8502150806
DETROIT FREE PRESS
851111
Monday, November 11, 1985
METRO FINAL
1F
Photo
MITCH ALBOM
Copyright (c) 1985, Detroit Free Press
THERE WAS A WORST PART: BEARS WERE RIPE FOR LOSS
CHICAGO -- Well, this was a terrible, embarrassing, second- rate football
game. But let me be blunt.
The Chicago Bears finished off the Lions Sunday about as quickly as it
takes a dog to raise its leg, and with nearly the same respect. On a day fit
for tadpoles and the occasional polar bear, they bruised and bullied and
stomped all over the silver and blue and left giggling, 24-3 winners.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The Bears ran right through the Lions defense, which for the most part was
as effective as a lace napkin. Fullback Matt Suhey had his first 100-yard game
in two years. Walter Payton had his umpteenth 100-yard day to make it a
matching set -- the first time two Bears had gained 100 yards in the same
game in seven years.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The Lions' offense went oingo-boingo. Eric Hipple saw more of the sky than
he did of his receivers. The only thing tougher to complete than a pass seemed
to be the snap, which the Lions muffed three times.
But that wasn't the worst part, either.
Defense indescribable
Nor was the fact that in the Bears' locker room afterwards, a cigar-puffing
tackle named Keith Van Horne was asked to assess honestly the play of the
Lions' defensive line.
"Oh, uh . . . heh . . . heh-heh . . . umm . . . heh-heh . . . uh . . . what
can I say?" he said.
Nor was it the Lions' feeble punting game, the snaps that nearly flew over
the kicker's head, or the less-than-inspiring decision to punt on third down
as the first quarter ran out -- because the wind was blowing in the right
direction.
No, no, no, and no. The worst part of this whole sordid affair is that the
Bears -- the best team in football -- on this day might have been takable.
Everyone knows of the Big Bad Bears this year. They came in Sunday cocky,
swell-headed, undefeated in nine games and all but assured of the division
title -- with a big game against Dallas next week already on their minds. But
they came out playing like mere . . . mortals.
"You could tell at the start that they really didn't want to play," Lions
coach Darryl Rogers said afterwards. "They weren't showing the normal
intensity. . . . You could see it. It made me hopeful at first."
And why not? This was a rare moment. With starting quarterback Jim McMahon
out with an injury, the new Bears were suddenly playing like the Bears of old,
when the most effective passes were the distance from the quarterback's arm
to Walter Payton's stomach.
Unfortunately, even that was too tough for the Lions to defend. And despite
the gifts from Bears' backup quarterback Steve Fuller -- which included a
few passes that bounced off Lions' defenders and a foolish giveaway on a
fumbled lateral -- three points was all the Lions could muster in the bluster.
The Bears' offense ate them up.
The Bears' defense spit them out.
Opting for the opera
I'd like to point out what happened in the first half, but that would be
like sifting through a garbage can to see what the owner had for dinner.
Suffice it to say it was pretty bad. And the second half wasn't much better.
In fairness, the weather was enough to make you attend an opera for
shelter. Bone cold, wet and windy, it left both teams at times playing like
junior colleges. No. Sorry. I take that back. Some junior colleges play better
than that.
There were missed passes, missed handoffs, punts whose hang time would be
measured in microseconds. There was, however, no offense by William (The
Refrigerator) Perry. Thank heaven for small things. Er, big things.
The Lions wound up with only 106 total yards, an average of 26.5 per
quarter. Ugh. The Bears owned the foorball for 41 minutes out of 60. Double
ugh.
"It's embarrassing," said Lions' tackle Keith Dorney. "They came in and
blew us out. What can I say? I'm very embarrassed."
So are many of his teammates. But OK. One can only take so much bad news.
The Lions were not supposed to win this game -- it just would have been a
golden opportunity. It's gone. But before anyone gets suicidal, let's remember
the Lions are 5-5 and still alive for the playoffs. And if anyone had told you
at the start of this season that would be the case right now, you'd have
probably laughed, or tried to sell them insurance.
"The Bears are a great team and we are a struggling team," said Rogers, who
wins points for honesty. "Face it, we are not the Chicago Bears."
Losses, like Sundays, are part of living with that. The worst part, let's
hope.
COLUMN;FOOTBALL