By David HaughWhen Michael Vick signed with his new team in August, many peeking at the Bears' schedule predicted there would be noticeable booing when Vick and the Eagles visited Soldier Field.
And there was.
For the Bears offense.
During a first half that stands 10-9 Eagles, it began immediately when Jay Cutler and company were booed off the field after the first offensive series. That set of downs included a near-interception by Philadelphia safety Quintin Mikell that reminded everybody who leads the NFL in picks.
The running game got off to an equally slow start as Matt Forte struggled to find room that just wasn't there. Frustrated fans were left to wonder about the Bears' starting running back after undrafted rookie free-agent Kahlil Bell broke off a 72-yard run on his first NFL carry, and looked faster than Forte has looked since his rookie season in doing it.
When Forte picked up three yards for first rushing first down of the game near the end of the first quarter, the crowd roared in mock approval.
Photo: Jay Cutler leaves the field after throwing a first-half incompletion Sunday. (AP)
Most people were just stunned later when Cutler slightly overthrew two straight receivers on plays that would have been touchdowns. On the first, tight end Greg Olsen got wide open on a play-action fake but the ball bounced off his fingertips. It would have been a difficult catch but, in fairness, one guys in the stratosphere Olsen wants to live occasionally make.
The second overthrow was all Cutler. Devin Hester made a great fake to shake Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel and could have backpedaled into the end zone if Cutler was on the mark. But the touch pass sailed badly over Hester's head and the Bears had to settle for a 45-yard Robbie Gould field goal.
And wonder what's suddenly gone wrong with their quarterback.
Cutler defied belief again early in the second quarter when, with the Bears in the red zone for the first time all game, tried to force the ball to Olsen between three defenders. Rookie safety Macho Harris broke up the pass and probably should have intercepted it. The Bears had to settle for another Gould field goal.
On the final drive of the half, the Bears' second trip into the red zone, Cutler's third-down pass that went over everybody's head did nothing to remove doubts about Cutler that grow the closer he gets to the goal line.
If the offense was bad early in a game the Bears had to come out focused, the defense was worse.
Vick looked like he was running at a different speed when he took the direct snap of the Wildcat formation and rambled 34 yards on the Eagles' first series. Anybody wondering whether Vick has lost any of his elusiveness should ask safety Daniel Manning, whose whiff in the open field gave NBC its highlight of the night.
The Bears defense held the Eagles to a field goal but self-destructed a series later - particularly on a third-and-seven when a Israel Idonije facemask penalty kept alive a drive that ended in a touchdown. On the TD, a 13-yard screen pass to Chicago native Jason Avant, Eagles left guard Todd Herremans flattened linebacker Lance Briggs with a block Briggs still will be feeling Monday morning.
Maybe it woke the Bears up. A third-down sack of McNabb on the next series allowed them to regain a swagger that had been missing. A Zack Bowman interception provided a glimmer of hope and progress, only to have the offense fail to take advantage of the takeaway.
By the time DeSean Jackson returned the ensuing punt 55 yards to the Bears' 44-yard line, Bowman's pick was negated. But the defense at least had improved, creating another turnover when Charles Tillman stripped Jackson and Anthony Adams recovered the fumble.
At one point during the first half NBC's cameras caught a sideline shot of Brian Urlacher kidding around during an Eagles' scoring drive. For the Bears and their fans at times in the first half, laughing beat crying, right?.
"We feel like the playoffs have begun for us,'' Lovie Smith told WBBM-AM during a pre-game interview. "There isn't any room for error.''
He's right, and the Bears need to clean it up in the second half or the else the booing will only get louder.
The second overthrow was all Cutler. Devin Hester made a great fake to shake Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel and could have backpedaled into the end zone if Cutler was on the mark. But the touch pass sailed badly over Hester's head and the Bears had to settle for a 45-yard Robbie Gould field goal.
And wonder what's suddenly gone wrong with their quarterback.
Cutler defied belief again early in the second quarter when, with the Bears in the red zone for the first time all game, tried to force the ball to Olsen between three defenders. Rookie safety Macho Harris broke up the pass and probably should have intercepted it. The Bears had to settle for another Gould field goal.
On the final drive of the half, the Bears' second trip into the red zone, Cutler's third-down pass that went over everybody's head did nothing to remove doubts about Cutler that grow the closer he gets to the goal line.
If the offense was bad early in a game the Bears had to come out focused, the defense was worse.
Vick looked like he was running at a different speed when he took the direct snap of the Wildcat formation and rambled 34 yards on the Eagles' first series. Anybody wondering whether Vick has lost any of his elusiveness should ask safety Daniel Manning, whose whiff in the open field gave NBC its highlight of the night.
The Bears defense held the Eagles to a field goal but self-destructed a series later - particularly on a third-and-seven when a Israel Idonije facemask penalty kept alive a drive that ended in a touchdown. On the TD, a 13-yard screen pass to Chicago native Jason Avant, Eagles left guard Todd Herremans flattened linebacker Lance Briggs with a block Briggs still will be feeling Monday morning.
Maybe it woke the Bears up. A third-down sack of McNabb on the next series allowed them to regain a swagger that had been missing. A Zack Bowman interception provided a glimmer of hope and progress, only to have the offense fail to take advantage of the takeaway.
By the time DeSean Jackson returned the ensuing punt 55 yards to the Bears' 44-yard line, Bowman's pick was negated. But the defense at least had improved, creating another turnover when Charles Tillman stripped Jackson and Anthony Adams recovered the fumble.
At one point during the first half NBC's cameras caught a sideline shot of Brian Urlacher kidding around during an Eagles' scoring drive. For the Bears and their fans at times in the first half, laughing beat crying, right?.
"We feel like the playoffs have begun for us,'' Lovie Smith told WBBM-AM during a pre-game interview. "There isn't any room for error.''
He's right, and the Bears need to clean it up in the second half or the else the booing will only get louder.
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Ok, so the Raiders beat the Bengals & the Bengals whipped the Bears, does that mean that the Raiders would whip the Bears? Good thing they don't play this year so we don't have to find out. Gould is 4 for 4, at least he can do what he's supposed to. Are the Eagles really as bad as they look tonight? Can't be the Bears making them look like that LOL