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Bears finish with flurry
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/12/2004
Mike Martz isn't one of these coaches who thinks NFL exhibition games are meaningless, or that the final score doesn't matter.
"I'd like to win every one of them, guys," Martz told reporters earlier in the week in Macomb, Ill. "I think every coach does, but with the guys that you're playing ... we still need to look at some players. But it's still very competitive. In the middle of the game, I'm not thinking about this being a preseason game. Trust me."
What Martz got instead, was a head coach's nightmare - exhibition overtime. And a preseason loss. Despite outplaying Chicago for most of the first three quarters Thursday night, the Bears scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to send the game into overtime tied 10-10.
At least it was a short overtime. Ahmad Merritt returned the overtime kickoff 87 yards to the Rams' 7. New Bears coach Lovie Smith immediately sent out Paul Edinger to kick a 25-yard field goal, giving Chicago a 13-10 victory at the Edward Jones Dome.
The offensive highlights for St. Louis included an eight-for-nine passing performance by No. 2 quarterback Chris Chandler, four catches for 73 yards by wide receiver Shaun McDonald, and 15 carries for 73 yards by Steven Jackson through three quarters.
Defensively, the Rams got two sacks from Erik Flowers in the second half. Flowers got the second sack after temporarily leaving the game when he was literally squashed on a pass rush by Bears 370-pound offensive tackle Aaron Gibson. The Rams generally got a good pass rush. In the secondary, second-year man Kevin Garrett played tight coverage.
Marc Bulger played one series, completing three of six passes for 57 yards on a 64-yard field-goal drive. Chandler took over and led the Rams on a four-play, 86-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter. McDonald caught a 40-yard pass on the drive - the night's longest gain.
Chandler and the Rams were moving into field-goal range in the final minute of the first half. But Bears cornerback Eric Kelly wrestled the ball away from Rams wide receiver Kevin Curtis for an interception with 25 seconds to play, ending the drive at the St. Louis 35.
For more than three quarters, the highlight for the Bears was their opening drive, which featured some impressive running by offseason acquisition Thomas Jones. Jones had carries of 17 and 26 yards on the drive. The 26-yarder came on a third-and-one play to the right. The Rams appeared to have the play stuffed, but Jones cut back to his left where there was no backside help by the over-pursuing defense.
That play carried to the St. Louis 25. Four plays later, the Bears were in the end zone on a 10-yard pass from Rex Grossman to fullback Bryan Johnson. But the play was nullified by a holding penalty against Chicago.
The Bears had to settle for a field goal, and that was it for the Chicago scoring. That wasn't it, however, for Chicago penalties. The Bears, in fact, were just warming up. They were flagged 12 times for 105 yards in the first half alone.
But the Bears tied the score 10-10 with 10:36 left in the fourth quarter on a one-yard pass from Jonathan Quinn to tight end Gabe Reid. Before the score, the Bears appeared to be hopelessly penned in near midfield. But on a third-and-27 play, Dwight Anderson was flagged for illegal contact on a pass play It was only a five-yard penalty, but an automatic first down, keeping the drive alive.
The Rams also had a touchdown called back on a scintillating 66-yard punt return by McDonald midway through the fourth quarter. But the play was called back because of an illegal block in the back. Again, the culprit appeared to be Anderson - an undrafted rookie trying to make the team as a fifth cornerback.
Bethalto High's Joe Odom, a second-year Bears linebacker from Purdue, had a chance to end the game in regulation, but he dropped what looked like a sure interception inside the Rams' 15. Odom would've been able to walk into the end zone had he hung onto the ball.
Chicago had yet another chance to win the game in regulation, but a Hail Mary pass from Craig Krenzel bounced off of Jamin Elliott's hand in the end zone, falling incomplete.
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/12/2004
Mike Martz isn't one of these coaches who thinks NFL exhibition games are meaningless, or that the final score doesn't matter.
"I'd like to win every one of them, guys," Martz told reporters earlier in the week in Macomb, Ill. "I think every coach does, but with the guys that you're playing ... we still need to look at some players. But it's still very competitive. In the middle of the game, I'm not thinking about this being a preseason game. Trust me."
What Martz got instead, was a head coach's nightmare - exhibition overtime. And a preseason loss. Despite outplaying Chicago for most of the first three quarters Thursday night, the Bears scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to send the game into overtime tied 10-10.
At least it was a short overtime. Ahmad Merritt returned the overtime kickoff 87 yards to the Rams' 7. New Bears coach Lovie Smith immediately sent out Paul Edinger to kick a 25-yard field goal, giving Chicago a 13-10 victory at the Edward Jones Dome.
The offensive highlights for St. Louis included an eight-for-nine passing performance by No. 2 quarterback Chris Chandler, four catches for 73 yards by wide receiver Shaun McDonald, and 15 carries for 73 yards by Steven Jackson through three quarters.
Defensively, the Rams got two sacks from Erik Flowers in the second half. Flowers got the second sack after temporarily leaving the game when he was literally squashed on a pass rush by Bears 370-pound offensive tackle Aaron Gibson. The Rams generally got a good pass rush. In the secondary, second-year man Kevin Garrett played tight coverage.
Marc Bulger played one series, completing three of six passes for 57 yards on a 64-yard field-goal drive. Chandler took over and led the Rams on a four-play, 86-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter. McDonald caught a 40-yard pass on the drive - the night's longest gain.
Chandler and the Rams were moving into field-goal range in the final minute of the first half. But Bears cornerback Eric Kelly wrestled the ball away from Rams wide receiver Kevin Curtis for an interception with 25 seconds to play, ending the drive at the St. Louis 35.
For more than three quarters, the highlight for the Bears was their opening drive, which featured some impressive running by offseason acquisition Thomas Jones. Jones had carries of 17 and 26 yards on the drive. The 26-yarder came on a third-and-one play to the right. The Rams appeared to have the play stuffed, but Jones cut back to his left where there was no backside help by the over-pursuing defense.
That play carried to the St. Louis 25. Four plays later, the Bears were in the end zone on a 10-yard pass from Rex Grossman to fullback Bryan Johnson. But the play was nullified by a holding penalty against Chicago.
The Bears had to settle for a field goal, and that was it for the Chicago scoring. That wasn't it, however, for Chicago penalties. The Bears, in fact, were just warming up. They were flagged 12 times for 105 yards in the first half alone.
But the Bears tied the score 10-10 with 10:36 left in the fourth quarter on a one-yard pass from Jonathan Quinn to tight end Gabe Reid. Before the score, the Bears appeared to be hopelessly penned in near midfield. But on a third-and-27 play, Dwight Anderson was flagged for illegal contact on a pass play It was only a five-yard penalty, but an automatic first down, keeping the drive alive.
The Rams also had a touchdown called back on a scintillating 66-yard punt return by McDonald midway through the fourth quarter. But the play was called back because of an illegal block in the back. Again, the culprit appeared to be Anderson - an undrafted rookie trying to make the team as a fifth cornerback.
Bethalto High's Joe Odom, a second-year Bears linebacker from Purdue, had a chance to end the game in regulation, but he dropped what looked like a sure interception inside the Rams' 15. Odom would've been able to walk into the end zone had he hung onto the ball.
Chicago had yet another chance to win the game in regulation, but a Hail Mary pass from Craig Krenzel bounced off of Jamin Elliott's hand in the end zone, falling incomplete.
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