cutler can return.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Johnny Knox, we are thinking hopeful thoughts about you.

Nudo’s Kudos
Julius Peppers
Craig Steltz
Israel Idonije
Khalil Bell

Horns
Caleb Hanie
J’Marcus Webb
Tim Jennings
Devin Hester

The Denver Broncos (8-5) outlasted the Bears 13-10. Tim Tebow continued his magic, leading his team back from a 10-0 deficit to a 13-10 overtime win. Matt Prater tied the game with a 59-yard field goal at the end of regulation and then delivered again from 51 yards in overtime. The Bears’ (7-6) playoff chances are very, very slim.

The Bears saw a 10-point 4th quarter lead go Into Thin Air (Tribune photo).

Quarterback
Caleb Hanie (12-19-115, 2/11) continues to be very late with his throws when he isn’t first zeroed in on Johnny Knox. The second sack was on him, as he should have recognized the overloaded right side and thrown the ball out hot. He missed a wide open Marion Barber on a short route in the left seam that could have gone for big yardage. Hanie had a couple of nice passes along the sideline to Knox, and appeared to put the Bears in good position in overtime when he connected with Barber up the right sideline. His pocket presence and mental clock are alarmingly bad. It’s an uncanny skill to be able to run directly into defensive linemen. On the bright side, Hanie did not turn the ball over and did a better job of checking down to the running backs. He has a long way to go, but there was some progress. GRADE: D

Running Backs
Marion Barber (27/108, TD, Fumble, 2-32) and Khalil Bell (9/40, 5-24) were the offense throughout the game. Barber picked up a numerous first downs with his tough running up the middle. He broke a tackle for a 9-yard touchdown run. Defenders were actually getting hurt trying to tackle him. Sadly, all memory of what was a really strong game went out the window after the two-minute warning. Just inside of two minutes, Barber started to break a run off left tackle and was knocked out of bounds, which stopped the clock at a time when they needed it to keep running. The play allowed Tebow enough time to put together a game-tying drive. In overtime, just inside of field goal range, Barber started to break free up the middle but was stripped of the ball, and Denver recovered. Barber also failed to pick up a blitz up the middle for one of the sacks on Hanie. Bell broke off a decent run off right tackle and also caught a slant for a first down when he motioned out to the slot. They get an A for their tough running against stacked fronts but an F for the turnover and the out of bounds play. GRADE: C

Receivers
Devin Hester dropped a pass in his numbers that easily could have gone for 15-20 yards. Johnny Knox (3-37) had a few decent plays along the sideline. However, he didn’t extend with both hands for a pass over the middle. Roy Williams made a beautiful fingertip grap for 17 yards. Special credit should also go to Williams for a nice block on Barber’s 9-yard touchdown run. Earl Bennett was thrown to once, very late, after the defense had converged on him. Kellen Davis only had one pass in his area as well. GRADE: C

Offensive Line
Lance Louis is getting beat. He’s committing false starts. Von Miller ate him up today. Chris Spencer added a false start as well. Run blocking was decent on most downs, especially against a defense that knew Hanie couldn’t be trusted to make plays down the field. J’Marcus Webb also allowed a sack when he was beaten to the inside by Elvis Dumervil. Roberto Garza was blown up on one play, resulting in a 6-yard loss for Barber. Edwin Williams left for a series and was replaced by Frank Omiyale. The Bears rushed for 159 yards and 4.2 yards per carry despite the defense knowing it was coming. That’s pretty good. Four sacks are too many, but the timing of the passing offense with Hanie is dreadful. GRADE: D+

Defensive Line
The line did a tremendous job of bottling up Denver’s top-ranked rushing attack (34/124). They held McGahee to 34 yards on 17 carries. They gave up some pass rush in order to contain Tebow (21-40-236, TD, INT, 12/49, Fumble). They were doing their best to keep Tebow in the pocket while also applying pressure. Despite it, they still had their share of sacks. Defensive tackle Stephen Paea had two sacks. Melton added another. Toeaina had some pressures, and swallowed up McGahee up the middle. Julius Peppers had another sack. Defensive end Israel Idonije had a sweet tackle for a loss on a Tebow option. He had another where he traveled 3 gaps to make the tackle a yard behind the line. But Idonije couldn’t stop himself from hitting Tebow below the knees after the ball was thrown, resulting in a penalty. Wootton, Okoye and Davis all were rotated into the game and made plays. There were tons of non-calls on what should have been holding. GRADE: A-

Linebackers
This was a huge game for the linebackers. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs combined for 20 tackles. Most of them were right at the line of scrimmage. Briggs was not able to prevent himself from hitting Tebow after the ball was thrown and he too was flagged for roughing the quarterback. Nick Roach only had one tackle, despite the Bears not being in too much nickel. GRADE: B+

Secondary
With Major Wright out (shoulder), Craig Steltz got the start. He came up big, with 5 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble. One of his biggest plays was a stop of Tebow just two yards short of converting a third down. Cornerback Charles Tillman made a picturesque tip-toe interception along the sideline. He was fortunate that Thomas dropped the ball on a deep pass behind his coverage over the middle. Tim Jennings was too deep in his coverage and allowed a key completion down the stretch that set Denver up. Zack Bowman and Chris Conte combined to blow the coverage on Tebow’s lone touchdown pass. Bowman later fell down in coverage to allow a big pass in overtime to set up the field position. GRADE: B-

Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije combined to block a field goal, keeping the game tied at zero through the half. Robbie Gould connected on a Chicago Bears’ record long 57-yard field goal. He drilled it down the center and it looked like it could have been good from another 10 yards. None of his kickoffs were returnable. Nick Roach alertly grabbed an onside kick before the 2-minute warning that clearly could have been caught by Denver. But the bobble stayed up long enough for Roach to gather it in. Devin Hester again showed rotten decision making in determining when to return punts. This game could easily have been won by the Bears if they had just two more possessions with better field position. Adam Podlesh put 4 kicks down inside the 20. He had 11 punts. Punt coverage was decent. Massey, the snapper, led the team with 3 special teams tackles. GRADE: A-

I was glad to see a run-heavy plan. But if you’re going to do that, why not set up some play action? Why is the passing game so disassociated with the running game? Hanie’s timing is terrible. Don’t they coach him at all? Don’t they have hundreds of reps per week to get him to run some simple timing plays? Is he really this bad? How many reps does he need before he can get rid of the ball at the bottom of his drop? There is no way that Earl Bennett suddenly stopped being a good receiver, and that Johnny Knox is the only guy who can get open. The defense was wired perfectly, pitching a shutout. And then the 4th quarter happened. They did some different things down the stretch. How can you do such a nice job coaching for 3 and a half quarters and then just pee down your leg? They blitzed and Tebow made them pay. False starts. Roughing the quarterback. Running out of bounds when they should kill the clock. Not protecting the ball. They showed off their lack of football IQ down the stretch. That’s discipline. That’s coaching. GRADE: D

I picked the right winner. I was wrong about the score. It would probably hurt less if it was a blowout. The way they lost is just plain nauseating.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Trahan on Cosby
Jennings on Ball
Barber on everyone

Nudo’s Kudos
Julius Peppers
Craig Steltz
Israel Idonije
Julius Peppers
Stephen Paea
Lance Briggs
Robbie Gould
Henry Melton
Adam Podlesh

Horns
Marion Barber
Zack Bowman
Devin Hester
Caleb Hanie
Lance Louis

The Chiefs (5-7) did just enough to beat the Bears (7-5) at Soldier Field. They outplayed and outcoached the Bears in an historically bad game.

