Super Loss

I have finally been had; my prediction for the Super Bowl was immensely off. The Bears suffered their final demise of the season with a 29-17 loss at the hands of the Colts. Let’s face it, Peyton Manning ruled the day again with solid play that thwarted the Bears defense on every level. The Bears did start out strong in an obvious sense, as Devin Hester ran the opening kickoff back 92 yards for a touchdown. That touchdown was then complimented by a Colt’s turnover which turned into a Rex Grossman touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad. After that it was downhill. The Bear’s offense turned into an impotent pile of sludge and Peyton Manning ruled the day.

With the offense unable to stay on the field for an elongated period of time which meant that Peyton Manning was on the field. The Colts controlled the ball for a little over 38 minutes compared to the Bears’ 21 minutes. Grossman could have performed a lot better, but he never had the opportunity to find a rhythm. Plus, accruing five turnovers did not help matters, especially two interceptions on the part of Grossman who just did not have the touch on this day. The defense played admirably by forcing three turnovers, but when you are on the field for more than half of the game, it is a futile fight. The Colts garnered 430 total yards, compared to the Bears’ 265, which equaled defeat for the Bears.

Most of the blame for the loss will more than likely have to be shouldered by Grossman, which is an unfair assessment. Like Lovie Smith stated countless times over the course of the season when Grossman was struggling, the team made it to the Super Bowl with him as quarterback. But there will be resounding “what if” statements flying around Chicago until next season. What if Brian Griese was at the helm all season? Would he have been more consistent? Defense and Special teams performed marvelously all season, which leaves the offense as the weak link in the chain. Will Grossman return next year as the starting quarterback?

Either way, the Bears had a great season. They made it to the Super Bowl against all odds, which is commendable on any level of professional sports. They probably should not have made it this far, but defense can only do so much in any sport. A good defense has to be complimented by a solid offense. I am not talking Michael Jordan like numbers here, but something respectable. Hopefully team management can keep the core of the team together in the offseason and even bring in further pieces that will allow the team to finish the puzzle and win the Super Bowl. Wishful thinking? You never know, as the Bears showed us all this year.