CHICAGO – Steady snow and strong wind gusts weren’t the only things that stormed into Soldier Field Sunday. The Patriots did as well, playing like they were still angry about getting obliterated in Super Bowl XX.
In the NFL’s only Week 14 match-up between first-place teams, New England surged to a 33-0 halftime lead by scoring 26 second-quarter points—into a stiff wind no less—en route to a 36-7 rout.
The 33-point halftime deficit was the largest in the Bears’ 91-season history. They gave up touchdowns on offense and defense and also allowed a TD on special teams that was nullified by a penalty.
“We were beaten by a good football team today,” said coach Lovie Smith. “They dominated us in all three phases. Had a good week of practice, felt like we were ready to go. But some days, this happens.
“We were ready. But you have to play your best ball every snap. We did too many things wrong, and you can’t do that against good football teams like this.”
The Patriots (11-2) outgained the Bears 475-185 in the game and 273-33 in the first half. New England also held decisive advantages in first downs (27-12) and time of possession (39:41-20:19).
“You’ve got to learn from it,” quarterback Jay Cutler said after the Bears' five-game winning streak was snapped. “That’s an elite team. To get where we want to go, those are the teams we’ve got to beat, we’ve got to compete with. [We made] little mistakes out there, and those things add up in a hurry, especially against a team like that.”
After forcing a three-and-out on the game’s opening drive, the Bears allowed the Patriots to score three touchdowns and three field goals on their next six possessions stretching into the third quarter. The 36 points were the most the Bears have yielded since a 36-10 loss at Minnesota on Nov. 29, 2009.
“They played a much better game,” said linebacker Lance Briggs. “Sometimes you need a good whipping and that’s what we got. A good whipping helps us get ourselves back to where we need to be. A loss like this can be good if it comes at the right time.”
The good news for the Bears (9-4) is that they maintained their one-game lead atop the NFC North over the Green Bay Packers (8-5), who suffered a 7-3 upset loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
“The reality is we got our butts kicked and we’re still in first place,” said middle linebacker Brian Urlacher. “We’ll watch film and learn from it. But we’re still in first place in the NFC North and that’s where we wanted to be when the season began. The Patriots are the best team in the AFC. They came in here—our field, our weather—and pounded us.”
Quarterback Tom Brady led the onslaught, completing 27 of 40 passes for 369 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 113.4 passer rating. The Patriots already led 27-0 when he tossed a 59-yard TD pass to Deion Branch down the left sideline on the final play of the first half.
“We should have had someone back deep and we didn’t,” Smith said. “It’s kind of as simple as that. It’s a basic coverage for us. I guess he didn’t see the receiver out there. It was a breakdown in coverage.”
While Smith didn’t name names, rookie Major Wright was the culprit, failing to retreat to the deep half of the field like he was supposed to in the cover-two scheme.
The Patriots had taken a 14-0 lead on Brady’s 7-yard TD pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski and Danny Woodhead’s 3-yard run, capping drives of 85 and 87 yards, respectively.
New England then scored its second TD in :20 as cornerback Devin McCourty forced a Johnny Knox fumble that linebacker Gary Guyton returned 35 yards for a score, widening the margin to 21-0. The Bears challenged the call, thinking Knox was down before the ball came loose, but the ruling was upheld after replays showed that the Bears receiver had landed on a defender and not the ground.
Shayne Graham field goals of 30 and 25 yards made it 27-0 before Brady connected with Branch on the final play of the half. Graham missed the extra point, but the Patriots still led 33-0 at halftime.
“They were able to keep the chains moving,” said safety Chris Harris. “We weren’t able to get any turnovers. It’s kind of what we live off as a defense. They just outplayed us.”
After Graham’s 29-yard field goal made it 36-0 on the Patriots’ opening drive of the second half, Chester Taylor scored the Bears’ only touchdown on a 1-yard run midway through the third quarter.
Cutler completed 12 of 26 passes for 152 yards with two interceptions, one lost fumble and a 32.9 passer rating for the Bears, who must regroup quickly with a huge game looming next Monday night in Minnesota.
“There’s always a 24-hour rule,” said defensive tackle Anthony Adams. “Win or lose, you put it behind you. It’s just one game. You learn from it. Just like a boxer, sometimes you’re going to get knocked out. But you’ve got to get back up and keep fighting, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
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