Un-stoppable, Matt Forte is. Bears run to victory over the Panthers. 34-29

by Dan Peters
Suburban Journals of Chicago

On a beautiful sunny day at Soldier Field, The Chicago Bears found their running game; the special teams were nothing short of spectacular. It would be the defense that would let the Bears down today.

Cam Newton was nearly unstoppable.

Rookie quarterback Newton had his way with the Bears today, just as he has done all season with every team he has faced. The usually stout Bears “D” gave up 543 net yards today, not the typical display for a Bears defense. Newton is in only in his fourth game as a pro, but you would hardly notice his rookie stripe today. The Bears defense allowed Newton to run and scramble at will most of the game. In reality, on paper, the Panthers should have won this game, not the Bears.

Other than the one interception, Cam Newton had an outstanding game, completing 27 of 46 passes for 374 yards, 1 touchdown and an 83.1 passer rating while also rushing for 35 yards and two TDs on eight carries.

“He throws the ball well,” said middle linebacker Brian Urlacher. “He’s a big guy who runs around pretty well and makes plays with his arm.”

Steve Smith once again burns the Bears.

“He’s good,” Urlacher said. “He’s been that way since he got into the NFL. We all remember the playoff game a few years ago. He’s a good player. We’re lucky he didn’t get into the end zone today. We kept him out, but he had a couple of big plays.

Un-stoppable, Matt Forte is …Running on all cylinders

The running game saved the day for the Bears. The passing game was non-existent in the first quarter, so much so that Jay Cutler did not even have a passer rating.

The Chicago Bears found their running game Sunday, well at least Matt Forte did. Forte found the right holes in the Panther’s Swiss cheese defense. Forte ran for a career-high 205 yards. Only Gale Sayers and Walter Payton can lay claim to that feat for the Bears.

“It reminded me of my senior year at Tulane, every weekend getting 200 yards,” Forte said. “All the credit goes to the offensive line. The holes were huge out there. Even towards the end of the game, we kept pounding them and pounding them. The offensive line wore the defense out.”

No Passing Zone for Cutler

With the Bears up 24-10 early in the second quarter, Cutler had thrown only one pass—a 15-yard completion to Roy Williams. For the game, Cutler completed 9 of 17 passes for 102 yards with one interception and a 46.7 passer rating.

“These games happen,” Cutler said. “You have to manage the ballgame. I wish I could have that pick back, but it happened. The way we were running the football, if we were going to throw it on third down, I just had to try to fit it into the spot and get it to the right guy and we were able to do that enough times to get the ‘W.’

Changes in the offensive line were a key to the Bears success on the ground.

“We put Lance Louis over there at right tackle and he settled in nicely,” Cutler said. “He’s probably one of the MVPs of the game along with Matt, just his ability to go out there and play tackle. He hasn’t done it on the right side. After that first series, he played a heck of a game for us.”

Working together to score points.

Hester also found his return game again. With the new NFL rules regarding kickoffs, one would wonder if Hester would ever run one back. But back he was, Hester set an NFL record with his 11th punt return for a touchdown, and electrified the crowd every time he touched the ball.

Hester had earlier set up a touchdown run by Forte with a 73-yard kickoff return before he ran back a punt 69 yards in the second quarter to move ahead of Eric Metcalf on the all-time list.

How excited was Hester?

He performed three somersaults in the end zone with the lead at 24-10, but the celebration was a little early, and resulted in a penalty for Un-sportsman-like conduct. Neither the Bears nor the fans would care; these Bears were on a roll.

“It’s amazing to watch him,” Matt Forte said. “He adds another dimension to our whole entire team. If you’re in a tight game and you can get a score from a special teams play, it just kills the other team’s emotion. Devin’s a great punt returner and a receiver. He’s a great asset to our team as well.”

The Panthers would cut the lead to four points at halftime and had their chances to take the lead in the second half but came up short, spoiling coach Ron Rivera's return to Soldier Field.

The defense wakes up just in time.

The Bears defense tightened in the fourth quarter, allowing just one first down on three Carolina possessions before Marion Barber’s 3-yard TD run widened the margin to 34-23 with 1:23 to play. The Panthers would score again, but it was too little too late. Bears win.

The task next week for the 2011 Chicago Bears.. Find a way to win on Monday Night, win on the road and beat the Detroit Lions. Oh by the way, the Lions are 4-0 after yet another come from behind win at Dallas.

The Bears defense better not get caught sleeping in the Lion’s Den on Monday Night.