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© Oak Park Journal photo of the Chicago Bears
Dan Peters Sports Editor
Oak Park Journal
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The weather outside was frightful, but Tom Brady and the Patriots thought it was delightful...Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Trounce the Bears 36-7 by Dan Peters Tom Brady has never been to Soldier Field before Sunday. But for Brady and the Pat's it sure looked like home. The field was covered with snow the whole game as stiff northwest winds with gusts up to 50 mph and blowing snow continued until the bitter end. "Whatever the elements are, we've got to be mentally tough to play in them," he said. "Both teams are playing in them. Coach always stresses that the opponent that we're playing is the Chicago Bears -- not the weather, not the refs, not the crowd." Brady said. Not only did they shut down the Bears on Offense and defense, the Patriots clinched a playoff spot for the eighth time in ten seasons. But neither Brady or Bill Belichick were ready to pop the cork on the champagne just yet. "There's a long way to go," he said. "I don't think anything's really been accomplished yet. We're working hard. I don't think we've got every problem solved. There are plenty of defenses that have kicked us around this year. We don't sit in here and think we've got it all figured out." Brady said. "Good, we got to keep playing," he said. "I'm pretty sure when the end of the season comes, someone will tell us what we need to do." Belichick said. The win was the fifth straight for the Patriots (11-2), and this one was no less impressive than their 45-3 rout of the New York Jets on Monday night. Brady threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns despite the harsh conditions. He completed 27 of 40 passes with no interceptions for the eighth straight game. The Bears were at a loss for an explination for the total collapse of the team. “We were beaten by a good football team today,” said coach Lovie Smith. “They dominated us in all three phases. Had a good week of practice, felt like we were ready to go. But some days, this happens. “We were ready. But you have to play your best ball every snap. We did too many things wrong, and you can’t do that against good football teams like this.” "It happens from time to time, especially against a good football team, but then you go back and this game counts as one loss, no more than that," coach Lovie Smith said. "We went into this game against the Patriots in first place in our division and we still are. We just have to take care of business from here on out." Jay Cutler struggled, going 12 of 26 for 152 yards with two interceptions and two sacks. He had a 32.9 rating, and the running game was a non-factor. “You’ve got to learn from it,” quarterback Jay Cutler said after the Bears' five-game winning streak was snapped. “That’s an elite team. To get where we want to go, those are the teams we’ve got to beat, we’ve got to compete with. [We made] little mistakes out there, and those things add up in a hurry, especially against a team like that.” This game quickly spiraled out of control in the second quarter, with the Patriots scoring 26 points. The 33 first half points scored on the Bears in the first have was a record at Soldier Field. It would have been 34 points, but the Patriots missed the extra point. It would prove to be one of few mistakes they made all game. Changing the Call.. The Patriot’s coaches wanted to just end the first half, but Brady would have none of that. The sideline called for a knee and Brady ignored the order before hitting Branch with a 59-yarder as time expired. "There was a lot of yelling and screaming," Branch said. "I do know that I heard one of the coaches saying they wanted to take a knee, but I think Tom's eyes got a little big. He looked over at me like, 'No, take this shot."' That is what makes Brady an MVP. Nearly a perfect game for New England… A Nightmare for the Bears. Just how bad was it? The 475 yards were the most allowed by the Bears this season. The Patriots (11-2) outgained the Bears 475-185 in the game and 273-33 in the first half. New England also held decisive advantages in first downs (27-12) and time of possession. “They played a much better game,” said linebacker Lance Briggs. “Sometimes you need a good whipping and that’s what we got. A good whipping helps us get ourselves back to where we need to be. A loss like this can be good if it comes at the right time.” The only good news for the Bears (9-4) is that they maintained their one-game lead atop the NFC North over the Green Bay Packers (8-5), who suffered a 7-3 upset loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. “The reality is we got our butts kicked and we’re still in first place,” said middle linebacker Brian Urlacher. “We’ll watch film and learn from it. But we’re still in first place in the NFC North and that’s where we wanted to be when the season began. The Patriots are the best team in the AFC. They came in here—our field, our weather—and pounded us.” Enough said.. Time to put this thrashing behind us and “Get r Done” and prepare for the Vikings. |
