'Worst loss I've covered'
CINCINNATI—Where do you start after a game like this?
The New York papers have been hammering the Brooke Hundley-n-Steve Phillips affair all week ... and this debacle was that kind of ugly. This was the worst Bears' game I've witnessed in nine seasons, eclipsing the 49-7 season-opening loss at San Francisco in 2003 because there were no expectations for that team.
(AP)
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10+ things about Bears' loss
"I had forgot about the ('03 opener in San Francisco), I thought that was the only time it had happened,'' tight end Desmond Clark said.
Well, Dez, I apologize for bringing it back in your memory.
"This is a far better team than that team back in '03,'' he said. "This is probably even more embarrassing because as much talent as we have on this team, we shouldn't lose like this."
The Bears were bad all the way around in the stunning 45-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. They were awful on defense, never got started on offense and couldn't make any kind of difference whatsoever on special teams. They were outplayed, unprepared and run over.
One person compared it to the 37-3 loss the Bears suffered at Green Bay last November but that's apples to oranges. The offense played with quarterback Kyle Orton coming off a serious ankle injury. The defense had the wrong gameplan--it planned to stop Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant overran the Bears.
Expectations are different for this Bears' team. Jay Cutler is at quarterback and the offense is supposed to be able to keep them in games. The expectations are this is a playoff team. Instead, the Bears are 3-3 and they've lost two straight. They have the gift of all gifts with the Cleveland Browns coming to Soldier Field next week. The only thing easier might be if the league moved up the date with the St. Louis Rams. I watched the very end of the Arizona-New York Giants game from the hotel tonight, and all of a sudden that visit from the Cardinals on Nov. 8 looks like one tough matchup. Go ahead and circle that ballgame as the one that might decide whether or not the Bears do anything this season.
"[Fans] don't have to adjust their expectations,'' Cutler said. "Everyone in the NFL wants to win the Super Bowl. We have those expectations. We still think we have a good football team, and we still think we can make a run.''
Here are 10 random thoughts/nuggets coming out of this horror show: CLICK HERE