Jay Cutler didn't put up the big numbers many expected him to against the Lions, but the number on the scoreboard was the biggest of the season for the Bears. With just 141-yards passing Cutler and the Bears were able to put up 48 points on Sunday, including 27 in the second half.

Cutler ended the game averaging just 5.0 yards per completion, but managed to throw for two touchdowns and finished with a QB rating of 100.4 for the day. Matt Forte finished with a much larger average in yards per carry, netting 10.1 per rush on just 12 carries. It was Forte's first 100 yard game of the season and the first time that the Bears running game showed any signs of life in the first quarter of the season.

The 48-point outburst and the lopsided victory wasn't all rosy, however. The Bears allowed Matthew Stafford and the Lions offense to compile nearly 400 yards of total offense and by allowing the Lions to consistently march down the field on long sustained drives the Bears lost the time of possession game by 13 minutes. Maybe not a huge deal, but against a tougher opponent that could cause major problems.

The defensive line again played a big role as Adewayle Ogunleye tallied 2.5 sacks and Alex Brown and Israel Idonije each had one. Nick Roach added another and the Bears finished with 5 sacks on the day bringing the Bears season total to 14.

Another concern was some of the injuries the Bears sustained. Both Devin Hester and Johnny Knox were forced to leave the game as well as Adrian Peterson. The Bears can ill-afford to lose any of their receivers, especially their two fastest players in Hester and Knox.

All in all a good win for the Bears, who move to 3-1. Now they sit back and watch the Packers and Vikings battle it out on Monday night. By Tuesday they could have a share of the division lead heading into the bye week.

According to ESPN, Knox's 102-yard second half kick off return was the second longest by a Bear in team history. Gale Sayers took one back 103-yards on September 17, 1967.

Comments (1)

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Time of Possession was deceiving in this game, as well as Cutler's yardage. The Bears average start was on the DETROIT 46-yard line. It's hard to hold the ball for too long or rack up yards if you've got less than half the field to go every time.

Well done, Bears special teams.

WIK , October 05, 2009

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