The Bears may have lost more than just the game Sunday (Tribune photo).

Quarterback
Caleb Hanie (11-24-133, 3 INT) regressed in his second start. His timing was not better. Every time he went back to pass it was 1-2-3-4-5…pat…pat…sack. He has to get rid of the ball at the bottom of his drop. It’s just not happening. He completely missed Earl Bennett on a breakaway that easily could have been a touchdown. Then Hanie underthrew Knox for an interception. TV announcers wanted to blame Knox for not fighting more for the ball. That’s pretty hard to do when you’re running full speed in the other direction. The second pick was Roy Williams’ fault. The third pick was simply a failed Hail Mary pass. Just a quick reminder…you’re allowed to throw the ball to the running backs, too. GRADE: F

Running Backs
Matt Forte (5/12) took a shot to his knee early and did not return. Let’s hope he’s back fast. He was in long enough to miss a blitz pickup right through the middle. Marion Barber (14/44) had a few nice runs and broke some tackles. But the box was stacked when the Chiefs saw Hanie couldn’t hit a bull in the ass with a banjo. Khalil Bell broke off the best run of the day, a 26-yarder and made some nifty moves. Tyler Clutts had an up and down game. GRADE: C-

Receivers
Johnny Knox (5-53) continues to be the focus of Caleb Hanie’s reads. Knox made a beautiful leaping catch of a high pass over the middle in the fourth quarter. Devin Hester had a few catches along the sideline. Kellen Davis (2-40) had a sweet 28-yard reception. Roy Williams managed to take a pass that he appeared to cradle near the goal line and find a way to bobble it away to the Chiefs, ending any chance the Bears would have had of tying the score. I cannot fathom how he can still be allowed to wear a Bears uniform. GRADE: D

Offensive Line
Sure, Hanie held the ball too long. However, the line didn’t block well, either. Lance Louis, who had been playing lights out the last month or so, was caught holding and allowed sacks on consecutive plays. J’Marcus Webb was caught holding but the penalty was declined. Chris Spencer failed to recognize a delayed linebacker blitz for another sack. They averaged just under 4 yards per rush, which was decent. The Chiefs came into the game with only 13 sacks. They now have 20. Unreal. GRADE: F+

Defensive Line
Israel Idonije (6 tackles, 3 TFL, sack) had his best game of the year. Julius Peppers didn’t have any sacks but drew holding and was a force against the run. Henry Melton picked up a sack but had a tough time against the run. Stephen Paea (4 tackles) had one of his better games. Amobi Okoye had a tackle for a loss. Pressure was decent. Run defense was fair. GRADE: B

Linebackers
The linebackers were largely neutralized, which is saying quite a bit about luminaries such as Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. The play of the game was a Hail Mary at the end of the first half. Brian Urlacher batted but could not come down with an interception. The ball ricocheted off his hands and into the awaiting arms of Dexter McCluster for Tyler Palko’s first touchdown pass of the season. GRADE: C

Secondary
Safety Major Wright (5 tackles) put a hit on Palko on a flea flicker play. He left with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Craig Steltz (10 tackles, FF). Steltz did a really good job of taking the right angles to the ball when the Chiefs looked like they were going to break a long run or two. It was probably Steltz’s best game as a Bear. Rookie Chris Conte (2 tackles) had a few big tackles on third down. Charles Tillman (9 tackles, PD) was flagged for a questionable hold. He had a leaping attempt that nearly resulted in an interception. Tim Jennings (4 tackles, TFL) had another good game. Nickel back Corey Graham had a quarterback hit as well. GRADE: B

The Chiefs outplayed the Bears on special teams. Robbie Gould missed a 41-yard field goal. Devin Hester’s decision-making on punt returns was brutal. He kept calling for fair catches and then didn’t return the ball. It would have helped if he had fielded some of them to make up for lost yardage. He did have a 43-yard punt return. Adam Podlesh will be icing his leg after this one. The Bears were 0-11 converting third down. Coverage was decent. Dom DeCicco made a few play. GRADE: C-

They have to do something to execute the offense. Any kind of production would have resulted in a win. It’s time to part ways with Roy Williams. They have to minimize turnovers. NOW. That means no more Roy Williams. That means you run the ball 30-plus times. That means you pick your spots to throw. It means you throw a few screens and run a few draws. They lost a touchdown because they didn’t have the correct alignment on the field. They were outcoached and outplayed. The Chiefs lost their quarterback, stud running back, starting tight end, and best defensive back. All of them were lost quite a while ago. And yet they looked like the more competent team. The defensive game plan was fine. They allowed just one touchdown, on a fluke play. Even special teams coaching was bad. They messed up a pooch punt/fake field goal because they couldn’t line up correctly there, either. They are delusional if they think they shouldn’t split the practice reps for the first team among the quarterbacks. I would not let Hanie play beyond halftime of next week if he cannot show some accuracy and timing. GRADE: F

I could not have been more wrong about the outcome. It will be hard to pick them again unless Cutler can return.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Trahan on Arenas
Peppers on Horne
Belcher on Barber
Conte on McCluster

Nudo’s Kudos
Julius Peppers
Craig Steltz
Israel Idonije

Horns
Roy Williams
Caleb Hanie
Mike Martz
Lance Louis

The Bears (7-4) were not able to overcome 3 interceptions by Caleb Hanie, making his first start as a pro. Oakland (7-4) kicked six field goals and had one touchdown.

Caleb Hanie was not able to avoid mistakes in a loss at Oakland (Tribune photo).

Quarterback
Caleb Hanie (18-36-254, 2 TD, 3 INT, 5/50) looked like he was making his first professional start. He was intercepted as he was short trying to drop a pass in to Forte up the sideline. He was too high over the middle for Forte, which was also intercepted. He held the ball too long, most evident on a pass over the middle to Roy Williams that was initially open and ended up looking like double coverage by the time the ball got there. He was wildly inaccurate on a sideline route to Earl Bennett in the fourth quarter. The interception before halftime on the throwback screen to the tight end was more of a rotten play call than a bad throw. Hanie did some good things. He scrambled for first downs. He hit Johnny Knox on a beautiful 81-yard bomb. His touchdown pass to Knox at the end of the first half was a great throw against a blitz. The touchdown pass to find Kellen Davis was right on the money. The most concerning element of his debut was the poor timing. Timing can get cleaned up with reps. If it doesn’t, it’s telling about the quarterback. We will know, and very soon. GRADE: D

Running Backs
Matt Forte (12/59, 6-25) put up some decent stats but was disappointing. He broke one excellent run for 33 yards off right tackle on a draw. However, a disturbing tendency to pitter-patter has developed instead of hitting the hole. He also isn’t following his blockers. Forte’s lack of hitting the hole becomes magnified when you contrast him to Marion Barber (10/63), who gave the offense a spark when it was needed. I hope they get Forte back on track. The Bears need him now more than ever. Fullback Tyler Clutts cost the Bears critical yardage when he was flagged for a personal foul. Barber and Forte combined for 122 yards on 22 carries. GRADE: B

