"...where we, too, would want Jay Cutler to be our baby father."
Wright returns INT for TD, Bears beat Rams 23-6 - Effort on defense was enough to overcome a subpar performance by the offense.
Peter King's MMQB - It's maddening and saddening to have to discuss the officiating disaster so prominently. Again.
USAToday team report - "The Bears' defense played so well Sunday that it only needed a mediocre performance from the offense to defeat the Rams, and that's what it got."
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Bears 23, Rams 6 - game reports & analysis
Box score - drive summaries, play by play, and other game stats.
Bears grab slice of redemption with 23-6 victory over Rams - Sean Jensen: It was an impressive outing for the defense as Brian Urlacher and crew surrendered only 160 total yards in the Bears’ 23-6 victory over the Rams on Sunday to improve to 2-1.
Bears sack Sam Bradford six times in victory - Gregg Rosenthal: The Bears' DL made sure we didn't talk about the offense anymore. They absolutely manhandled Sam Bradford and the Rams on Sunday.
Bears cruise behind strong defensive effort - Larry Mayer: It had been 10 long days since their embarrassing loss in Green Bay, and the Bears were more than just a little eager to vanquish the bad taste in their mouths Sunday at Soldier Field.
Strong defense guides Bears past Rams - Moon Mullin: The Bears finished strong in their 23-6 victory over the Rams at Soldier Field. The win left Chicago with a 2-1 record, to be at least tied for first in the NFC North.
Bears defense carries the day against St. Louis Rams - Jon Greenberg: All that hype for the Bears' new big receivers, and through three games, the most consistent pass-catcher on the team might be a sports writer-sized CB.
NFCN Blog Rapid Reaction - Michael C. Wright: The Bears defense was dominant in a Week 3 win over the Rams.
Bears' defense dominates Rams - Brad Biggs: It was not a performance that offered conclusive answers when it comes to Jay Cutler, his line and the offense. But the Bears are in no position to worry themselves with style points. Q1, Q2, Q3 thoughts.
Bears’ defense steals show, but offense must improve - Sean Jensen: After asking for silence from fans at Soldier Field, the Bears’ offense hardly made any noise against a D that had conceded 802 yards in its first two games.
Larry Mayer's game blog - Comment from Guest: "rygryuitriir6jiyikrktkykkthmtmykkt,,gkhrgij" Larry: "Are you trying to send me a coded message or did you fall asleep on your keyboard? "
Chilo Rachal on Rams: Dumb ‘D,’ dumb, dumb - Joe Cowley: There were more than a few adjectives used by the Bears to describe the way the Rams go about their business. Loud, foolish and dumb seemed to prevail.
Bears quotes: Urlacher, Idonije, Jennings, Wright - Quotes from Bears players after their 23-6 win Sunday over the Rams. More from: Cutler, Bush, Peppers, Paea.
For Bears, victory trumps woeful offense - Rick Morrissey: One of Smith’s strengths is getting his players to believe in what he’s telling them, and it was obvious his message had gotten across. ‘‘We won the game,’’ receiver Alshon Jeffery said. It will take a lot more than this to win the war.
View from the Moon - Moon Mullin: The Bears won with a strong defensive effort and a troubling offensive showing. But a win is a win, and in a strange Week 3 that means plenty.
‘Well?’ Not quite yet - Dan Bernstein: If that was the “get well” game many expected for the Bears, we can conclude that the patient is still in need of observation.
NFL Sunday game notes - Matt Bowen: No surprise to see Chicago lean on Cover 2 in the 23-6 win over Sam Bradford and the Rams because of the pressure they generated with their D-Line.
Bears: Rams talked a lot, but nothing dirty - "What are you wearing?" "Uniform, pads, helmet. Same as you."
Resiliency can carry Bears a long way - Dan Pompei: Remember, the Bears weren't just beaten in Green Bay. They were beaten physically. They were shoved all over the field. And on Sunday, against the Rams, they did the shoving.
[Video] Haugh & Biggs' postgame analysis - Thoughts in the aftermath of the win over the Rams. Warning: autoplays into 9/11 remembrance video.
[Video] NFL Sunday Blitz: Bears-Rams Recap - Cris Carter: Everything they went through last week can make the team stronger.
Up next for Bears: Dallas Cowboys - Dan Pompei: Pair of inconsistent teams set to meet on Monday night.
Photos from the game. MOAR photos.
Defense
CB Tim Jennings is always on the ball - Vaughn McClure: Veteran CB continued his early bid for the Pro Bowl with his fourth interception in three games to go along with the assist to Major Wright, who returned his interception for a touchdown.
Jennings proving to be a ball hawk in secondary - Larry Mayer: After watching CB Tim Jennings work his magic once again in Sunday's 23-6 win over the Rams, Brian Urlacher had lofty praise for his teammate.
