The Chicago Bears (7-6) used a dynamite performance from second year receiver Alshon Jeffery, coupled with a balanced offense and a testy defense to hand the Dallas Cowboys a 45-28 loss in freezing cold temperatures at Soldier Field last night.
On the statistics sheet it will say that fellow receiver Brandon Marshall led the Bears in receiving yards and receptions, but the real star of the Bears receiving core last night was Jeffery. Jeffery used his top-shelf pass catching hands and stupendous concentration and body control to arrest 5 passes for 84 yards and 1 score last night, to give him 75 catches (second on the team) for 1,193 yards (leads the team) and 6 scores (second on the team) for the 2013 season.
Jeffery who was selected with the 45th pick of the second round in the 2012 NFL Draft, saw six receivers go ahead of him in that draft. Those six receivers aren’t having near the impact that Jeffery is having on his team in 2013. In fact, Jeffery has more career receiving yards (1,560) and touchdowns (9) than those six receivers selected ahead of him in the 2012 draft:
1.) Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville. 1st round and 5th overall pick of 2012 NFL Draft: 1,280 yards and 6 scores since 2012.
2.) Michael Floyd, Arizona. 1st round and 13th overall pick of 2012 NFL Draft: 1,448 yards and 6 scores.
3.) Kendall Wright, Tennessee. 1st round and 20th overall pick of 2012 NFL Draft: 1,483 yards and 6 scores.
4.) A.J. Jenkins, San Francisco. 1st round and 30th overall pick of 2012 NFL Draft: Traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, and he has just 5 catches for 63 yards and no scores.
5.) Brian Quick, St. Louis. 2nd round and 33rd overall pick of 2012 NFL Draft: 442 yards and 4 scores.
6.) Stephen Hill, New York Jets. 2nd round and 43rd overall pick of 2012 NFL Draft: 594 yards and 4 scores.
The Cowboys got on the board first with a Tony Romo (11 of 20 for 104 yards and 3 scores with no picks) 2 yard touchdown pass to receiver Dez Bryant near the left corner of the end zone. That score made it 7-0 Dallas with 8:02 left in the first quarter.
The Bears’ super long ensuing drive ended on a Josh McCown (27 of 36 for 348 yards 4 touchdowns and no picks) 4 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Earl Bennett to tie the score at 7-7 with 1:35 left in the first quarter. This marathon drive snatched 7:27 seconds off the game clock.
The Bears kept their next scoring drive alive early in the second quarter, when on 3rd and 14 Marshall caught a McCown pass for 15 yards down the right sideline. Two plays later, Marshall executed a supportive block for McCown when he [Marshall] ditched his route, then moved his body backwards and proceeded to hit Dallas linebacker Sean Lee hard which enabled McCown to scramble 10 yards for a first down to the DAL 10 yard line.
That play led to the quarterback’s 7 yard touchdown run up the middle, in which he had to get through a J.J. Wilcox hit just to get into the end zone. That score gave the Bears a 14-7 lead with 8:58 left in the first half.
On what would be the last offensive drive in which the Cowboys would threaten the Bears in this contest, tight end Jason Witten scored on a 10 yard touchdown reception down the right sideline which culminated with him fighting off tackles from safety Chris Conte and cornerback Sherrick McManis just so he could get into the right corner of the end zone. The score was knotted at 14-14 with 5:22 left in the first half.
Speaking of Murray, he carried 13 times for 99 yards in the first half en route to a 146 yard night on 21 carries and no score. But his big night was overshadowed by an uncharacteristic scoring bonanza by the Bears offense.
Later in the second quarter, Jeffery leaped into the air along his right sideline and secured a 26 yard pass versus tight coverage from Dallas’ Orlando Scandrick at the DAL 33. On the same play, a George Selvie late/below the knees hit on McCown tacked on an extra 15 yards which placed the ball at the DAL 18. Jeffery’s reception set up a successful 27 yard Robbie Gould field goal which gave Chicago a 17-14 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
Jeffery near the tail end of the first half, made one of the better plays of the season and in Chicago Bears history. McCown dropped back to pass and threw a sort of Hail Mary pass to the end zone that Jeffery [versus double coverage from defensive backs B.W. Webb and Jeff Heath] extended his long arms to catch, with him then having the presence of mind to keep both of his feet in bounds as he was falling down on his back out of bounds at the top right corner of the end zone. That unbelievable catch gave the Bears not only a 24-14 lead, but also the early belief that Chicago may have killed any chance of a comeback by the Cowboys.
The biggest bright spot of the second half for Dallas was the fact that Murray got to the 100 yard mark when he carried for 1 yard out bounds to the CHI 41 yard line, behind left side blocks provided by tight end James Hanna and left tackle Tyron Smith. That drive withered away though, when Romo threw a deep down the field incompletion that was intended for Bryant on 3rd and 4.
Early in the fourth quarter, Dallas receiver Cole Beasley leaped into the air and caught a Romo touchdown pass near the back of the end zone versus Bears safety Major Wright to make the score 42-21 with just under 11 minutes left.
Second string Cowboys quarterback Kyle Orton came into the game near the 3:20 mark of the fourth period on what was Dallas’ last drive of the game. A highlight of the drive was a Joseph Randle (9 carries for 53 yards and 1 score) draw play run of 19 yards down to the CHI 46 yard line. Randle’s run set up his own up the middle 1 yard touchdown run behind fullback Tyler Clutts for a 45-28 score with just 6 seconds left in the game.
Orton (2005-2008) and Clutts (2011) were former members of the Chicago Bears with the former getting a decent cheer from the Bears fans when he came into the game
