Two Bills Drive

‘Bledsoe, thought to be a perfect fit for the Bears by many in the scouting community but deemed too expensive by management, showed he’s worth all of the $5 million he’s earning, as well as the first-round pick Buffalo dealt to acquire him.’

‘The team that won 12 straight games decided by a touchdown or less has now lost two straight by the same standard.’

‘He was not down on himself for a roughing-the-passer call in the second quarter on a 19-yard completion from Bledsoe to Josh Reed in a drive that culminated in a four-yard scoring pass to Eric Moulds. ”I don’t think it was a late hit, I don’t think it was a cheap shot, I don’t think it was a roughing the passer,” he said. ”He got rid of the ball. I didn’t even take one step. I was already leaving [my feet] to hit him. I didn’t take him down. I just hit him. It’s not my fault someone was in front of him and he fell over. That’s on him.”’

‘One flinch and he was gone. Left tackle Bernard Robertson apparently made one mistake too many in Sunday’s 33-27 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. He was benched late in the third quarter for jumping offside as the Bears prepared to run a play on fourth-and-inches from their own 39. The ensuing loss of five yards forced the Bears to punt.’

‘Granted, Drew Bledsoe’s aerial circus is the force behind the Bills’ headline-grabbing, highlight-package offense. But it’s Henry’s rushing that makes its engine run. He’s averaging just over four yards per carry.’

‘This game wasn’t lost Sunday in overtime. No, it was lost last February, when Jerry Angelo and the Halas Hall brain trust determined Drew Bledsoe wasn’t worth the money or risk.’

‘Twenty-four seconds in an NFL game is a lot of time in the hands of the right quarterback. The Bears did not have a timeout. But they did have a quarterback. And they had a receiving corps that some are touting as one of the best in the NFL. And they were facing a team that leads the NFL in defensive penalties.’

‘Bills offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride tried to create a plan that would limit two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher. The Bills tried to run at Urlacher, not away from him, in hopes of neutralizing his play-making ability.’

‘The Bears were trampled early as the Bills gained 126 yards on the game’s first 15 plays and went on drives of 75, 51, 41 and 76 yards the first four times they had the ball. Each of the possessions ended in points.’

‘What’s happening here is fairly simple. The Bears are getting a large dose of reality. They are part of the great maw of decent NFL teams that are beatable on any given Sunday, a group doomed to a season of bits of optimism and pieces of hope.’

‘"It’s clear that he was falling down. I was trying to drag my leg, he pushed me and kicked my leg out of bounds," Terrell said of Bills free safety Pierson Prioleau before teammate Olin Kreutz urged him to reconsider complaining about the officiating.’

‘When your defense allows 222 yards in total offense in the first half alone and your smash-mouth offense manages just 20 yards rushing in that same half, it would seem to be more than a case of details.’

‘"We’re a poorly coached, undisciplined defense right now," Blache said. "The onus is right here. We’ll go through the film, we’ll regroup the troops, see if we’ve got the wrong people on the field and what’s the problem. But right now we’re not getting the job done. There’s no way of candy-coating it.’

‘Bledsoe picked on every nickel and dime defender the Bears trotted out on the field. It was his 10th career four-touchdown game.’

‘You know what the Bills’ defense thought about Thomas and the Bears’ offensive locomotive after Buffalo’s 33-27 victory Sunday in Ralph Wilson Stadium? Well, they weren’t too impressed, actually.’