Three things we learned from the Chicago Bears? 34-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers Sunday at Soldier Field:
1. Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz does know it is within the rules to run the football. He not only focused on the run but had the Bears run on all eight plays on their first possession of the game en route to a field goal. Matt Forte rushed for a career-high 205 yards and a touchdown as the Bears pounded for 224 yards after rushing for only 13 last week. Even with a makeshift offensive line that had Lance Louis playing much of the time at guard after right guard Chris Spencer?s hand injury, the running game worked. It was a big part of the team?s success in the second half of last season, and it will need to be going forward because the Bears can?t protect Jay Cutler well enough to rely heavily on the passing game.
2. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is a rookie, and aside from being spectacularly talented, will commit silly mistakes. His toss into coverage backed up against his goal line resulted in a deflection and a 20-yard interception return for a TD by Bears cornerback D.J. Moore in the first quarter?and the Panthers never recovered. Still, Newton had the Panthers in a game against a 2010 playoff team for the second time with 374 yards passing, one touchdown pass and two TD runs. In two of his other three games, Newton passed for more than 400 yards.
3. Devin Hester still has it, and he?s a gymnast besides. Hester?s 73-yard kickoff return and 69-yard TD on a punt return were the first real signs the NFL?s all-time TD return leader can cope in this world of anti-special teams rules. Hester did a few somersaults after his TD return, the NFL-record 11th punt return TD of his career, and drew the wrath of coach Lovie Smith immediately afterward for receiving an excessive celebration penalty. The Bears? best hopes for remaining in the playoff hunt is if they continue to play special teams this way.
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