Receivers
Johnny Knox (4-145, TD) had a mercurial day. He made a brilliant 81-yard one-handed reception to keep the game close. His touchdown catch at the end of the first half on a quick slant was text book against the blitz and showed off his great speed. But he also had a drop on a 3rd and 3, went to the ground and let the ball pass through his hands over the middle when he wasn’t being hit, and dropped a simple zero route on the left sideline. That’s 3 drops. Roy Williams (3-37) had a solid game. Earl Bennett was rarely targeted, and when he was, the throw was ridiculous. Matt Spaeth had one catch to convert a third down. Kellen Davis caught two passes. His 9-yard touchdown reception showed great concentration as the ball was deflected as it got to him and could have bounced out. The receivers made some big plays, but also let a few routine opportunities go through their fingers. GRADE: B

Offensive Line
The Raiders were credited with 4 sacks. I still thought they had a pretty good game. Of the 4, I thought the only one you could really lay at their feet was when right guard Chris Spencer was beaten to the inside. He was flagged for holding on the play as well. Hanie held the ball so long, and some of the sacks came when he decided to take off and then couldn’t make it to the line of scrimmage. I was amazed at how long they were giving Hanie to throw the ball. J’Marcus Webb had a false start. I thought he allowed too much pressure on one of Hanie’s picks. Lance Louis made a touchdown-saving tackle on Hanie’s interception at the end of the first half. It was ruled a horse collar. It could have gone either way. Regardless it was a tremendous hustle play and showed off his athleticism. I have no problems with the way Edwin Williams played in his second start. GRADE: B-

Defensive Line
The defensive line had a tremendous game. They got to Carson Palmer (21-37-301, INT) repeatedly. Julius Peppers had 2 sacks and should have drawn at least half a dozen holding penalties. I was shocked when the referees called the Raiders for holding Briggs, when the way they were hanging all over Peppers and Paea was many times worse all game. Henry Melton had his best game since the beginning of the year. He had a sack and a tackle for a loss. Amobi Okoye had a sack. Matt Toeaina was stout against the run, with 3 tackles. Newcomer Chauncey Davis had 4 tackles and a tackle for a loss. He and Corey Wootton flashed, while Israel Idonije continues to struggle making an impact. The line had 4 sacks and held the Raiders’ excellent ground game to 73 yards rushing on 27 carries. GRADE: A-

Linebackers
Lance Briggs (6 tackles, TFL) was a beast. He had some vicious hits on the Raiders’ running backs, especially in pursuit off tackle and around end. Brian Urlacher (5 tackles) had one as well. He also had excellent coverage to prevent the conversion of a 3rd and 18 pass over the middle. Nick Roach (4 tackles, TFL) made the most of his opportunities and did just enough early on to not get beaten on a deep pass to the fullback. GRADE: B

Secondary
Last week it was Charles Tillman. This week it was Tim Jennings who had the tough game. Jennings was beaten deep up the right sideline for a huge gain. He also dropped two passes that should have been intercepted. In this defense, you MUST capitalize on the mistakes. Charles Tillman (5 tackles) had good coverage and also made first contact on what eventually became a sack for Peppers an instant later. Safety Chris Conte took a bad angle on the Raiders’ long run of 14 yards by Michael Bush (24/69, TD, 4-24). He was also late in getting over to help Jennings. Major Wright (7 tackles, TFL, PD) had one of his better games. He had a pressure and also made a strong open field tackle on a checkdown at the end of the game to the fullback. Nickel back Corey Graham came up with his third interception in as many games. Brandon Meriweather saw significant action and deflected the pass that resulted in Graham’s interception. GRADE: B+

Robbie Gould connected on two 50-plus yard field goals (50, 53). His kickoffs were mostly deep. Adam Podlesh netted 44.8 yards on his 5 punts. More importantly, he did an excellent job of holding for Gould’s kick attempts as the new snapper (Massey) put several snaps wide of the placement target. Coverage was solid. Johnny Knox had a 56-yard kickoff return. Devin Hester didn’t do much. In fact, he let a ball drop in front of him that he should have fielded, resulting in a horrible starting field position. Too many penalties by this group of late on returns. Craig Steltz held on the opening return and Zack Bowman added a hold on a return as well. GRADE: B-

The coaching, much like the play, was very uneven. Martz’s draw for Forte was excellent. The mix of run to pass was good. The throwback screen, deep in Raider territory was tragically bad. That play works against overpursuit, both horizontally and vertically. When you’re that deep up against the opposing goal, there is no vertical overpursuit. So, the lobbed throwback hangs up in the air for any defender on the left half of the field to steal. It ended up being a decisive play in what was mostly a taffy pull of a contest. The defensive game plan was sound. In spite of having terrible field position because of turnovers, the Bears kept the Raiders out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, even though they had an average field position of the 40 –yard line. Good challenge on the reception along the sideline. Bad no challenge on a pass play where Hanie was ruled to have stepped out of bounds. The team fought hard and to the end. GRADE: C-

I predicted 13-10 Oakland. I had about half of the scoring but the correct winner. I wish I was more wrong than I was.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Briggs on Bush TWICE
Mitchell on Knox
Lechler on the football (80-yard punt)
Tillman on Bush

Nudo’s Kudos
Julius Peppers
Henry Melton
Lance Briggs
Robbie Gould
Johnny Knox

Horns
Tim Jennings
Caleb Hanie

The Bears (7-3) outfought a wounded but dangerous Chargers (4-6) team that was fighting for their playoff lives. Turnovers and special teams play were catalysts for the Bears. The offense responded in kind.

Johnny Be Good. Damn Good.

Quarterback
Jay Cutler (18-31-286, 2 TD, INT, 5/11, TD) had a few early bouts of inaccuracy, throwing behind Bennett and Williams and low to Sanzenbacher. But he threw a beautiful route on a fade to Bennett for a touchdown that was reviewed and came off the board. He then threaded the ball perfectly between defenders on a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis. He showed great toughness taking some big hits and then firing a strike down the field to Johnny Knox to the one-yard line. Then he took it in himself up the middle to make it 24-17 Bears. He was picked off when Knox fell on a slant route. The ball was returned to the 16. The only reason it wasn’t a touchdown was because Cutler held up the blocking along the sideline, sacrificing his body for the team. Cutler later hit Knox deep in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown. GRADE: A-

Running Backs
Matt Forte (21/59, 4-26) was facing many more 8-man fronts. So the going was tough. This was one of those games where he needed to be less about the pitter patter and more about hit the hole. This was especially evident on the final drive. The play calling could have been designed for a few more quicker developing plays. He made a key pickup of a first down on a 3rd and 3 in the 4th quarter on an inside screen for 11 yards. Marion Barber (6/23, TD) scored another touchdown on his usual tough running. But Barber missed a block that allowed Cutler to take a hit. Tyler Clutts had a 9-yard reception on a swing into the flat. Clutts’ blocking was average on the day. He had another role for this game as well. More about that in the special teams section. GRADE: C

