2008 Woodie Awards
Bears last win brings win streak to five
Bears overcome windy conditions and beat 49ers to improve to 6-3
Mark Johnson
Issue date: 11/25/05 Section: Sports
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The Chicago Bears seem to be finding new ways to win on a weekly basis.
The Bears looked like they were going to be down at least 3-0 to the lowly San Francisco 49ers Sunday when San Francisco kicker Joe Nedney lined up for a 52-yard field goal just before halftime. Instead, the kick went into the arms of Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher in the end zone.
Vasher hesitated before beginning a record 108-yard return for a touchdown that coupled with a Robbie Gould extra point gave the Bears a 7-3 halftime edge. From there, the Bears highly-touted defense did its job, and Chicago retained its two-game lead in the NFC North and had its winning streak grow to five with a 17-9 victory at Soldier Field.
Helped by a wind that had gusts reach 47 m.p.h., the Chicago defense put on another dominating performance, holding the 49ers to 161 total yards. San Francisco quarterback Cody Pickett, who was playing on special teams earlier this year before injuries forced him into the starting spot, was just 1-for-13 for 28 yards with an interception.
Meanwhile, the Bears continued to rely on their running game to get just enough offense for the win. Rookie Cedric Benson, in for the injured Thomas Jones, ran 12 times for 50 yards before leaving himself with a sprained medial collateral ligament. In stepped former third-stringer Adrian Peterson, who piled up 120 yards on 24 carries to keep the Bears in front in the second half.
Nedney converted on a first-half field goal to give the 49ers the lead before Vasher's play turned the tide. A Nedney 34-yard field goal with 9:38 to go in the third quarter brought San Francisco within striking range, but the Bears came back with a drive that featured a 34-yard Peterson run, a 23-yard pass interference penalty and a 7-yard touchdown run by Peterson to put Chicago up 14-6.
The teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, with Gould connecting on a 37-yarder to restore the lead to eight following a 49ers punt return fumble. That provided Chicago with some retribution after its punt return man, Bobby Wade, had fumble three times and the Bears had lost all three.
Detroit and Minnesota both won on Sunday to improve their records to 4-5. The Bears sit at 6-3, though they face games against the 7-2 Carolina Panthers and the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the next two weeks. Chicago has not played a winning team since losing to Cincinnati 24-7 in week three.
The Panthers, meanwhile, come to Chicago this Sunday boasting a six-game winning streak. They have forced 14 turnovers to go along with 19 sacks and two defensive touchdowns the past four games.
The Bears, meanwhile, have allowd just three offensive touchdowns in their past five games and come in as the NFL's top ranked defense. The Panthers come in ranked eighth.
The Bears looked like they were going to be down at least 3-0 to the lowly San Francisco 49ers Sunday when San Francisco kicker Joe Nedney lined up for a 52-yard field goal just before halftime. Instead, the kick went into the arms of Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher in the end zone.
Vasher hesitated before beginning a record 108-yard return for a touchdown that coupled with a Robbie Gould extra point gave the Bears a 7-3 halftime edge. From there, the Bears highly-touted defense did its job, and Chicago retained its two-game lead in the NFC North and had its winning streak grow to five with a 17-9 victory at Soldier Field.
Helped by a wind that had gusts reach 47 m.p.h., the Chicago defense put on another dominating performance, holding the 49ers to 161 total yards. San Francisco quarterback Cody Pickett, who was playing on special teams earlier this year before injuries forced him into the starting spot, was just 1-for-13 for 28 yards with an interception.
Meanwhile, the Bears continued to rely on their running game to get just enough offense for the win. Rookie Cedric Benson, in for the injured Thomas Jones, ran 12 times for 50 yards before leaving himself with a sprained medial collateral ligament. In stepped former third-stringer Adrian Peterson, who piled up 120 yards on 24 carries to keep the Bears in front in the second half.
Nedney converted on a first-half field goal to give the 49ers the lead before Vasher's play turned the tide. A Nedney 34-yard field goal with 9:38 to go in the third quarter brought San Francisco within striking range, but the Bears came back with a drive that featured a 34-yard Peterson run, a 23-yard pass interference penalty and a 7-yard touchdown run by Peterson to put Chicago up 14-6.
The teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, with Gould connecting on a 37-yarder to restore the lead to eight following a 49ers punt return fumble. That provided Chicago with some retribution after its punt return man, Bobby Wade, had fumble three times and the Bears had lost all three.
Detroit and Minnesota both won on Sunday to improve their records to 4-5. The Bears sit at 6-3, though they face games against the 7-2 Carolina Panthers and the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the next two weeks. Chicago has not played a winning team since losing to Cincinnati 24-7 in week three.
The Panthers, meanwhile, come to Chicago this Sunday boasting a six-game winning streak. They have forced 14 turnovers to go along with 19 sacks and two defensive touchdowns the past four games.
The Bears, meanwhile, have allowd just three offensive touchdowns in their past five games and come in as the NFL's top ranked defense. The Panthers come in ranked eighth.
