Running game anchors “classic” Bears win

By Paul Eide  |   Monday, November 20, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Chicago Bears
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It wasn't exactly Jim Harbaugh to Neal Anderson, or even Harbaugh to Brad Muster, but the Bears' 10-0 victory over the Jets was definitely reminiscent of "Tecmo Super Bowl" and the pre-West Coast offense era of the NFL, when running was king.

Rex Grossman's stats through three quarters painted a Harbaugh-like performance befitting of the Nintendo classic: 5-of-11 for seven yards.

His 12th pass of the game, a 57-yard touchdown pass to Mark Bradley on the first play of the fourth quarter, put the game out of reach for the Jets; but for once, Grossman's performance wasn't the story -- the running game was.

The Bears rushed for a season-high 173 yards and dominated the line of scrimmage for the majority of the second half.

"They were lining up in different defenses, but our line was blocking well coming off the ball, getting a push," said running back Thomas Jones on a day where the offense averaged five yards per carry.

"They were sustaining their blocks enough for me to get through the hole and get in the secondary and get extra yards."

Jones' early-season struggles seem to be a thing of the past. After averaging only 3.2 yards per carry for the first month of the year, Jones' totals on Sunday increased his average per carry to the four-yard mark for the first time in '06. Over his last six contests, Jones has rushed for over 100 yards four times and averaged 94 per game, compared to a 69-yard average and no 100-yard games in the first four.

Cedric Benson also had his most productive game of the year, gaining 51 yards on 10 carries, looking as good as he has since being drafted. No matter who shoulders the load, the great thing is that both backs are contributing.

"We have a nice chemistry going and whenever you have cracks and creases there and I can find them --and Ced had some really good runs, too," Jones said. ''As the season goes along, defenses are getting tired and the better your running game, the more success you're going to have. We're excited about the way we've been running the ball.''

The emphasis placed on the run versus the Jets possibly shows a concerted effort by Lovie Smith to get the team ready for the playoffs, because if the Bears do in fact cement homefield advantage, Soldier Field in the winter isn't conducive to a successful passing offense.

Don't let the 30- and 40-point games fool you: Controlling the clock, running successfully and then handing the game over to the defense is what the Bears are built for, lest they forget.

"Nine wins, a tough place to play and we got a shut out." said Smith following the game. "We'll take these types of games each week."

A victory and losses by the Vikings and Packers, would secure Chicago's second consecutive NFC North division title and guarantee back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since '90 and '91.

Next week the Bears conclude their once-daunting three-game east coast swing against the Patriots in Foxborough. The two victories in New York set a great tone as the team prepares to face the winners of three of the last five Super Bowls.

"New York has been good to us," Smith said. "Coming here in a tough place and getting two wins like that is big. It's big for our ball club to get that ninth win. A few weeks ago we had a three-game stretch that looked pretty tough. Now we're down to one game and we're anxious to play a good New England team next."
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