Receivers
Roy Williams (5-62) recovered from an early drop over the deep middle to provide some excellent chain-moving catches. Johnny Knox (3-97, TD) had a marvelous day. He continually showed incredible balance, concentration and adjustment to the ball as he had big plays of 32, 42 yards and then a 24-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone. Earl Bennett (3-75) only had 3 catches but was a focal point, drawing a penalty. He appeared to get hit early on another play but there was no call. Kellen Davis only had one catch for 4 yards, but it was a huge touchdown. Matt Spaeth had a 13-yard reception to convert 3rd down on a screen/delay pattern. This was a big day for the receivers. GRADE: A

Offensive Line
Left guard Edwin Williams made a key block pulling right to open the hole for a 10-yard run by Barber, deep in San Diego territory. He had good movement on Cutler’s 1-yard touchdown dive. He had a slight flinch for a false start in the fourth quarter. Chris Spencer was flagged for illegal hands to the face. He left with a leg injury before the half but returned a short while later. J’Marcus Webb had a false start and also allowed some pressure here and there. Even though he is struggling at times, his overall play is starting to improve. Center Roberto Garza and right tackle Lance Louis were steady, but nobody had enough push to provide the creases Forte was looking for. That said, I’m having a really hard time remembering the last time Louis was beaten in pass protection. I was especially impressed with the way he didn’t give up on a few of his blocks where he lost his feet, regained them, and then re-engaged the defender before he could get past him. Pass protection overall was above average as Cutler was not sacked and only hurried a few times. Run blocking wasn’t quite as good. GRADE: B-

Defensive Line
For all the talk about the make shift offensive line, the Bears’ defensive line did not largely dominate as expected. Henry Melton had a big tackle for a loss against the run. Israel Idonije (5 tackles) had a few big pressures and was more active than usual. Corey Wootton and Anthony Adams had a pressure or two, as did Paea. Julius Peppers had a late pressure on Rivers’ second interception. They really bottled up Ryan Matthews (13/37, fumble, 2-14), but failed to get to Rivers (21-30-280, 2 TD, 2 INT), who had been sacked 25 times coming into this game, and was playing behind a line held together by scotch tape and Elmer’s glue. GRADE: C

Linebackers
Lance Briggs came up big with 5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. One of those tackles for a loss was a great pursuit play to the sideline on the speedy Matthews. He and Wright combined to not make a play on the touchdown pass to Gates. Brian Urlacher had 4 tackles, including a nullifying stop on a screen to Tolbert for no gain. Nick Roach had an early tackle for a huge loss and had good coverage that nearly resulted in an interception. GRADE: B

Secondary
After having a few excellent weeks in a row, Charles Tillman allowed numerous big plays by Vincent Jackson (7-165, TD), who had a career day against the Bears. Tillman later came up big with a forced fumble and recovery that led to a quick touchdown to put the Bears up 31-17. Major Wright came up with a clutch 4th quarter interception in the end zone after a Bear turnover put the Chargers in business at the Chicago 16-yard line. Wright (3 tackles, TFL, INT) and Chris Conte (4 tackles) each had plays where they were late in coverage over the top. Wright had a big stop of Tolbert short of a first down. Conte made a sure tackle in the beginning of the game to limit a breakaway run to 23 yards by Matthews. Nickel back Corey Graham had an interception at the end to put the game on ice. Brandon Meriweather played quite a bit and was sure in his tackling, which was clean. GRADE: C+

Robbie Gould hit his lone field goal attempt from 42 yards out. His kickoffs were all very deep. Adam Podlesh did well to punt the Bears out of trouble, including a 55-yarder and then a punt to the 3-yard line that Corey Graham downed. Podlesh missed a wide open Craig Steltz on a fake punt in the fourth quarter. Tyler Clutts continues to be an unsung hero on the team. Veteran long snapper Patrick Mannelly left with a knee injury in the first half. Clutts took over the role and brought the ball back for the final extra point before the half. Khalil Bell was whistled for a questionable hold on one of the big returns. Devin Hester and Johnny Knox were catalysts. Hester returned punts for 37 and 22 yards. He had some big yardage called back on penalties. Johnny Knox had a 53-yard kickoff return. The play of the special teams continued to give the Bears a yardage advantage that eventually added up to points. Kickoff coverage was below par and the penalties took even more yardage off the board. GRADE: B

The Chargers loaded the box to stop the run, so it’s ok the balance was a little more pass-heavy before the fourth quarter. The Bears converted 8 of 14 third downs and again kept turnovers to a minimum. Time of possession was good at roughly 33-27. I thought the Chargers had put together some interesting run plays to open the game and gash the Bears’ defense, but the Bears adjusted and shut it down. I question the trick play on special teams. Sure, it was open, but why show it and use it when you don’t need it? The Chargers were a dangerous team, but the Bears answered with an inspiring performance. GRADE: B+

I predicted 34-20 and mentioned it was time for Kellen Davis to step up. Not bad.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Conte on Tolbert

Nudo’s Kudos
Jay Cutler
Johnny Knox
Tyler Clutts
Devin Hester
Adam Podlesh
Lance Briggs
Corey Graham
Major Wright

Horns
Charles Tillman

The Bears (6-3) dominated the Lions (6-3) based on 6 take-aways and a Devin Hester punt return for a touchdown. It was a hard-hitting game, and frustrations got the better of the Lions, who had a few cheap shots and started a fight. The Bears’ D.J. Moore answered, and was ejected.

Quarterback
Jay Cutler (9-19-123, 4/18, Fumble) was nearly sacked before halftime and hurried a throw that skipped to a defender and would have gone for a pick six. He was much more accurate than he was a week ago. Cutler didn’t need to do much. The Bears were staked to a 20-0 lead early in the first half. Bear fans everywhere held their collective breath when Nick Fairley pile drove Cutler’s shoulder into the ground after the play. GRADE: C

Running Backs
Matt Forte (18/64, TD, 1-3) didn’t find the going easy against a tough Lions run defense. He found a hole over left guard and raced 40 yards to set up a third quarter field goal. Forte also attempted a halfback option pass that fell incomplete for Kellen Davis. Marion Barber (13/27) didn’t find much room to run. Fullback Tyler Clutts may have actually bumped Cutler on the one fumble. GRADE: B-

Receivers
Earl Bennett (6-81) continues to make up for lost time. He made a highlight reel sideline catch that needed a review to be overturned for a completion. A 29-yard reception before the half also put the Bears in striking range. Matt Spaeth made the block that set the edge for Matt Forte’s touchdown run. He had a drop late in the game. Trust is not a word you can associate with Roy Williams. A week after a drop over the middle, he fell down on a critical third down attempt that might have resulted in a pick six in another situation. Williams also could not come up with a slant pass. I’d really like to see him stop smiling when he gets up after yet another drop/miscue. I was sorta hoping for Sue to wipe the smile off his face, but then he’d have to actually catch the ball to be in that position to begin with. Johnny Knox had a nice grab for 18 in the first half. Tight end Kellen Davis still needs to be told where to line up. GRADE: C-

Offensive Line
Cliff Avril beat Lance Louis to the edge and forced a Jay Cutler fumble near the end of the first half, but the Bears maintained possession. Louis made a great block, pulling from right tackle to the hole at left guard, picking up a linebacker and paving the way for Matt Forte to rip off a 40-yard run through the teeth of the Lions’ defense. Chris Williams and Roberto Garza allowed a defender to split them and cause pressure. Chris Williams left at the half because of a wrist injury and was replaced by Edwin Williams. His block on the defensive tackle opened the hole for Forte’s long run. Chris Spencer was flagged for holding. Run blocking wasn’t great, although the Lions knew it was going to be a one-dimensional offense for the most part with the wide margin from the second quarter on. That said, there were a few too many pressures on Cutler and 2 sacks is too many in so few attempts. One of them was coverage related. GRADE: D+

