Bears prove miracles can happen
December 23
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Greg Couch
"It was just like the Bears to do this. The entire game, they appeared to need a complete overhaul.
Now, they are one victory from possibly winning the NFC North and claiming the third seed in the playoffs.
The Bears had no defense, nearly no offense. But they had the Packers, didn’t they? The Bears beat the Packers 20-17 in overtime Monday night when Robbie Gould made a 38-yard field goal.
It’s not all over after all. If the Bears win at Houston on Sunday in the final regular-season game, and the Vikings lose at home to the defending champions, the Giants, the Bears are division champs. This is unbelievable.
‘‘This is our season — it’s down to this,’’ quarterback Kyle Orton said in the huddle before the game-winning drive. ‘‘If we don’t do anything, we’re done.’’
I’m still not even sure what they just did. But they’re not done.
What I take out of this game, mostly, is that the Packers are really, really bad.
They did everything they could to give the Bears the game, and the Bears just wouldn’t take it, wouldn’t take it.
And then, they took it.
This is a miracle team. It’s a miracle that such a mediocre team can possibly accomplish so much. If they don’t win the division, they can still get a wild card, too.
The game lined up as the perfect test of everything the Bears stand for. Lovie Smith’s ability to prepare the Bears. Orton’s ability in the big game. The Bears defensive line’s ability to be tough.
Cold weather. See your breath. Packers.
And then they went into the middle of the fourth quarter having made one good play the entire game: Danieal Manning’s second-quarter kick return.
That was it.
The entire game, the direction of the franchise was lining up as failure.
All of it. Smith. Orton. Brian Urlacher. Was he even in the game?
Devin Hester can’t return punts anymore.
The defense was muscled. The offense did nothing.
No direction. No hope.
Saved by blocked FG
The Packers were lining up for the game-winning field goal in the final seconds, and all I could think was that this wasn’t what anyone wanted to see, but maybe it was for the best.
Every little thing the Bears were trying to hang onto, trying to show as an arrow pointing the right way, a franchise making progress, well, it was all gone.
And then the field goal was blocked.
And then the Bears won.
The season was about to end not with the playoffs, but instead with doubts about Orton.
All these years, the Packers have had the better quarterback. Finally, they move on to the next generation, letting Brett Favre go, and guess what: The Packers still have the better quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
But the Bears won.
It was just like the Bears to do this. They were given every hope going into the game, and did nothing, but left with everything.
Are we supposed to praise this?
The arrow is pointing up? In fact, I’m not even sure it’s stable. The Bears are a team in need of serious repair.
It wasn’t that the Bears weren’t motivated, weren’t trying.
They just aren’t that good.
But then they won."
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