Bears Back on Track: Chicago beats Cleveland 30-6

The Chicago Bears did exactly what they needed to do this past Sunday when they trounced the lowly Cleveland Browns 30-6, keeping this season’s undefeated home record alive. Offensively, the Bears (4-3), who were in desperate need of a victory, struggled early in the game before getting in sync.

In the first quarter and a half of the game, Chicago’s offense failed to capitalize on red zone opportunities, settling for three Robbie Gould field goals. It was late in the first half that the Bears finally got in the end zone with a one-yard touchdown run by Matt Forte, giving Chicago a 16-0 lead going into halftime. The second half showed a more conservative offensive attack by the Bears, only managing another Forte touchdown from ten yards out. Along with his two rushing touchdowns, Forte also had 90 rushing yards on 26 carries (all game-highs). Although there was some success in the running game, the offensive line still had problems in protecting Jay Cutler, who was sacked four times. Despite the lack of protection, Cutler did manage to complete 17 of his 30 passes for 225 yards. Devin Hester was on the receiving end of seven of Cutler’s completions for a total of 81 yards (both game-highs).

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Chicago’s defense dominated from start to finish. Browns quarterback Derek Anderson could only manage to pass for 76 yards, while running back Jamal Lewis was held to 69 yards on the ground. Even though the defensive line only accumulated one sack, which was by Alex Brown, they still had five takeaways. Two of those forced turnovers were interceptions by Danieal Manning and Charles Tillman, who returned his pick 21 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The other three turnovers were fumble recoveries—one by Manning and the other two by Nick Roach.

With this win boosting their confidence, the Chicago Bears will now have a tougher test this coming Sunday when the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals fly into Soldier Field. This Week 9 match-up has the potential to be a classic quarterback shootout with both Cutler and Kurt Warner under center. Overall, this could be the test the Bears need in order to prove to everyone in the NFL that they are legitimate contenders in the NFC.

By Clyde Speller
ProFootball-fans.com Chicago Bears Correspondent