Defensive Line
Julius Peppers (3 tackles, sack, TFL, FF) set the tone for the game by forcing a Calvin Johnson on Detroit’s first possession. He was frequently lined up at defensive tackle on third down, where he had a big pressure and then also a sack near the end of the half. The sack ended a drive deep in Bears territory. Henry Melton was illegally chop blocked by Dominic Raiola. Israel Idonije made a nice stop against the run. Anthony Adams was credited with a sack. The remaining rotation of bodies not named Peppers included Addison, Paea and Okoye. None of them were factors rushing the passer. They were pretty average in terms of pressure and run stopping. Thankfully, the secondary and linebackers were stellar. GRADE: C+

Linebackers
Brian Urlacher (9 tackles, PD, FR) scooped up the fumble Peppers forced to set up a score. He broke up an end zone pass intended for Calvin Johnson on 4th and ten. Lance Briggs (9 tackles) went untouched on a blitz to create pressure and force an incomplete pass. After Cutler was driven into the turf by Fairley, it was Briggs who answered back by lighting up Calvin Johnson on a slant. He was flagged, but it looked like he led with his shoulder and not his head. Nick Roach (3 tackles, 2 PDs) deflected a pass intended for a Lions tight end near the Bears’ end zone. GRADE: B+

Secondary
Safety Major Wright (3 tackles, 2 PD, INT) stepped in front of Stafford’s (33-63-329, TD, 4 INTs) first pass of the second half, which was intended for Sheffler, and raced 24 yards into the end zone for a pick six. Cornerback Tim Jennings (10 tackles, INT, PD, FF, FR) forced a Nate Burleson fumble along the sideline and then was able to recover it himself. He also had a 4th quarter pick of Stafford that he returned a long way. He was later ruled down by contact. On the play, Stafford threw D.J. Moore (2 tackles) to the ground by his facemask and helmet. Moore got up and hit Stafford and then a melee ensued. Moore was ejected. Charles Tillman (5 tackles, 3 PD, INT) was lined up with Calvin Johnson (7-81, 19 targets) most of the day and did a fine job of keeping him under control. He added a pick six of his own, snatching a ball intended for Johnson and then raced 44-yards for a touchdown. Corey Graham entered at nickel back after Moore’s ejection and picked off Stafford in the end zone to end another Lions drive. Safeties Chris Conte and Brandon Meriweather ensure nothing got behind them. Four take-aways and two touchdowns. GRADE: A+

Devin Hester fielded a deep punt at his 18-yard line and then raced 82 yards up the left sideline for a touchdown. Craig Steltz made a big block to spring him. Robbie Gould connected on field goals from 43, 35 and 50 but missed on a 43-yarder before halftime. His kickoffs were almost all touchbacks. Punter Adam Podlesh had another solid game. Coverage was good. Kick returns were not special, including a 7 – yard return by Spaeth on a short kick and a 15-yarder by Knox. Zack Bowman committed two penalties. GRADE: B+

Up by 31 points in the fourth quarter in a game full of fights and late hits, why leave Cutler in the game as long as they did? He was driven into the turf well after he threw the ball by Nick Fairley. It’s tough to grade the offensive yardage when the defense and special teams scored 3 touchdowns, meaning the offense lost 3 drives and the defense had to defend for 3 more. The defensive game plan clearly had the Lions quarterback and receivers on different pages. They still have to find a better way to get a pass rush. GRADE: B

I picked a Bear win by 7. I like being wrong this way.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Conte on Morris
Levy on Cutler
Briggs on Johnson

Nudo’s Kudos
Earl Bennett
Devin Hester
Julius Peppers
Lance Briggs
Brian Urlacher
Tim Jennings
Charles Tillman
Major Wright
Corey Graham

Horns
Roy Williams

The Bears (5-3) played a great all-around game in beating the Eagles (3-5) on the road. On offense, they were led by a dominating offensive line to overcome a rare 2 fumble game by Matt Forte. On defense, they shut down explosive receivers Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson. Key special teams plays by Robbie Gould and Corey Graham were also difference-makers.

Bennett has Bears walking on air (Tribune photo).

Quarterback
Jay Cutler (18-32-208, 2 TD) had numerous bouts of inaccuracy, but did a good job of not turning the ball over. He was low and behind his receivers at least a handful of times, and was also short on a deep route to Hester that could have been a huge gain. But he bought time for himself when he needed to, keeping plays alive and converting third downs and leading scoring drives. GRADE: B

Running Backs
Matt Forte (24/133, Fumble, 3-17, Fumble) lost two fumbles. The first one was returned for a touchdown. The second led to a drive that also resulted in a touchdown. It’s hard to separate those huge miscues from the otherwise excellent game he played. Marion Barber’s (9/31, TD, 1-8) tough running was a factor, picking up a short touchdown and blasting a 17-yard gain when the Bears were hemmed up near their own goal. Tyler Clutts had his usual tough blocking. GRADE: B

Receivers
Welcome back Earl Bennett (5-95, TD). He came up big in his return after missing over a month to an injured chest. The 5-yard fade for a touchdown was the icing on the cake. He continually picked up first downs and made people miss all over the field. Johnny Knox drew a critical pass interference in the fourth quarter to convert a third and long and set up a field goal. Matt Spaeth (2-13, TD) caught the first touchdown. He also was flagged for holding. Dane Sanzenbacher had a pass go through his fingers at the end of the first half. Roy Williams (3-46) had a few good grabs over the middle to pick up first downs. He did have a drop. Devin Hester left with an apparent leg injury. He dropped a tough chance in traffic in the first half. GRADE: B

Offensive Line
What a consistent performance by the offensive line. They kept Cutler out of trouble all day. Matt Forte and Marion Barber picked up big gains, and also were able to convert on some short yardage plays as well. On the road, they were able to stay onsides and set the tempo as a key to the win. The Eagles had been getting great pressure from their defensive line alone, heading into this game. It was not the case against the Bears. Lance Louis passed another test at right tackle. He was dominating in the run. They kept Jay Cutler from getting sacked and gave up very little pressure. They answered the bell after the Eagles came out in the second half and put up two quick scores. 34 carries for 164 yards and 4.8 yards per carry. No sacks. Yeah, baby. GRADE: A+

Defensive Line
Julius Peppers had the lone sack and a few pass deflections. He took a shot to the side of his knee but returned to action and got the sack shortly after his return. Idonije had a crushing tackle for a loss on McCoy. He also had a few pressures and a hit on Vick. Tackles Toeaina, Melton, Okoye and Paea did just enough with pressure up the middle to make Vick uncomfortable. They allowed over 5 yards per carry and only had one sack, but their relentless play was better than the numbers showed. GRADE: C+

Linebackers
Brian Urlacher (11 tackles, TFL, 2 PDs) rose to the occasion. He had a couple of key pass breakups and was all over the field with very disciplined tackling. Lance Briggs had 5 tackles and a pass deflection that led to a huge interception for Major Wright. Nick Roach had 3 tackles and a sweet tackle for a loss. They had to be very alert to limit Vick from stealing yardage on the ground. At the same time, they needed run discipline against McCoy and had to watch for tight end Brent Celek. GRADE: B

