My Friends,
The wheel chocks are in place, the engine has been pickled, and the keys are hanging on the rack. The Vista Cruiser won’t be going anywhere for a while. It’s a happy day at Halas Hall, because for the first time since the 1988 season they won’t have to mail out playoff ticket refunds. The NFC Championship is coming to Soldier Field.
The day began with a trip back in time as Woj graciously offered the use of his Marina City digs for an indoor tailgate of steaks and Man Salad Redux. Giants Fan, who made plans to attend the game over a week ago on the chance he would see his beloved Big Blue, struck out in a valiant search for the elusive Chicago potato knish and provided potato and onion pierogi instead, always welcome in the Woj kitchen. Ever the good sport, Giants Fan was tastefully attired in a burnt orange hunter’s jacket over a navy blue turtleneck. I take back much of what I’ve previously said about fans of New Jersey’s NFC entry, but not all.
Everybody selected their favorite beverage after the morning gorge was complete, and we headed up to the roof to toast our guys. We exhorted them on to victory with a rousing rendition of the Bears fight song, which echoed through the downtown canyons and was surely enjoyed by the sleeping residents below. We continued our song on the elevator ride down, wondering what it must have sounded like on the floors we passed and whether the cable would hold our girth.
We made it, and it was on to Soldier Field.
Things were looking up when the Bears took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards for a touchdown, but that’s the way the period ended before Matt Hasselbeck hit Nate Burleson to even the score on the first play of the second quarter. The tie game didn’t last long, though, as Bernard Berrian got behind the Seattle safeties on the next play from scrimmage, and Rex Grossman hit him in stride for a 14-7 lead. The teams traded fourth down touchdown runs on their last drives of the half making the score 21-14 at the break and anybody who took the under 37 nervous.
An early second half field goal beat the number and pulled the Seahawks to within four, and when the Bears couldn’t get anything going Seattle took the lead on a 13-yard Shaun Alexander touchdown burst. But the Bears answered, driving to a first and goal at the eight courtesy of a boneheaded defensive delay of game penalty on the Seahawks. But then it was the Bears receiver’s turn at brain cramping, as Berrian got nailed for a false start followed by Muhsin Muhammad looking like a volleyball setter as he popped a pass directly into the hands of Seahawks cornerback and resident loan officer Pete Hunter. The interception killed the drive, but Hasselbeck returned the favor on the very next play, finding the Bears Ricky Manning, Jr. on a deep out.
After the teams traded a pair of three-and-outs Devin Hester muffed a punt, picked it up and gave the crowd a thrill and the Bears the lead with a 66-yard touchdown return. But laundry back at the Bears 39 nullified the score, forcing the offense to start at their own 29 with a little over ten minutes to play. Finding Cedric Benson through the air and on the ground, Rex Grossman moved the Bears down to the Seattle 23 where Robbie Gould snuck a 41-yard field goal just inside the left upright and above the crossbar to tie the score, setting the stage for overtime.
Although statistics argue otherwise, I’ve never been a big fan of getting the ball first in sudden death when your defense is playing well. Sunday was one of those days, as the Bears defense held the Seahawks under 290 yards during regulation. So when Seattle won the toss and elected to receive, it played right into the Bears hands. Our guys got the wind and the ball back on a short field after Israel Idonije came free and forced Seahawks punter Ryan Plackemeier into an eighteen-yard shank. On third and ten Ron Turner called the same skinny post play that beat the Vikings earlier this year, with Grossman finding Rashied Davis for a 30 yard gain. Then Cedric Benson picked up another four down to the Seattle 32, and the stage was set. I looked at Mojo and said, “You can either stand and watch, or you can mojo.” And mojo he did, as Robbie Gould nailed the 49-yard field goal that eliminated the defending NFC champions and sent the place into pandemonium.
What a game! The heroes are many: Idonije, for that punt he almost blocked in OT. Davis, who ran for nine yards on a reverse, carried a Bears punt out of bounds at the Seattle seven and caught three passes for first downs, one of which he snatched away from Jordan Babineaux on the opening drive that might have been crushing to Grossman’s confidence. Thomas Jones, for his running and blocking, two touchdowns, and knocking a sure interception out of Rocky Bernard’s hands late in regulation. The defense that kept coming up big, only giving up 306 yards and holding Seattle to 1 of 7 on third downs with less than four to go. Rex Grossman, who hit several big passes when they needed them.
And, of course, Robbie Gould. What can you say about this kid? Who would have thought after Angelo picked him up off the midseason scrap heap that he’d turn into a Pro Bowler and finally end the search for a kicker that has been ongoing since Dave Wannstedt opted for Carlos Huerta over Kevin Butler? Like the guys said yesterday, you can never have too much Gould.
So the monkey is off the Bears back and now they can look forward to being the Grinch for the NFL’s feel-good story of the year. Bring on the Saints, who will march in as the sentimental favorite. It looks like they’d be the bookie’s choice, too, as the current line only favors the Bears by two at home. The current forecast calls for 27-degree temperatures with gusty west winds. While it’s not called Bear weather anymore, it sure as hell won’t be what they’re used to indoors in the Big Easy, as the Falcons so aptly demonstrated last year.
If we don’t misplace our Mojo again I like our chances.
LBF
1/15/2007