Bears’ Tim Jennings: ‘We had a bead on the ball’

Cornerback Tim Jennings takes off after intercepting a pass in the fourth quarter on Sunday, a play the resulted in a brief brawl. | Tom Cruze~Sun-Times

Updated: December 15, 2011 10:05AM

Cornerback Tim Jennings almost did too much Sunday.

Jennings’ inadvertently started a brawl between the Lions and the Bears after his interception return in the fourth quarter. But before that, he made one of the key plays that helped set the tone for the Bears’ 37-13 victory at Soldier Field.

Jennings helped the Bears get off to a 10-0 start in the first quarter when he stripped Nate Burleson on a 20-yard gain and recovered the fumble to give the Bears possession at their 38. It led to Robbie Gould’s 43-yard field goal.

‘‘Every guy out there was hungry and having fun,’’ Jennings said. ‘‘We had a bead on the ball and the quarterback. The defensive line got after it. We took advantage of every gift we had out there.’’

Chris Williams out

The Bears started the same offensive line combination for the fourth consecutive game, but that continuity is in jeopardy after left guard Chris Williams suffered a wrist injury that forced him out of the game. Edwin Williams replaced him.

‘‘In general, you don’t want to come into a situation like that — somebody being hurt,’’ Williams said. ‘‘But that’s what reserves are for. We’re supposed to be ready at any moment.’’

Williams said he did ‘‘OK’’ but will let the coaches determine that upon film review. ‘‘The guys were encouraging,’’ he said of his teammates. ‘‘We have some great leaders on this team. As long as I listen to them I’ll be fine.

Mr. Dependable

Jay Cutler completed 9 of 14 passes for 123 yards in the first half — six of them to Earl Bennett for 81 yards. Bennett had two big catches in the first quarter — a 15-yard play on second-and-13 to midfield; and a 17-yard catch on third-and-13 to the Lions’ 38. He did not catch a pass in the second half.

‘‘I was just trying to make plays,’’ said Bennett, who had five catches for 95 yards in his first game back from a chest bruise against the Eagles. ‘‘We were able to move the ball pretty good. Our defense did a heck of a job.’’

Cheap-shot artists?

The Lions are a hard-nosed team in any situation, so it wasn’t a surprise to Brian Urlacher that things got out of hand when the game did.

‘‘I knew it would,’’ Urlacher said. ‘‘Sometimes teams do that when they get down, I guess. It didn’t really matter. We didn’t partake in a lot of their stuff. D.J. [Moore], that was a bad call. I don’t know why he got thrown out of the game. That was stupid — not on his part, but the call was bad.’’

Big hit, big penalty

Lance Briggs was called for unnecessary roughness with a big hit on Calvin Johnson early in the fourth quarter. What did he do wrong?

‘‘He knocked the [stuffing] out of him, that’s what happened,’’ Urlacher said. ‘‘I don’t know why it was a penalty.’’

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