By Paul M. Banks
If there’s one thing we’ve observed during the first half of the NFL season, it’s that parity reigns. You would think the league was run by socialists the way the wealth is currently spread around: 22 of the league’s 32 teams are within just three games of being .500. The Tennessee Titans’ 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field was another reinforcement of established parity as a slightly-better-than-average team, the 5-4 Bears ended up just 60 yards and one possession short of the league’s sole undefeated team the 9-0 Titans.
In this Titanic struggle, Tennessee’s awful and 30th ranked pass defense looked very serviceable as the embattled Rex Grossman was unable to exploit this weakness, finishing the game with an ugly 4.7 yards-per-attempt and 64.4 passer rating. “It’s always tough when you have three-and-outs. You need to be able to get some first downs to get to the rest of your game plan. We had some nice drives. We had some things working, but too many three-and-outs,†the backup QB said.
The Chicago Bears run defense certainly brought their A game, holding the Tennessee Titans, who entered as the third best rushing attack in the NFL, to -5 rushing yards on 13 carries (-0.4 ypc) in the first half. It was the lowest rushing total allowed in a half by the Bears since allowing -9 rushing yards in the first half at New England eleven years ago. For the game, Chicago held Tennessee to 20 rushing yards on 29 attempts (0.7 ypc).
“I was very impressed with the Bears front 7 and their approach. They forced us out of the run game and Kerry did a great job with the football today. We overcame a lot of issues and problems and still found a way to win against a good football team. I’m pleased to come in and find a way to win. I’m impressed with both teams,†said Titans coach Jeff Fisher, currently the NFL’s longest tenured at his position.
Unfortunately, the Bears defense did not remember the Titans aerial attack as Kerry Collins shredded the Bears for nearly 300 yards en route to completing almost 75% of his passes. The 5-4 Bears next begin a three-game road trip in Green Bay for a pivotal game with the 4-5 Packers.
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