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Week 14 Game Recap: Chicago Bears 16, Washington Redskins 24
What you need to know
| Chicago Bears |
The Bears lost starting QB Rex Grossman on the second series of the game when he suffered a left knee injury when a defender fell on him. Grossman's knee was bent awkwardly on the hit and it looked like a serious injury. He was replaced by QB Brian Griese who struggled early in the game as he gave up two interceptions on two consecutive passes to CB Shawn Springs. Griese played a little better in the second half as the Bears abandoned their pitiful run game and threw it more often. He went 18 of 28 for 230 yards in the second half including a 17 yard touchdown pass to WR Bernard Berrian. Griese finished the game with some solid passing numbers but, simply did not look very sharp or comfortable in the pocket. He raised his interception total to 12 in only seven appearances and he did not make many plays in the red zone.
RB Adrian Peterson had rough game against a tough Redskins run defense and only averaged two yards a carry on 17 attempts in the game. The Bears have really struggled running the ball all year and this game was no different. More disappointing was the fact that Peterson was a non-factor in the passing game, he only caught one pass for nine yards. His biggest play of the game was a 25 yard gain off a screen pass but, that was negated because of a penalty. Backup RB Garrett Wolfe saw a lot of action in the fourth quarter in passing situations.
WR Bernard Berrian had an excellent game catching a game high seven catches for 91 yards, and one touchdown. He made a couple of great catches in this game including a 35 yard grab on the right sideline which was the Bears biggest play of the game, and a 17 yard touchdown reception he made in the corner of the end zone. Berrian was also Griese's favorite target in the game as he had 12 balls thrown his way.
| Washington Redskins |
This was a bad game to be starting quarterback as QB Jason Campbell went down shortly after QB Rex Grossman did when a couple of defenders fell on his leg while he was throwing the ball. It appeared to be a significant injury as his leg was placed in an air cast on the field and he was carted off. It was reported to be a dislocated knee cap. Backup Todd Collins came into the game not having thrown a pass in a couple of years, and played very well. He was 15 for 20 for 224 yards and two touchdowns. The Redskins pass protection was very good in this game and was one of the keys to success for them in the game.
RB Clinton Portis did not have a good game rushing the ball as he was held to only 36 yards. But Portis was a factor in the passing game as he had six catches for 86 yards. He had one big play where he took a screen play 54 yards early in the third quarter. Portis showed his exceptional cut back ability and great vision on the play. He was tackled on the one yard line and came out the game after the play. FB Mike Sellers punched the ball in for touchdown two plays later.
TE Chris Cooley had a nice game catching five passes for 93 yards. Cooley was knocked out of this game for a while late in the first half with a lower leg injury and went to the locker room early at halftime. His replacement, TE Todd Yoder, caught a 21 yard touchdown pass while he was out of the game. But Cooley would return in the second half to make some big plays for the Redskins offense, including catches of 33 and 20 yards in the fourth quarter to help set up a score.
What you ought to know
| QB Brian Griese, Pass: 27 - 45 - 295 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 4 - 12 - 0 |
Griese replaced QB Rex Grossman after he went down with a knee injury early in the game. He did not look good in the first half and struggled to move the ball. Griese threw a bad pass that was intercepted by CB Shawn Springs late in the first half and was returned to the Bears 21 yard line. The turnover led the Redskins to their only touchdown in the first half on the next play. Griese's next pass was also intercepted by Springs with five seconds left in the first half. He was nine for 17 for 65 yards in the first half. He was able to move the ball a little better in the third quarter as he had 117 yards passing in that quarter and a 17 yard touchdown pass to WR Bernard Berrian. Griese was never able to make any big plays in the passing game, they had only one play over 20 yards, but he was able to put up pretty good yardage numbers off of 45 pass attempts.
| QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 2 - 6 - 14 - 0 TD / 0 INT |
Grossman was injured on the second series of the game when the Redskins defender hit his left knee while throwing. It looked like it could be a significant injury. He did not return to the game.
| RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 17 - 35 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) |
The Bears tried to the run the ball in the first half as they gave the ball to Peterson 13 times, but he did not have a lot of success against a solid Redskins defense as he only had 30 yards. Peterson only had one catch for nine yards, and had a 25 yard catch called back on penalty in the second quarter. Peterson only got two carries for two yards in the third quarter as Chicago started throwing the ball much more in the second half. He would get a carry with the ball on the Washington one yard but, the Redskins defensive line got a good push and tackled Peterson for a three yard loss. The Bears used backup RB Garrett Wolfe a lot more in the fourth quarter in passing situations.
| RB Garrett Wolfe, Rush: 3 - 13 - 0, Rec: 4 - 37 - 0 (4 targets) |
Wolfe had one carry for 11 yards in the third quarter. He got a few more carries in the fourth quarter as well. He caught four passes for 37 yards late in the game as the short and the speedy Wolfe was used quite a bit late in the game as the Bears were forced to pass the ball.
| WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 7 - 91 - 1 (12 targets) |
Berrian had the Bears biggest play of the first half on a quick out that he was able to break a tackle on and take 15 yards for a first down. He finished the first half as the Bears leading receiver, catching three passes for 29 yards. Berrian had a great catch for 35 catch in which he went over the defender and was able to bring the ball down. He caught a pass that was originally waived off by the officials as incomplete. It was an impressive catch as Berrian caught the ball over a defender and it looked like his elbows came down in bounds. After it was reviewed by the instant reply it was ruled a touchdown. Berrian went on to have a very good game and some plays down the field for Chicago, including a couple of very athletic catches.
| WR Devin Hester, Rec: 5 - 67 - 0 (10 targets) |
Hester didn't catch his first pass until the fourth quarter on 17 yard reception on play in which he escaped a tackle and almost turned into a bigger play. He caught another pass on the next play for 16 yards. Hester almost scored on his fourth catch as he was knocked out at the one yard line. He had four catches for 58 yards on that drive.
| WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 4 - 27 - 0 (6 targets) |
Muhammad caught three passes for 22 yards in the first half and would add two catches for five more yards in the second half.
| WR Mark Bradley, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) |
Bradley had only one catch for four yards in the game.
| TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (5 targets) |
Clark had three catches for 33 yards in the game. His biggest catch was a 20 yard reception in the third quarter that helped set up the Bears only touchdown of the game.
| TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 3 - 31 - 0 (9 targets) |
Olsen had only one catch for two yards in the first half, but had an amazing one handed catch for 20 yards with a defender draped all over him. He came back and caught a nine yard pass on the next play. Olsen had two consecutive passes thrown to him in the end zone with the ball on the Redskins five yard line.
| PK Robbie Gould 3 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points |
Gould had a 48 yard field goal blocked in the first quarter. He did make a 30 yard field in the third quarter. Gould added another field goal from 22 yards with 30 seconds left in the game.
| CHI Rush Defense |
The run defense did its job in this game by holding RB Clinton Portis to only 36 yards rushing and the rest of the team to negative five yards. The banged up Redskins line struggled to open up holes for the running game against the Bears.
| CHI Pass Defense |
The pass defense did not play very well as they gave up 324 yards passing and two passing touchdowns to backup QB Todd Collins.
| QB Todd Collins, Pass: 15 - 20 - 224 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 |
Collins came in briefly for a couple of plays when Campbell hurt his throwing on play in the second quarter. He returned to the game permanently when it appeared QB Jason Campbell suffered a serious leg injury. Collins was able to hit TE Todd Yoder for a 21 yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the first half. It was his first touchdown pass since 2002. He finished the first half four for five for 37 yards. Collins played very well in the second half as was able to find open receivers in key situations and move the offense down the field. He hooked up with RB Ladell Betts late in the game on a 16 yard score for his second touchdown pass of the game. He was 11 for 15 for 187 yards in the second half.
| QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 10 - 16 - 100 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Campbell played ok early in the game but was unable to sustain drives for the Redskins. In the second quarter, Campbell rolled to his left and he took a shot to his right arm as he tried to get to the sideline. It looked like the defenders helmet hit Campbell on his throwing elbow. He was replaced by back up QB Todd Collins on the next play. Campbell would return to the game on the next series of the game, but three plays later he had a defender fall on his leg. Campbell looked to be in considerable pain and he was carted off the field. This looked like a serious injury as the medical staff immobilized his leg in an air cast. Early reports are that he suffered a dislocated knee cap. He did not return to the game.
| RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 17 - 36 - 0, Rec: 6 - 86 - 0 (6 targets) |
Portis started out slow on the ground rushing for only seven yards in the first quarter. But he did have two catches for 22 yards early in the game. Portis only had 12 yards on eight carries in the first half as the Bears completely bottled up the rush game of Washington. He did add four catches for 25 yards in the half. He started the second half with a big play catching a short pass from QB Todd Collins and taking it 54 yards before being tackled on the one yard line. Portis would come out of the game and FB Mike Sellers would punch the ball over for a touchdown two plays later. It was reported later that Portis had an upset stomach and he missed the next series for Washington. Portis would return on Washington's next possession. He was never really able to get another big gain as the Redskin line struggle to open holes for him. Portis only had 24 yards on nine carries in the second half. Portis did have nice receiving yards catching six passes for 86 yards.
| RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 3 - -3 - 0, Rec: 4 - 26 - 1 (6 targets) |
Betts had one carry for negative two yards, and one catch for seven yards. He did not do much in the second half but did catch a 16 yard pass over the middle for a touchdown late in the game.
| RB Mike Sellers, Rush: 1 - 1 - 1 |
Sellers scored on a one yard run from the Bears one yard after a 54 yard reception by RB Clinton Portis on Washington's first drive of the second half. It was his only carry of the game.
| WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 4 - 60 - 0 (7 targets) |
Randle El had his biggest play of the game on a 22 yard pass for a first down on the last play of the first quarter. He had a big play late in the game on a third down for 15 yards and a first down while Washington was driving deep into Chicago territory.
| WR Santana Moss, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (6 targets) |
Moss had two catches for 13 yards as the Redskins offense struggled mightily to score points in the first half. He only had one catch for 16 yards in the second half.
| WR Keenan McCardell, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) |
McCardell had one catch for four yards in the first half for his only catch of the game.
| TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 5 - 93 - 0 (7 targets) |
Cooley was QB Jason Campbell's favorite target early on and caught a 23 yard pass in the second quarter. He finished the first half as the Redskins leading receiver catching three balls for 40 yards. Cooley appeared to injure his lower leg late in the first half and limped off to the locker room before the first half ended. Cooley did return to the game at the start of the second half. He caught a big pass over the middle at the beginning of the fourth quarter for a 33 yard gain. He would come back with another big play as he caught a pass for 20 yards. Cooley led the Redskins in receiving with 93 yards and was big part of the offense in this game.
| TE Todd Yoder, Rec: 1 - 21 - 1 (1 targets) |
Yoder caught a 21 yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the first half. Yoder had replaced an injured TE Chris Cooley late in the first half. It would his only catch of the game.
| PK Shaun Suisham 1 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points |
Suisham had a 47 yard field goal attempt come up just short in the first quarter. He also missed a 37 yard field in the second quarter. Suisham was able to make a 23 yard attempt in the fourth quarter.
| WAS Rush Defense |
The Washington run defense did a good job of shutting down the Chicago run game as they only allowed 60 yards rushing and only 48 yards to the running backs.
| WAS Pass Defense |
CB Shawn Springs intercepted a QB Brian Griese pass late in the first half and returned it to the Bears 21 yard line. This turnover set up the Redskins first touchdown. Springs intercepted Griese again on his next pass with five seconds left in the first half. The Redskins' did give up over 300 yards of passing in the game but, only gave up one touchdown as the Bears struggled in the red zone.