Secondary
Cornerbacks Charles Tillman (2 tackles, PD) and Tim Jennings (3 tackles, PD) did a fantastic job of keeping wideouts Jeremy Maclin (4-63) and DeSean Jackson (2-16) covered enough to force Vick to work the shorter routes to his tight end and running backs. Safeties Chris Conte and Major Wright each had 4 tackles. Conte took a bad angle against the run versus McCoy in the first half. Wright had the pick off the Briggs tip. Wright committed pass interference. Meriweather saw some action but was not a factor. Nickel back D.J. Moore did a nice job containing the edge on a blitz that led to a 4-yard loss against the run. He also dropped what looked like a sure pick. GRADE: A

Robbie Gould hit all three of his field goal attempts (51, 38, 22). He didn’t kick off as well as he has earlier this year. He hit his first kick out of bounds and had a few short ones. Adam Podlesh had a longer net than he had gross, thanks to a 9-yard tackle for a loss. The Eagles did a fine job against the Bears on kick returns, limiting them to 5 for 51 yards. Hester had an 18-yard punt return on his lone chance. The Eagles misfired on a fake punt that resulted in a change of possession and incomplete pass. Corey Graham forced a fumble on a punt return at the end of the first half that Sam Hurd recovered. It was a huge play to set up a Marion Barber touchdown. GRADE: A-

I was thrilled with the play calling. It was well-balanced. The line looked like they knew what they were doing. There were few issues with getting plays in on time. The rollouts were good to see. However, 12 men in the huddle is not easily forgivable. I also liked seeing a running play out of the shotgun. I could live without seeing the wildcat again. I also was disappointed with the throw to Kellen Davis on 3rd and one when they could have run. On defense, they kept Vick at bay, and although McCoy broke off one long run, he was hemmed up most of the day. I was disappointed there was no television review of the pass interference call on Wright. I thought it could have been tipped, but ESPN rolled on and the Bears did not challenge. This was a game with playoff implications, and the team was well prepared, pulling off the upset victory on the road. Kudos all around. GRADE: A-

I picked this one pretty close to the number and picked a big game for Barber. Pretty close on all counts.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Tillman on Celek
Idonije on McCoy
Roach on Celek

Nudo’s Kudos
Earl Bennett
Entire Offensive Line
Charles Tillman
Tim Jennings
Brian Urlacher
Lance Briggs
Corey Graham
Robbie Gould
Jay Cutler

Horns
None! I am forgiving Forte’s two fumbles

PS—Rest in peace, Smokin’ Joe. I’ll never forget that left hook.

The Bears (4-3) got out to a big lead behind the running of Matt Forte and an opportunistic defense. They were able to make just enough plays to hold on and beat the Bucs (4-3), stopping them on a last minute drive with a D.J. Moore interception over the middle.

The Bears picked off Josh Freeman 4 times (Tribune photo).

Quarterback
Jay Cutler (17-32-226, TD, 2 INT) was not sharp. He made a few poor throws against pressure, where the interception to Lynch came. The other pick was a poorly thrown ball to Barber on a screen that was bobbled and picked. There were a few other throws that he might have rushed when he didn’t need to. There were still some good plays. He made a sweet throw on a rollout (really, we have rollouts?) to Johnny Knox up the right sideline before the half. Cutler saw a big blitz in fourth quarter and hit Matt Forte up the right sideline for a 36-yard gain to set up a late field goal. GRADE: D+

Running Backs
Matt Forte (25/145, TD, 2-38) set the tempo early, ripping off a 22-yard run and then a brilliant 32-yard touchdown around right end behind some excellent blocking at every level. Later on he used a sweet stiff arm to buy a handful of extra yards off right tackle. Forte missed a block off the edge that resulted in the hurry that contributed to an interception. Marion Barber (6/39, TD) could not hang on to a screen pass, which was intercepted. He later blasted over left tackle for 29 yards on a 3rd and 1 carry. Devin Hester took a pitch and ran away from the line for a loss of six. Fullback Tyler Clutts caught a couple of passes for 17 yards and had his usual excellent contribution as a run blocker. Allow me to also credit him with a decleater in pass protection when he was helping on the right edge. GRADE: A

Receivers
Roy Williams (4-59, TD) was a difference maker. Sure, he dropped what looked like an easy pass over the middle. But he also drew pass interference and then beat a jam to get a 25-yard touchdown grab. He later picked up just enough for an excellent 3rd down conversion. He made a bobbling grab in the fourth quarter as well. Williams also made a nice downfield block on Forte’s touchdown. Tight end Matt Spaeth doesn’t show up so much in the stats. Let me tell you about Matt Spaeth. If you go back and look at Forte’s touchdown, you’ll see a big block there. You’ll also see him get just enough position on Forte’s early run of 22 yards to give him the edge that he needed. Kellen Davis is another story. He joined Webb in becoming a negative factor on the back side of the safety. He also was completely blown up on the missed 3rd and 1 attempt. Dane Sanzenbacher (2-13) made a nice block on Forte’s reception in the fourth quarter. Johny Knox (3-53) had a few catches and all of them were big. The same can be said of Devin Hester (4-46). Aqib Talib committed a critical personal foul against Roy Williams to give the Bears a fresh set of downs inside the ten-yard line and the ability to burn more precious time off the clock. GRADE: B

Offensive Line
The blocking on Forte’s 32-yard touchdown was brilliant. Spencer pulls right and picks off a linebacker. Louis makes an excellent down block to allow Spencer to get free and stop backside pursuit. Louis and Spencer would later blow open a hole off right tackle for Marion Barber to power through for a 12-yard touchdown. Spencer committed a false start in the fourth quarter. But he also made a huge block to spring Barber on the 3rd and one pickup. . J’Marcus Webb is currently the weak link on the line. He was beaten to the inside several times. One of those resulted in a sack; another was a big tackle for a loss on Forte. His lack of doing anything positive allowed his man to wreck through the Bears’ line like a bowling ball through pins on the safety. Chris Williams got his ankle rolled up on a play where he was too high and got blown back into Cutler’s face. Garza’s day was average and without any glaring errors. Hard to complain about 177 yards rushing and two sacks, along with over 390 yards of offense. Nice. GRADE: B+

Defensive Line
Lots of pressure although not many sacks to show for it. The pressure was effective. Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije each had difference-making pressures. Peppers added a tackle for a loss and an excellent stop of an end around for a very small gain. Peppers had consistent pressure throughout the game but didn’t have any sacks to show for it. Amobi Okoye was offsides twice but later redeemed himself by getting the sack of Josh Freeman. Okoye and Nick Reed twisted on the play and met at the quarterback, where Reed helped finish him off. Henry Melton had a pressure or two late but is still disappointing. Stephen Paea had a hit on the quarterback. Anthony Adams cost the Bears with a late hit. Run defense was very good (11 carries for 30 yards). Although there was pressure, you gotta come away with more than one sack against 50-plus attempts. GRADE: B-

