Chicago Bears 2011 regular season Review: A collapse of epic proportions – NFL Special Part II
Against Carolina
After two straight defeats and things in offence not looking well for Chicago they responded in a brilliant manner against Carolina Panthers in week three of the 2011-12 NFL Season.
The Bears were brilliant as Matt Forte put behind his horror show against the Packers to devastate Carolina’s defence.
Special team’s kick returner Devin Hester also got in on the action as he broke the record for most career kick returns with 17.
Carolina Panthers led by rookie quarterback Cam Newton however, did not lie down and put up a good fight to keep the score line respectable yet their inability to contain Forte was the main reason for the loss.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler passed for a meagre gain of 102-yards as Chicago concentrated on the running game to score points.
Forte rushed for 205 yards and scored a brilliant touchdown to keep the points ticking. While Devin Hester’s 69-yard punt return was one for the highlight reels of the season.
Cam Newton showcased his talent and fans at Soldier Field found out why the quarterback was the number one draft pick in the 2011 drafts as Newton rushed for two touchdowns while passing for another to keep the Bears on their toes but in the end his efforts
did not deliver the right result.
At Detroit
The Chicago Bears travelled to Ford Field next to face the upstart Detroit Lions in an NFC North division rivalry game.
The Lions would become Chicago’s biggest challengers for the NFC playoff spots and this first game was important to both sides prospects of making the postseason rounds.
Chicago however went on to be comprehensively beaten by Detroit as Lions receivers Calvin Johnson and Jahvid Best ran rings around their defence to give Detroit an important 24-13 victory.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler passed for 249-yards and a single touchdown but his efforts were not enough to help save Chicago from their third loss in the season. Running back Matt Forte too failed to score a touchdown as he rushed for 116-yards.
The Bears could only muster a single touchdown during the game and the Lions won their fifth straight game to remain unbeaten for the first time since 1956.
Against Minnesota
The Chicago Bears bounced back in brilliant style from the defeat in Detroit as they pounded Minnesota Vikings 39-10.
Quarterback Jay Cutler passed for two touchdowns and 267-yards as the Bears were rampant against their NFC North rivals.
Devin Hester scored a touchdown from a Cutler pass while also returning kickoff for 99-yards to cap a brilliant performance.
The Vikings never stood a chance as Chicago’s defence contained their offence to perfection. Quarterback Donovan McNabb was sacked five times and replaced by rookie Christian Ponder with the substitution having no effect in galvanising a shell-shocked Vikings
side.
The Bears destruction of Minnesota would herald in a run of five straight victories and this was the highest point of Chicago’s ultimately doomed season.
At Tampa Bay
As part of the NFL’s policy to play one game each season internationally, the Bears travelled to London to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The eight hour flight did not bother the Bears who gained a 21-5 lead at the end of the third quarter while seeing off a late fourth quarter comeback attempt by the Buccaneers to win their second straight game in a row.
Quarterback Jay Cutler passed for 226 yards while passing for a single touchdown and running back Matt Forte continued his brilliant form as he rushed for a 32-yard touchdown and ramped up 145 yards from 25 carries.
The Bears built up a huge 21-5 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Bucs responded in the final quarter with two touchdown passes by quarterback Josh Freeman but in the end could not recover the gap.
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