Gabriel: Bears-Bucs Positives/Negatives
By Greg Gabriel-
(CBS) It's been said that certain players on the Bears' roster who played under Lovie Smith who never wanted him dismissed following the 2012 season. That's common with any team that has a coach fired -- a group of players holds its leader in high regard and when he gets let go, it can hurt.
The reason I bring this up is because when the Bears faced Smith on Sunday at Soldier Field, I felt that the best thing Smith's former players could do in showing their love and respect for him was to play hard and win.
That was the end result, though Chicago's 21-13 win against Tampa Bay played out like two separate games. There was the first half in which the Bears looked awful and played with no enthusiasm whatsoever. The offense was pathetic, putting up a total of 69 yards, including four series that went three-and-out, while Jay Cutler had his weekly turnover.
The Tampa Bay defense played as if it knew what plays would be called. The Bucs did an excellent job both in coverage and run defense. There were no holes for Matt Forte early, and the Bears receivers couldn't find a way to get open against both zone and man coverage. The Tampa Bay defensive line totally outplayed the Chicago offensive line in the first half by getting penetration to disrupt the run and consistent pressure to stop the passing game. The Bucs didn't allow Cutler to get into any kind of a rhythm, with numerous hits and sacks.
The Chicago defense struggled for much of the first half, giving up 181 yards, including a 12-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a field goal in the final two minutes. Defense has to be played with emotion, and the Bears showed none. On top of that there were busted assignments in both the running and passing game. With the halftime score 10-0 in favor of Tampa Bay, this game looked like a lost cause.
Then the second half came and the tide turned.
The halftime locker room wasn't its usual self, according to several Bears players. Both players and coaches got emotional. Whatever was said or done worked, as the Bears were a totally different team in the second half.
If a team is going to win in the NFL, it needs to make big plays. The Bears came up with big plays in abundance in the second half, especially on defense.
The Bears defense forced three turnovers in the second half -- two fumbles and an interception that led to two touchdowns and stopped a Bucs drive deep in Bears territory. Chicago also had four sacks and numerous hits on Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown.
For the game, McCown was hit 13 times while attempting to pass. That type of pressure led to numerous poor throws, and the Bucs never seriously threatened the Bears after Chicago went ahead 14-10 on Forte's 13-yard rushing touchdown with 4:51 left in the third quarter.
Three stars
If this was a hockey game, my three stars would have gone out to Bears defensive tackle Stephen Paea, cornerback Demontre Hurst and running back Matt Forte.
Paea has had his best season as a Bear and continued his strong play Sunday. Paea had only three tackles, but two were sacks and he also had three other hits on the quarterback. Hurst was Chicago's second-leading tackler with seven. He also forced a fumble, had a quarterback hit and created pressure with corner blitzes.
Forte was his usual consistent self, rushing for 89 yards and scoring twice. He also had five pass receptions for 23 yards. Week after week, he proves to be one of the most reliable backs in the league.
Going forward
The Bears have a short week as they travel to play Detroit for a Thanksgiving game this Thursday. Short weeks are tough enough, but having to travel makes them even tougher. If the Bears have any chance of getting back into the playoff race, this is a game they have to win. They could be without two starters on defense, as linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Kyle Fuller both suffered injuries.
Detroit has lost two in a row, but both have been on the road. The Lions usually play much better at home. In saying that, they have lost three out of their last four Thanksgiving Day games. The win came last year against in a 40-10 blowout of the Packers.
If the Bears are to win, they have to play like they did in the second half of Sunday's game and similar to the way they played against the Vikings a week prior. Anything less, and it will be a certain loss.
Greg Gabriel is a former NFL talent evaluator who has been an on-air contributor for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @greggabe.