Linebackers
Nick Roach had an early tackle for a loss on a swing pass. Earnest Graham was hurt and lost for the game on that play. Roach had effective blitz pressure numerous times and was able to get in some hits on the quarterback. Brian Urlacher made a great deflection of a pass in coverage. He also used his entire length to make an interception of Freeman in the red zone during the fourth quarter. He fumbled at the end of his return, and it was reviewed and overturned. Lance Briggs made an excellent interception and runback over the middle for what might have been a touchdown if it weren’t for an illegal block by Tim Jennings. They had a couple of picks and some big hits. Playmakers. GRADE: A

Secondary
Chris Conte made a fantastic interception on a collision at the goal line to give the Bears the ball back after a costly interception. But he allowed a short touchdown pass later, never turning around to play the ball. Chris Harris started at the other safety, and was beaten for a late touchdown from 24 yards out as well. It was his man all the way and he was too deep and too late in getting to the ball. D.J. Moore came up with a huge interception with just 30 seconds left to put the game on ice. Corners Charles Tillman (10 tackles) and Tim Jennings came up with big pass deflections. Jennings’ deflection of an attempted two-point conversion was a key. Jennings, however, committed a penalty on Briggs’ interception return that took points off the board. I was a bit disappointed with some of the safety play. No big surprise there. But they also came up with some take-aways. GRADE: B

Robbie Gould missed on a 41-yard field goal and later connected from 25 at the 2-minute warning. Adam Podlesh had an average, but unspectacular game. The Bucs did an excellent job of containing Devin Hester, who also managed to inexplicably run out of bounds on a kickoff return. GRADE: C+

Offensively, after Martz got a couple of cute plays out of his system to start (fake play action left screen right), the play calling became more balanced, and the rushing attacked continued to blossom. Play calling at the end was woeful. The sack allowed at the end where the defensive back jumped the snap count is on the Offensive Coordinator and the quarterback. They’re getting too predictable. The play of Lance Louis at right tackle and Chris Spencer at right guard is going to make things very interesting when Gabe Carimi returns. If I were them, I’d start having Carimi learn left tackle. On defense, there was much more blitzing than usual. D.J. Moore, Nick Roach and Lance Briggs all had pressures on the blitz. They found a way to win. They beat a team with a winning record. Now they get the bye week to see how far Earl Bennett and Gabe Carimi have come and to rest up all the minor aches and pains that we don’t know as much about. GRADE: B

Felt good to pick them to win and have them back me on it!

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Hayward on Clutts

Nudo’s Kudos
Matt Forte
Matt Spaeth
Roy Williams
Brian Urlacher
Lance Briggs
Julius Peppers
D.J. Moore
Chris Spencer

Horns
J’Marcus Webb
Kellen Davis

The Bears (3-3) were dominant against the Vikings, especially along both lines en route to a 39-10 victory. Devin Hester scored two touchdowns and contributions from rookies Stephen Paea and Chris Conte added spark to a defense led by Julius Peppers’ two sacks.

Herculean effort (Chicago Tribune Photo/José M. Osorio).

Quarterback
Jay Cutler (21-31-267, 2 TD) got things going early with a beautifully lofted 48-yard touchdown to Devin Hester over the deep middle. He threw a laser into the middle of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown to Dane Sanzenbacher. Cutler even delivered a cut block on Jared Allen on one of Forte’s runs. He held the ball too long on the sack/forced fumble he gave up, which set the Vikings up for their first touchdown. Caleb Hanie took a few handoffs at the end. This was another excellent game for Cutler, who showed that when he is given any kind of time he can pick a defense apart. GRADE: A

Running Backs
Matt Forte (17/87, 6-36) continually made people miss. He followed his blockers well. He had a couple of really good pickups on draw plays up the middle. There was an odd trip over Lance Louis’ leg. Marion Barber (11/32, TD, 1-3) scored on a short run through a huge hole. Tyler Clutts was on the field quite a bit and delivered some beautiful blocks at the second level. His block on a linebacker freed Forte up for a 15-yard run. The kid belongs. GRADE: A

Receivers
Devin Hester (5-91, TD) had a phenomenal all-around day. He scored two touchdowns, one of them as a receiver. Hester also picked up a big third down conversion with a 23-yard reception. He left the game early with a chest injury. What’s this? A Roy Williams (3-50) sighting. He picked up two huge first half first downs with a pair of 17-yard catches over the middle. He could not come up with a catch in traffic late in game. Dane Sanzenbacher made a good grab on the 13-yarder over the middle but also had a drop. Johnny Knox and Kellen Davis also contributed. Matt Spaeth made some nice blocks for both run and pass but couldn’t come up with a catch in the end zone. GRADE: B+

Offensive Line
Chris Spencer started at right guard and Lance Louis played right tackle. Edwin Williams played right guard during mop up time. Louis was especially effective in pass protection. He was a very pleasant surprise. Chris Williams had one of his best games as a Bear. He was doing much better at picking up defenders while on the move as a pulling guard. J’Marcus Webb held his own and gave Cutler just enough time. Garza was powerful blocking up the middle. The group only had a small number of penalties. Cutler was only sacked once and rarely hit. Matt Forte averaged over 5 yards per carry. You could have driven a truck through the hole that Garza and Spencer opened for Barber’s touchdown run. It was a pretty sweet day all around for them considering Jared Allen and Brian Robison had combined for 13 sacks coming into the game, and the Vikings were only allowing 76 yards rushing per contest. GRADE: A-

Defensive Line
Not a bad rookie debut for Stephen Paea. He registered a sack/safety on Donovan McNabb, and was able to finish off McNabb on a sack Israel Idonije had as well. On the safety, he blew past the interior lineman and then also fought through a double team to tackle Adrian Peterson for a one yard gain. Julius Peppers, although doubtful on the injury report, toughed it out and had a huge game. His presence and performance gave the team a huge lift. Peppers came up with 2 sacks and should have had a third but the quarterback escaped. And while it was happening, the Vikings’ offensive lineman was tackling him to the ground. Another no-call for holding. He added 3 tackles for loss as well. Anthony Adams had a pressure/missed sack. Amobi Okoye was being held. But he did break through for a sack of his own. Henry Melton, while everyone else was making a play, was very ineffective. When you come away with 5 sacks and hold Adrian Peterson to 12 carries for 39 yards, you’re getting it done in every way. GRADE: A+

Linebackers
Brian Urlacher (5 tackles) made a key tackle to stop a 4th down conversion. He was an eyelash behind Paea on the safety. Took a poor angle on one off tackle play versus Peterson. Lance Briggs (4 tackles) had a blitz pressure and a big hit on Harvin. Nick Roach had his best game of the year. Made a nice tackle on a pass in the flat to Peterson. Had a pressure/hit on McNabb. As a team, they stood up well versus the run and in run fits. I’m still not overly happy with their coverage but it was better. GRADE: A-

Secondary
Out with the old (Meriweather, Harris), in with the new (Conte, Wright). And the big plays allowed in both the run and pass seemed to disappear. Chris Conte (6 tackles) showed that he is a sure tackler. I did see one bad angle on Peterson. Major Wright (4 tackles) allowed a pass to the TE in spite of making an athletic, leaping tip. He had a blitz pressure as well. Cornerbacks Charles Tillman (11 tackles, TFL) and Tim Jennings (4 tackles) continue to show well in coverage and are making some good hits in the flat area. D.J. Moore nearly picked off a short pass as he was blitzing off the edge. He had some good coverage to prevent a 3rd down conversion. Donovan McNabb did them some favors by missing short and low a handful of times. A couple of drops didn’t hurt, either. GRADE: B

