National Football League

Just a bunch of sad sacks; That's exactly what Bears look like while being dominated by Giants

Published Oct. 14, 2010 10:10 p.m. ET

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The Bears' defensive players embraced the circumstances Sunday night against the New York Giants at New Meadowlands Stadium.

They were engaged in a slugfest in which the offenses were secondary to the defenses that dictated play.

So despite losing starting quarterback Jay Cutler to a concussion and twice facing the Giants' offense on their own side of the field after a turnover, the Bears' defense reveled in trailing just 3-0 at halftime and believed their resourcefulness once again would pay dividends.

''It was a dogfight, and usually we end up on the other side of the coin,'' Bears defensive end Israel Idonije said. ''But we shot ourselves in the foot.''

Added defensive end Julius Peppers: ''Give the Giants credit -- they whipped us tonight.''

The Bears (3-1) dropped into a tie with the Green Bay Packers atop the NFC North after a humbling 17-3 loss to the Giants.

But for a second consecutive week, the Bears' offense placed the defense in one precarious situation after another.

The defense responded last Monday night, keying a 20-17 victory over the Packers at Soldier Field with a late fumble recovery that set up the winning field goal.

But the defense couldn't bail out the offense Sunday night.

After a solid first half, the Bears gave up 272 net yards in the second, including 142 on the ground. The league's top-rated run defense -- a unit that had given up 119 rushing yards on 56 carries in three games -- gave up 129 rushing yards to Ahmad Bradshaw and another 62 yards to bruising back Brandon Jacobs.

The bulk of the damage on the ground (92 yards) came in the fourth quarter, which would suggest that the Bears built-for-speed defense tired.

They refused to make excuses for their effort.

''Being worn down is not really an excuse for defensive play,'' linebacker Lance Briggs said. ''We deserve to be ripped, just like our offense. We practice and we prepare for games like this, where we're going to be on the field a lot. So there's really no excuse there.''

Idonije said the expectation is that no matter how many snaps -- ''even if it's 200,'' he said -- the Bears should be consistent and make routine tackles, a point safety Chris Harris confirmed.

''We weren't as good a tackling team as we've been, and that kind of hurt us in the fourth quarter,'' Harris said. ''[Bradshaw] didn't do anything special. We beat ourselves by missing tackles and not doing what we're supposed to do.''

Yet the offense certainly didn't help the defense. Even when they handed the offense the ball around midfield, Cutler and Co. couldn't get anything going.

Peppers had a sack and a strip of Giants quarterback Eli Manning around midfield, and Brian Urlacher recovered the ball. The Bears' offensive response was predictable: sack, short pass and incomplete pass on third-and-18.

''Not being able to handle the pressure offensively,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith said -- ''that's the story.''

Cutler was sacked an NFL-record nine times in the first half, not returning for the second half with a concussion, and third-stringer Caleb Hanie was taken down once in the fourth quarter. All told, the 10 sacks allowed were a team record for the Bears.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, after backup quarterback Todd Collins was intercepted, the Bears' defense responded by forcing a Jacobs fumble and recovering the ball at the Giants' 29.

But in three plays, the Bears moved just seven yards and settled for a 40-yard field goal.

Manning was hardly at his best, completing just 18 of 30 passes for 195 yards with two lost fumbles, but Bradshaw and Jacobs kept pounding the ball.

''You have to take your hat off to those guys for sticking with it,'' Idonije said.

The Carolina Panthers play a similar brand of football, relying on running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. With their passing offense in a funk -- including the high-ankle sprain suffered by Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith -- the Panthers likely will count on Williams and Stewart to pace them against the Bears.

While winless, the Panthers nearly upset the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints before squandering a late scoring chance and losing 16-14.

''Sometimes a loss like this is something you need so you can put things back in perspective,'' Idonije said.

''We're a good team. Let's focus and get back on track next week.''

10

NUMBER OF SACKS BEARS GAVE UP SUNDAY TO SET A TEAM RECORD

PREVIOUS RECORD, 9: At Minnesota on Nov. 2, 1969; at Denver on Dec. 5, 1971; vs. Minnesota on Oct. 25, 1993; vs. Green Bay on Jan. 2, 2005 source: chicago bears

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