Bears sweep Packers, win NFC NorthBy Larry Mayer
December 25, 2005
GREEN BAY, Wis. - What once seemed improbable and later impossible when starting quarterback Rex Grossman broke his ankle in the second preseason game became reality Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Sweeping the season series from their fiercest rival for the first time since 1991, the jubilant Bears clinched the NFC North title and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a stirring 24-17 win over the Packers on a memorable Christmas Day in Green Bay.
"Guys have worked awful hard to get in this position," said coach Lovie Smith, who wore a proud smile along with a division championship hat and t-shirt during his post-game press conference. "It was just a great sight to see our players celebrate.
Wide receiver Bernard Berrian caught 3 passes for 93 yards in the Bears 24-17 win over the Green Bay Packers.
"It's been a long time coming for us. When I first took the job I talked about beating Green Bay, winning the division and winning a world championship. We've accomplished two of those goals and we're in the hunt for the third."
The Bears (11-4) seemingly had put the wraps on their first division title since 2001 when Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs returned a Brett Favre interception 10 yards for a touchdown, extending Chicago's lead to 24-7 with 4:01 remaining in the third quarter.
But the Packers (3-12) stormed back, closing the gap to 24-17 with a touchdown on Antonio Chatham's 85-yard punt return midway through the final period and Ryan Longwell's 26-yard field goal with 1:54 left in regulation.
Green Bay then took over at its own 9 following a punt and Favre promptly connected with Donald Driver for a 56-yard gain to the Chicago 35. But after back-to-back sacks by Tank Johnson and Alex Brown, Chris Harris sealed the win with his second interception of the game at the Chicago 13 on a desperation fourth-and-27 pass as time expired.
"It was a little scary, but that's what champions are made of," said defensive end Adewale Ogunleye. "We pull these games out and it's just a great feeling. Everyone picked us to be dead last in this league, and to do this, we're real excited about it."
Making his first regular season start in 15 months, Grossman was razor sharp in leading the Bears to a touchdown on their opening drive for just the second time this season.
After failing to connect with Bernard Berrian deep down the middle of the field on the first play, he completed 5 of 5 passes for 65 yards capped by a 12-yard TD strike to Muhsin Muhammad on third-and-goal.
Grossman's first TD pass since a 21-10 win over the Packers on Sept. 19, 2004 at Lambeau Field gave the Bears a 7-0 lead with 5:00 remaining in the first quarter.
The 2003 first-round pick completed 11 of 23 passes for 166 yards with 1 TD, 1 interceptions and a 68.4 quarterback rating.
"I think Rex did an awesome job today," said Muhammad, who led the Bears with five receptions for 58 yards. "It seemed like he was throwing everything right on the money. He's just got great touch, anticipation and ball placement."
Sunday's win assured the Bears of being the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and hosting a second-round post-season game Jan. 14 or 15 at Soldier Field.
The Bears have now won 10 of 11 games since a 1-3 start and have defeated Green Bay in three of four games in Smith's two seasons as coach after winning just two of 20 previous meetings with their arch rivals from 1994-2003.
"We've got a good football team," said safety Mike Brown, who missed his third straight game with a calf injury. "We're just excited to finally put together a nice little that was enjoyable for the fans to watch and for us to play, and we got what we deserved.
"I probably still don't think we have the respect yet. We're the No. 2 seed. No one's even talking about us, but hey, that's the way it goes. We just have to make some noise in the playoffs and make them talk about us."
The Bears' No. 1-ranked defense struggled throughout the first half against an injury-riddle Green Bay offense, yielding 198 total yards and 15 first downs while allowing the Packers to possess the ball for 21:30 of the 30 minutes.
After Muhammad's fourth touchdown of the season, Green Bay responded with a 15-play, 84-yard drive capped by Noah Herron's 1-yard TD run, tying the game 7-7.
The Packers marched down the field again before Ryan Longwell pushed a 38-yard field goal attempt wide right. Poor tackling helped sustain the drive as tight end David Martin slipped away from Briggs for an eight-yard reception on third-and-six.
Building on the momentum shift, Grossman hit Berrian with a 54-yard bomb deep down the middle of the field to the Green Bay 18. Grossman survived a hit on the back of the legs by defensive end Michael Montgomery, who was flagged for roughing the passer.
Two plays later, Thomas Jones' 2-yard TD run gave the Bears a 14-7 lead they would not relinquish with 5:05 remaining in the second quarter. Jones finished with 105 yards on 25 carries.
Grossman's 18-yard pass to Berrian coupled with Adrian Peterson's 13-yard run set up Robbie Gould's 45-yard field goal, widening the margin to 17-7 with 9:39 left in the third quarter. Holder Brad Maynard did an excellent job of handing a low snap on the play.
After Longwell missed again from 39 yards, Briggs jumped in front of Henderson in the right flat and gave the Bears a seemingly safe 17-point lead with his third career TD.
Earning just their second playoff berth since 1994, the Bears celebrated first on the field and then in the locker room before heading to the airport for the return trip home.
"We had to work hard for this," said middle linebacker Brian Urlacher. "It came down to the wire here at the end of the season and it's just very gratifying.
"There was no doubt in anyone's mind we had the personnel to do it. It was just a matter of staying healthy and going out there and doing it. After we were 1-3, no one gave us a chance except for us. We're playing good at the right time. We've just got to keep it going and try to win some games in the playoffs."
YEAH !!!
11- 4 - 0 en NFC north champion