Robbie Gould connected on field goals of 51, 26 and 22 yards. His kickoffs were again very deep. Devin Hester hauled in a kickoff at the two and rocketed through the Vikings for 98-yard touchdown. He also returned a punt 27 yards. Sam Hurd returned a kickoff 24 yards. Punter Adam Podlesh had his first clunker of a punt, which followed two excellent kicks that pinned Minnesota inside their 10. Sam Hurd and Craig Steltz were strong in coverage. GRADE: A

Wow. Somebody got through to Mike Martz. Matt Spaeth and Tyler Clutts were key components to the Bear offense as blockers for the run and pass. It meant less route runners, but also for a less harried Jay Cutler, who picked apart the Viking defense. Shorter drops, too! I just want to know where this game plan was against Detroit, Green Bay and New Orleans. Rod Marinelli’s defense kept Adrian Peterson under wraps. And there was a nice mix of stunts and blitzes to pressure McNabb. The Bears desperately needed to win to stay in the thick of having a playoff chance. They did a great job of it, and now get to travel to London to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) on Sunday. Another big challenge. GRADE: A

I’m glad to have picked this game way wrong.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Briggs on Harvin
Hurd on Harvin
Jennings on Gerhart
Urlacher on Gerhart

Nudo’s Kudos
Matt Forte
Jay Cutler
The entire Offensive line
Robbie Gould
Stephen Paea
Julius Peppers
Israel Idonije

Horns
NONE!!!

The Bears (2-3) were beaten in every phase of the game en route to a 24-13 loss to the Detroit Lions (5-0). The Bears are now 3 games behind both Green Bay and Detroit, plus both teams hold the tie-breaker after head-to-head wins over the Bears.

Sums up the day (Chris Sweda/Tribune).

Quarterback
I don’t know how much more Jay Cutler (28-38-249, TD, 2/3) could have done. He only missed on one or two passes, in spite of being continually harassed by the Lions’ pass rush. He continually bought himself time in the pocket to find open receivers. He threw the ball accurately and with great touch, even on the move. Cutler didn’t turn the ball over, in spite of getting hit early and often. This loss was not on him. GRADE: A

Running Backs
Matt Forte (22/116, 4-35) found some creases off tackle and broke a few strong runs. But he also dropped a pass over the middle. Marion Barber played sparingly, the same for fullback Tyler Clutts. GRADE: B

Receivers
Just what the heck was happening that Sam Hurd was on the field so much? Roy Williams was not on the field as much by comparison. Johnny Knox was nearly invisible. Dane Sanzenbacher (6-64) made a few key grabs and added some stat padders at the end. Devin Hester (5-32) was mercurial as usual. He did not finish a route up the right sideline and thus missed grabbing a deep ball. He also took a screen and ran the wrong way to try to pick up yardage instead of taking a hit, resulting in a big loss. Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth caught some important hot passes against the blitz. Davis had a nice touchdown grab, too. But he was disappointing otherwise. He’s a starter, and two different times Cutler needed to remind him to go in motion. He also had two false starts. Sam Hurd (4-50) was a factor. That, in and of itself, is an issue. GRADE: D

Offensive Line
The worst pair of starting offensive tackles in the NFL. There is no question. Left tackle J’Marcus Webb had 4 false starts and was beaten for a sack. He had another false start but it was called on Forte. Frank Omiyale was so rotten that he was replaced. He had a false start and allowed two sacks. On consecutive critical 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 plays he was beaten to the inside, allowing a stuff on the runner. The interior of Chris Williams, Lance Louis and Roberto Garza were pretty average. Edwin Williams played some right guard for Louis, who kicked out to right tackle when Omiyale was benched. Run blocking was decent. Pass blocking was abysmal. Three sacks doesn’t sound like much, but opposing pass rushers were running around Webb and Omiyale like they were standing still. Mental errors abound. GRADE: D

Defensive Line
For those people looking to build a bust in Canton for Henry Melton after the first game, you better start looking for him on a milk carton. He is not on the chart for tackles. Matt Toeaina left with a knee injury. Amobi Okoye played but didn’t factor. Anthony Adams had a couple of tackles. Israel Idonije picked up a sack that was as much him as it was coverage. Julius Peppers (3 tackles, TFL) was largely ineffective, left with a knee injury and returned. He clearly was not 100 percent at the end of the game. They picked up just one sack. They allowed 181 yards rushing on 20 carries. GRADE: D-

Linebackers
Briggs and Urlacher were nowhere to be found on Best’s 88-yard touchdown run. It was hard to tell on the replay, but it looked like the linebackers were also at fault on Pettigrew’s touchdown. Briggs added a roughness penalty after Moore’s interception. Urlacher failed to wrap up on Best on a big run. He was victim to a bad call by the refs, saying that he lead with his head. The replay showed it was only a shoulder. Nick Roach did a good job staying home on an end around. A lot of the rush yards were through the linebackers, who were getting easily blocked and washed out. GRADE: D-

Secondary
Safeties Brandon Meriweather and Chris Harris combined to allow a huge touchdown over the deep middle. Later, Meriweather was out of position to prevent Best’s long run. You’re a safety. Your job is to be the last line of defense. Maybe you should not have this job anymore. I’m ready to see what the rookie Conte can do. Cornerbacks Charles Tillman (8 tackles) and Tim Jennings (5 tackles) did not play poorly. They kept Calvin Johnson in check. Nickel back D.J. Moore made several big plays including a huge interception over the middle and some tackles up at the line of scrimmage. GRADE: D

Devin Hester attempted to run a kickoff back that was heading out of bounds. His momentum carried him out of bounds to set the Bears up with rotten field position instead of the 40. It cost them 34 yards. Not much else returning kicks of punts. Robbie Gould was perfect on the night. He kicked all of his kickoffs for touchbacks and hit both field goals (44, 49). Punter Adam Podlesh had another good game, kicking the Bears out of trouble when needed. Dom DeCicco made a couple of nice tackles in coverage. GRADE: B

Mike Martz had good run to pass balance until the end when he needed to throw. But he’s still at fault for the lack of a “coordinated” offense. Starting tight ends don’t know when they should go in motion. So what if it was noisy. Other teams play on the road in the noise. You don’t see this many false start penalties. Where were Johnny Knox and Roy Williams? How did this become the Sam Hurd and Dane Sanzenbacher show? More mind-blowing mismanagement of the clock and time outs. How come the Bears continue to give up the big play? They’re designed not to. I cannot completely blame the coaches. This goes higher. Have you seen a more rotten collection of offensive linemen and wide receivers than what the Bears are trotting out there? You’ve spent numerous draft picks and dollars on this defense, and yet it is historically putrid. Opposing teams are putting on lobster bibs when they pull out game film of the Bears’ defense. GRADE: D-

I’m back on the stinker with my pick.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Urlacher on Sheffler
Briggs on Pettigrew

Nudo’s Kudos
Matt Forte
Jay Cutler
D.J. Moore
Robbie Gould
Adam Podlesh

Horns
Brandon Meriweather
Chris Harris
J’Marcus Webb
Frank Omiyale
Kellen Davis