Evening news is good news
With a 3- 3 record, Bears say they can reach all their goals
ATLANTA — The difference between 2- 4 and 3- 3 is more than one game. It’s larger than the holes Matt Forte scooted through Sunday and more important than his two rushing touchdowns that salted away the Bears’ 27- 13 win against the Falcons.
“Nobody wants to be 2- 4,” said Forte, who had 80 rushing yards and 77 receiving yards. “This early in the season, you have to get these road wins.”
Had the Bears lost their third game in a row, they would’ve needed a winning streak to get back to .500. That carries weight — enough that defensive end Jared Allen made note of Packers and Lions victories on the Georgia Dome scoreboard.
“All of our plans, all of our goals are still available,” said Allen, who logged his first sack as a Bear in front of a linebacker corps made up of three backups. “That’s huge for us — 3- 3 opens the door for everything, 2- 4 creates some must- win situations.”
Jay Cutler made sure the latter wouldn’t happen, completing 26 of 38 passes for 381 yards — the most in his Bears career — and a quarterback rating of 109.6. Most important, the Bears had no turnovers.
“We haven’t arrived yet or anything like that, but we are doing well,” Forte said. “We took care of the ball very well today. And that’s what we’ve got to do to win each week.”
The teams traded field goals before Josh Morgan caught a threeyard touchdown pass to put the Bears up 10- 3 in the second quarter, capping a drive highlighted by Brandon Marshall’s 47- yard reception. Marshall had six catches for 113 yards and was targeted nine times, his most since Week 1. Alshon Jeffery led all receivers with 136 yards on five catches.
A 28- yard field goal by Robbie Gould gave the Bears a 10- point halftime lead. The Falcons erased it quickly. Antone Smith took a screen pass 41 yards for a touchdown minutes after safety Chris Conte left the game for good with a sprained right shoulder.
Matt Bryant’s 54- yard boot tied it halfway through the third quarter. The Bears reclaimed momentum only two plays later when Cutler found Jeffery for 74 yards.
“That play, you could really feel, took some of the steam out of the crowd,” Allen said.
Forte scored on a six- yard run on the next play, but the extra point was blocked.
Up six, the Bears then forced a third- and- one incompletion, and the Falcons went three- and- out. The Bears held the ball for the next 8: 53, scoring on a stunning nine- yard draw to Forte on third- and- goal.
“Unbelievable effort,” Cutler said of the run.
Martellus Bennett caught a twopoint conversion, and the Bears unleashed their pass rushers on Matt Ryan, who was intercepted by Demontre Hurst.
And just like that, the Bears’ season was back to even.
“You’ve got a chance,” Bennett said, “to put yourself in the position where you want to be.”