Stench of loss can’t be missed
Sometimes five different people can watch an NFL game and come up with five different turning points or reasons that one team won and another lost.
The Bears’ 45-10 loss at Cincinnati that dropped them to 3-3 on Sunday wasn’t that complicated. Here’s your three-word, family-newspaper-friendly analysis: The Bears stunk.
They stunk at practically every position on offense. From quarterback Jay Cutler’s three-interception day to the porous offensive line, the still-invisible running back to the blanketed wide receivers.
Sure, Devin Hester had 101 receiving yards. He also fumbled after a big pass reception in the first half, leading to the Bengals’ fourth touchdown, which stunk.
The Bears’ defense stunk worse. The Bengals scored every time they had the ball in the first half. That really stunk.
Aside from having no sacks, the defense gave up a career-high 189 rushing yards to Bengals running back Cedric Benson. Quarterback Carson Palmer threw five touchdown passes.
Chad Ochocinco embarrassed Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, and the Bears’ defense just like he promised, with 118 yards on 10 catches for two touchdowns.
The nonchalance with which the Bears handled the pregame taunting by Ochocinco now looks more like weakness than composure. I’m still not sure exactly what “kiss the baby” means, but it’s clearly more unpleasant than it sounds.
The Bears’ punting even stunk, with Brad Maynard averaging 32 yards on three kicks.
Meanwhile, the Bears’ punt-return team accomplished a feat rarely done in any sport.
The Bears’ defense finally forced a Bengals punt in the fourth quarter, but Jamar Williams drew a running-into-the-kicker penalty that gave Cincinnati a first down.
So the punt return team stunk without even playing a down that counted. That’s like the rare double-eagle of stinkery.
The Bears’ front office and coaching staff even stunk retroactively for not being able to get the performance out of Benson that the Bengals have – or for drafting a guy who didn’t want to play for them, whatever your pleasure.
Bears coach Lovie Smith stood there the whole time, stone-faced as usual, hands on his hips.
We all know that Smith isn’t the most excitable guy in the world. But how does your demeanor stay unchanged while your team gets beaten in every way imaginable?
That stunk.
Ninety-eight percent of the fans watching the game probably showed more emotion than the Bears’ coach, and they weren’t on TV getting embarrassed. Seemed a lot like when the Dick Jauron era went bad.
Still, Smith must have said something to the team after the game, right?
“You can imagine,” Smith said after the game. “Not that you have to say a whole lot, because we all saw what happened out there today.”
Yes, we watched you guys stink it up until we couldn’t take it anymore and had to go do something else.
“A total breakdown by us, but you move on,” Smith said. “Experience teaches you a lot. I have been in the situation before – we lost, 45-0, came back and played for the championship that year. So experience teaches you a lot. But right now, that’s not helping a whole lot. I’m just disappointed in our play.”
Hear, hear. We’re all disappointed. Also, you guys stunk and it was awful.
Is there a bright side to this game? Not really, unless you take into account that backup quarterback Caleb Hanie was able to get some reps. That is a good thing – with the way the offensive line has been blocking, it seems only a matter of time before Cutler is injured. You want Hanie to get some practice before he has to start.
But take heart: Next week the Bears host the Cleveland Browns. They really stink.
• Eric Olson is the Northwest Herald’s sports editor. Reach him at 815-526-4554, or e-mail eolson@nwherald.com.
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