Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher (54) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 at LP Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Bears have already dominated enough through their first seven games, but Sunday they did something no NFL team had ever done.
They became the first team in NFL history with a touchdown pass, touchdown run, interception return for a touchdown & blocked kick returned for a touchdown in same quarter.
Just try to grasp that. The Bears tied a franchise record with 28 points in the opening quarter.
Charles Tillman came into the game having forced 31 fumbles in his nine-year career. He forced four fumbles on Sunday, three of which the Bears recovered.
Tillman stripped Titans WR Kenny Britt on the first play from scrimmage. The Bears offense couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, but the special teams up started the rout.
CB Sherrick McManis blocked a Brett Kern punt and DE Corey Wootton returned it five yards to make it 7-0 Bears.
Shortly after that the Titans forced a safety as they had the Bears backed up on their own end zone. An illegal hands to the face penalty by LT J’Marcus Webb in the Bears’ end zone forced the safety making the game 7-2.
The Bears forced the Titans to punt after the safety and WR/KR Devin Hester nearly took a punt to the house as he returned 44 yards to set up the offense. RB Matt Forte punched it in from eight yards out to make it 14-2 Bears.
Not even a full minute after the defense made yet another play. MLB Brian Urlacher stepped in front of a Matt Hasselbeck pass and returned it 47 yards for the score. That interception return was the Bears seventh on the season. 21-2 Bears with roughly three minutes left in the first quarter.
The next play on offense for the Titans was a bad one once again. Tillman stripped running back Chris Johnson and S Chris Conte recovered it to set the Bears’ offense up in scoring position.
After a couple of running plays, QB Jay Cutler eventually found WR Brandon Marshall for a 13-yard touchdown to make the game 28-2.
The Bears’ defense didn’t allow a single first down until roughly halfway through the second quarter.
Brian Urlacher forced a fumble out of Chris Johnson’s hands and CB Kelvin Hayden recovered it in the middle of the second quarter. Urlacher later recovered a third Tillman strip.
The Bears went into the locker room leading 31-5 at the half.
The defense allowed a four-play 59-yard drive which ended in a 30-yard touchdown reception by Titans WR Nate Washington to open up the second half.
K Robbie Gould added two more field goals to make the game 37-12 in favor of the Bears at the end of three quarters.
Cutler found Marshall on back-to-back drives for touchdowns.
Cutler admitted after the game that it felt a lot similar to a home game for the Bears.
”It was weird,” Cutler said of all the Bears fans via Yahoosports.com. ”I had to hush the crowd down in the red zone, and they got quiet really quick. We have the best fans in the world.”
Up 51-12 with 10:20 left in the final quarter, the Bears rested many of their starters on defense.
Titans RB Chris Johnson broke off an 80-yard touchdown against the backups to make the game 51-20 after Tennessee converted the two-point conversion.
The Titans attempted the onside kick but failed. QB Jason Campbell came in and handed it off to RB Armando Allen ten times in the span of two drives to end the game.
The Bears’ defense finished the game with five turnovers, QB Jay Cutler completed 19 of 26 passes for three touchdowns and Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall each went over 100 yards combining for four touchdowns.
The Bears have now won six straight games.
Three Stars of the Game:
1) Charles Tillman- What can’t you say about this guy. He forced a career-high four fumbles, two in the first quarter and one on the first play from scrimmage. He has a great knack for creating turnovers. You have to be glad he is on the Bears side.
2) Brian Urlacher- He finally produced an all around game. He forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and a returned an interception for a touchdown. He also racked up seven tackles on the afternoon. He looks to be back to 100%.
3) Brandon Marshall- He can’t be stopped. He reeled in nine catches on 10 targets racking up 122 yards and three touchdowns. The guy really changes the whole dynamic of the Bears’ offense. Without him I don’t know where they would be right now.
Honorable mentions: CB Sherrick McManis (blocked punt, recovery on Titans onside kick attempt), RB Matt Forte (12 carries, 103 yards, one TD), OL Lance Louis (made his first career reception on a tipped Cutler pass in the second half)
NFC North Standings:
Bears 7-1
Packers 6-3
Vikings 5-4
Lions 4-4
Up Next:
The Bears head back home next Sunday night to host the Houston Texans (7-1).
Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.