Defensive line is dominating - Dan Pompei: Bears' DL continues to dominate, and the team posted six sacks in Sunday's victory over the Rams.
Bears' pass rush overwhelms Rams - Larry Mayer: As they've done all season, the Bears continued to generate consistent pressure on the QB with their front four in Sunday's 23-6 win.
Bears' pass rushers rising to competition - Michael C. Wright: Lovie Smith considers the current surge of sacks from his defensive line a byproduct of the players performing in survival mode at practice.
Defense isn’t ready to let the window close just yet - Adam Hoge: Through three games, the Bears defense is proving that it's still good enough to win this year and, maybe more importantly, the future might not be as dire as it seems.
[Video] PGL analysis - Dan Jiggetts, Jim Miller, and Hunter Hillenmeyer thrilled with defensive effort.
Week 3 winners/losers - Even Yahoo Sports' Jason Cole gives the D credit where it's due.
Paea promises Bears’ sack pack is ‘going to get after Romo’ - Mark Potash: When you’re as hot as the Bears’ defensive line is, the next game can’t come quickly enough.
Offense
Bears offense continues to disappoint - David Haugh: Bears need more out of their QB and Lovie Smith must demand it. They were built for Cutler to be the gate attraction, not gatekeeper.
J'Marcus Webb gets some help keeping Jay Cutler on his feet - Vaughn McClure: LT got some much-needed help as Mike Tice opted not to leave Webb on an island.
Bush gratified that Tice opted for ground-and-pound - Joe Cowley: Yes, there are new toys for Jay Cutler to play with, and, yes, Forte has shown some flash on the game film. But there’s something to be said about 245 pounds smacking a defense in the face.
Bush gets job done filling in for Forte - Scott Powers: Michael Bush's rushing numbers weren't great, but they were good enough.
Michael Bush not worried about style points - Fred Mitchell: Bush, starting in place of the injured Matt Forte, rushed for 55 yards on 18 carries for a 3.1-yard average. He also caught two passes for 18 yards.
Rams come away with little respect for Bears’ passing game - Neil Hayes: Rams held Cutler to a 58.9 passer rating on 17-of-31 passing for 183 yards and an interception.
Cutler didn’t win pretty, but he won - Rick Telander: Cutler has thrown only three touchdowns this year, with six interceptions and a cumulative 58.6 passer rating. That’s not Pro Bowl stuff, that’s No Bowl stuff. Yet the point is winning. And 2-1 isn’t bad.
Adam Hoge's game notes - Cutler being much more accountable, LG switch effective, the offense, and injury report.
Cutler on Bears' O'line: They played well - Scott Powers: The Bears OL got on Jay Cutler's good side on Sunday.
Jay Cutler on O's performance: We won - Michael C. Wright: Jay Cutler called his performance "hit and miss" Sunday after throwing an interception and generating a passer rating of 58.9.
Still waiting on Bears' offense - Melissa Isaacson: This was supposed to be the season the Bears didn't have to rely on a dominating defense, but it's not working out that way.
Waiting for Cutler's offense - Rosenmoan: To Cutler’s credit, he took some responsibility for his inconsistent game, more than he seemed to take after that disaster in Green Bay, anyway. The public honesty was nice. A big game would be better.
[Video] View from the Moon - Moon Mullin on what might be wrong with the Bears offense.
Has the Mike Martz offense returned? - The Bears offense wasn't much fun to watch for the second week in a row, and Kip Lewis explains how the play calling is beginning to resemble the one led by Mike Martz.
Grades
2012 NFL Grades - Week 3: Let's not act like the problems on offense are going to go away. Cutler keeps turning the ball over and the OL simply cannot protect him.
Moon Mullin's grades: Offense - For the second straight game, Jay Cutler was below average. How much did his offensive line play into that? Plus, how did Michael Bush perform as a replacement for Matt Forte?
Moon Mullin's grades: Defense - The Bears' DL continues to impose their will on the opposition. Plus, is Tim Jennings playing the best football of any CB in the NFL?
Moon Mullin's grades: Special Teams - The defense was superb, but the offense struggled against St. Louis. So how did the special teams units perform against the Rams?
Brad Biggs' Four downs - Pass rush on a roll, Jennings picks up pace, Cutler far from impressive, Webb holds his own.
Five things we learned - Jeff Dickerson: Alshon Jeffery is the best No. 2 option in the passing game.
Michael C. Wright's Report Card - High marks for defense against Rams.
Three Bears - Vaughn McClure: Too hot: Israel Idonije. Too cold: Jay Cutler. Just right: Major Wright.
Adam Hoge's grades - How did the offense, defense, STs and coaches fare?
Because we're probably all still a little dissatisfied with what we're seeing...