NFL: Week Seven – Chicago Bears vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Chicago Bears (10) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (45)
Papa Halas must be rolling over in his grave after this embarrassment. The Bears came to town as one point favorites and got flat out steam rolled by a Bengals squad looking to show that last week’s loss to the Texans is just a mere speed bump on the road to a playoff appearance in January. The Bears were never really in this one as the Bengals opened up a 14-point first quarter and never looked back as they ran up 31 unanswered points until the Bears kicked a field goal to close out the first half.
Cedric Benson played like a man possessed out to show the Bears up for releasing him two summers ago. Benson, the league’s leading rusher after Sunday, made the Bears defensive front look like a den of cubs with a career best day of 189 yards on 37 yards including a touchdown.
The Bengals simply dominated both sides of the ball forcing four Bears turnovers and holding them to just 279 yards of offense while riding the arm of Carson Palmer to five touchdown passes and 448 yards of offense. On the heels of Benson’s career day Chad Ochocinco chipped in season highs of 10 catches, 118 yards, and his second two touchdown effort of the season.
One has to give Ochocinco credit this season. He seems to finally get it and despite some of Palmer’s struggles in the early going and games where he has only seen the ball three or four times we have barely heard any complaining out of him. Of course some of that probably has to do with the team being 5-2 right now. But, even in watching Hard Knocks on HBO this summer he seemed a bit more mature, more like a team leader rather than the rabble-rouser he is constantly made out to be.
Adding fuel to the fire was Carson Palmer who had his most efficient passing game of the year completing 20 of 24 passes for five touchdowns.
The only real positives the Bears can take out of a game like this is Devin Hester caught 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Other than that there was little to be excited about for the Bears. Jay Cutler threw three interceptions and Matt Forte was held to just 24 yards on six carries.
News, Notes, and Observations
The Bears defense has failed to record a sack in two straight games, both losses.
Ochocinco has had 100-yard games the past two weeks and has had at least 90 in three straight games.
Matt Forte failed to reach 30 yards rushing for the second straight game and third time this season.
Sunday was Hester’s first career 100-yard receiving game. His 8 catches also mark a career high.
Laveranues Coles found the end zone for the second straight game.
