The game that was dubbed this week as the "Benson Bowl" turned out to be sweet revenge for former Bears running back Cedric Benson, despite his post game comments in which he assured the media otherwise. A 45-10 blasting in the Queen City by the Bengals over the Bears was the most embarrassing loss of the season for Chicago's beloved football team. Lovie Smith's defense allowed scores on the Bengals first five drives and couldn't recover, while Jay Cutler threw three picks and the team stumbled out of Cincinnati with a 35 point defeat.
Much was made about Cedric Benson and his relationship with the Bears while he was here, and what was said by the team when the Bengals were interested in signing him. Certainly Benson did not duck questions about the situation all week. But CSNChicago.com's John "Moon" Mullin, who has been covering the team for roughly fifteen years, had this interesting article about the real truth about Cedric Benson's time in Chicago. Check it out.
My Grades on the Bears Performance Against Cincinnati
Quarterback
Jay Cutler was intercepted three times and was unable to generate much of anything offensively. He did throw for 250+ and a TD, but the Bears never got much going. And without a running game he had no chance.
Grade: D
Running Game
So about that running game, or lack there of.
The Bears had a net total of 35 yard rushing Sunday afternoon, and that
combined total includes THREE different rushers. Matt Forte's
sophomore slump continued, as he took the ball just six times and
amassed a mere 24 yards. Of course, when you fall behind as quickly as
the Bears did, you are stuck throwing the ball to get back in the game,
but the Bears haven't run the football well all year, except for the
Lions game.
Grade: F
Bears Report Card from the Debacle in Cincinnati
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Receivers
Devin Hester's 8 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown look pretty good on the surface. But he lost a fumble during that nightmare of a first half which resulted in the Bengals extending their already insurmountable lead. None of the other five pass catchers in the game reached 50 yards receiving, and none of them made any impact for the Bears offense.
Grade: D
Offensive Line
This offensive line just hasn't been very good all year, and today was no different. Jay Cutler was only sacked once, which is better than expected, but they continue to fail to open up any lanes for their running backs. With no running game, this line has made the Bears one dimensional, and you can't win that way. Today was another sub par performance.
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Grade: D
Defensive Line
The Bears pass rush was non-existent today, as Bengals QB Carson Palmer had all day to make every throw. He carved up the Bears, since he may as well have made a sandwich with all the time he had in the pocket. Tommie Harris is hurt, which hurts, but he's no longer the player he used to be. Otherwise, this line didn't show up today, and made the Bengals offense look unstoppable with no pressure on the run or the pass whatsoever.
Grade: F
Linebackers
Lance Briggs is an excellent player, and if anyone showed up today, he did. He lead the team in tackles with 12, and was the only Bear to register double-digit stops. Other than Briggs, this decimated linebacking corps looked like...well...a decimated linebacking corps. Hunter Hillenmeyer bit on a number of run fakes with three backs for Cincinnati (one resulting in a Bengals touchdown) and the three not named Briggs combined for nine tackles.
Grade: D
Secondary
Yikes. Rough day at the office for these guys. Chad Ochocinco playfully taunted these guys all week and boy did he come through on that Sunday afternoon. Ten catches for 118 and two touchdowns for Mr. EightFive, and he and his compadres ripped through the cover two scheme and exploited the Bears soft zone. Bad day at the office for the Bears secondary.
Grade: F
Special Teams
Robbie Gould made a 22-yard field goal and an extra point. Whoopee. Brad Maynard averaged just over 21 yard per punt. Bad. Nothing else particularly good or bad with the return game on either coverage or returns.
Grade: C-
Coaching
In a game like this, where you get completely blown out, that falls on the coach. The Bears took it on the chin in every phase of the game Sunday and Lovie Smith said afterward the Chicago Bears should never lose a game like that. The Bears had absolutely no answer for anything the Bengals threw at them rushing or throwing the ball, and offensively Jay Cutler threw three picks as the offense committed four more turnovers. Just a complete and total team failure to prepare adequately.
Grade: F
Devin Hester's 8 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown look pretty good on the surface. But he lost a fumble during that nightmare of a first half which resulted in the Bengals extending their already insurmountable lead. None of the other five pass catchers in the game reached 50 yards receiving, and none of them made any impact for the Bears offense.
Grade: D
Offensive Line
This offensive line just hasn't been very good all year, and today was no different. Jay Cutler was only sacked once, which is better than expected, but they continue to fail to open up any lanes for their running backs. With no running game, this line has made the Bears one dimensional, and you can't win that way. Today was another sub par performance.
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Grade: D
Defensive Line
The Bears pass rush was non-existent today, as Bengals QB Carson Palmer had all day to make every throw. He carved up the Bears, since he may as well have made a sandwich with all the time he had in the pocket. Tommie Harris is hurt, which hurts, but he's no longer the player he used to be. Otherwise, this line didn't show up today, and made the Bengals offense look unstoppable with no pressure on the run or the pass whatsoever.
Grade: F
Linebackers
Lance Briggs is an excellent player, and if anyone showed up today, he did. He lead the team in tackles with 12, and was the only Bear to register double-digit stops. Other than Briggs, this decimated linebacking corps looked like...well...a decimated linebacking corps. Hunter Hillenmeyer bit on a number of run fakes with three backs for Cincinnati (one resulting in a Bengals touchdown) and the three not named Briggs combined for nine tackles.
Grade: D
Secondary
Yikes. Rough day at the office for these guys. Chad Ochocinco playfully taunted these guys all week and boy did he come through on that Sunday afternoon. Ten catches for 118 and two touchdowns for Mr. EightFive, and he and his compadres ripped through the cover two scheme and exploited the Bears soft zone. Bad day at the office for the Bears secondary.
Grade: F
Special Teams
Robbie Gould made a 22-yard field goal and an extra point. Whoopee. Brad Maynard averaged just over 21 yard per punt. Bad. Nothing else particularly good or bad with the return game on either coverage or returns.
Grade: C-
Coaching
In a game like this, where you get completely blown out, that falls on the coach. The Bears took it on the chin in every phase of the game Sunday and Lovie Smith said afterward the Chicago Bears should never lose a game like that. The Bears had absolutely no answer for anything the Bengals threw at them rushing or throwing the ball, and offensively Jay Cutler threw three picks as the offense committed four more turnovers. Just a complete and total team failure to prepare adequately.
Grade: F
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