any worse. That`s the main reason the Bears stayed undefeated Sunday and the
Bucs stayed winless by a score of 27-19.
It was the closest the Bears have come this season to checking out how
the other half lives.
The Bucs` only excuse is they failed to recognize the alternative. They
had the Bears down 12-0 and figured that was right where they didn`t want
them.
For the fourth time in five games, the Bears came from more than a
touchdown behind to win. Again, they were led by quarterback Jim McMahon, who this time also led them into the hole with his worst first half of the year.
“I was just kinda wandering around out there in the first half,“ said
McMahon. “I don`t know why. I just wasn`t very sharp. Fundamentally, I was
very bad.“
It took three big catches by tight end Emery Moorehead and two touchdown
runs by Walter Payton, the 100th and 101st touchdowns of his career, to put
the Bucs away in the fourth quarter. The Bears hadn`t led until Kevin Butler`s 30-yard field goal put them up 13-12 on the final play of the third period.
“We were fortunate,“ said coach Mike Ditka.
“I don`t think we were lucky,“ said McMahon. “We finally started
executing. We knew we could come back and win. I don`t feel lucky. We`re a
good football team.“
To that, Ditka agreed, answering “Yep“ when asked if he thought he
would be 5-0 heading to San Francisco for a rematch next Sunday against the
NFC champion 49ers.
“I believe in these guys,“ said Ditka, who was screaming his belief at
them on the sidelines during most of their shaky performance.
McMahon and Ditka disagreed on how best to finish off the Bucs. McMahon
won that argument when he talked Ditka into passing twice instead of running
on the Bears` final touchdown drive.
The Bucs had closed to 20-19 on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Steve
DeBerg to Gerald Carter with 5:21 left. It would have been 20-20 if they
hadn`t aborted an extra-point try in the first half with a wild snap.
The Bears had taken a 20-12 lead on Payton`s 4-yard run with 7:51 to
play, but the cushion wasn`t enough because the defense was unable to get to
DeBerg all day, and Buc receivers ran wide open.
The defense shut down running back James Wilder with only 29 yards in 18
carries, ending his string of 100-yard games at six. That`s why the Bucs
couldn`t score any more than they did. But with 5:21 left, they were only one point behind.
It was third down and 3 for the Bears at their 24 with 4:01 left. Ditka
called a run. The Bucs called time, and McMahon went to Ditka.
“I figured, heck, we had a good 3 1/2 to 4 yards to go,“ said McMahon.
“If we don`t make that first down, they`ve got good field position, and
who knows what would happen.“
Moorehead had already caught seven passes for 106 yards for the biggest
day by a Bears` tight end since Ditka. Two catches for 31 yards had kept the
first Payton touchdown drive going.
The Bucs had shut down wide receivers Willie Gault and Dennis McKinnon,
leaving Moorehead alone against linebackers.
“Most tight ends in the league can beat a linebacker,“ said McMahon.
“Emery made tough catches. We`ve got to have those big plays.“
McMahon wanted to throw a slant-out to him. “I knew we`d get three yards on that type of play,“ he said. Moorehead got 8.
“The old man came through,“ said Ditka of the nine-year veteran tight
end.
“One of the biggest plays of the game,“ said McMahon.
It set up another big one. On second and 11 from the 41 at the 2-minute
warning, Ditka called another run.
“I told him, `Hey, they`re going to be blitzing. Let`s throw the ball,`
“ said McMahon. “He asked me which play I liked.“
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McMahon called a post pattern to Gault off a play-action fake.
“He just told me, `If you can`t get it, don`t let them get it,` “ said
Gault.
Gault made a tumbling catch at the 11 for a 48-yard gain. McMahon was
buried by blitzers. Two runs by Payton clinched it.
McMahon finished with 22 completions in 34 attempts after an 8-for-17
first half. He threw an interception in each half, first to set up the Bucs`
first touchdown and second in the end zone on the Bears` opening drive of the third quarter.
“I wasn`t up late,“ said McMahon, perhaps putting a finger on an
excuse. “I just don`t know what happened. I`m upset with my play. Everybody
executed well except me in the first half. I made some stupid reads and didn`t throw well at all.
“Foolish football on my part. I wasn`t setting my feet. I knew what I
was doing as soon as the ball left my hands. I`m my worst critic. I know when I screw up.“
“It looked like he was rolling off his back foot, like he was going
backwards,“ said Ditka.
The Bucs showed a defense that surprised the Bears, shifting nose guard
David Logan into a gap and forcing the Bears` offensive line back to a drawing board.
“Mike said at the half, `Hey, they`re not beating us. We`re beating
ourselves,` “ said tackle Jimbo Covert. “We kept plugging away, plugging
away, plugging away.“
The Bears drove 71 yards with the second-half kickoff before McMahon
threw his second interception to safety David Greenwood. Payton had 20 yards
after a first half of only 9.
“It was time for us to play ball,“ said Payton. “That drive was the
boost we needed. A couple weeks ago it was Jim throwing the ball against the
Vikings. Last week, it was Willie Gault`s kickoff return. This time, it was
the offensive team saying, `We can move the ball.` “
It was also strong safety Dave Duerson getting the interception back with a theft of his own at midfield.
Moorehead caught two passes for 32 yards, and McMahon finally threw a
strike to McKinnon for a 21-yard TD to make it 12-10 with 3:40 left in the
third period.
The Bucs answered with a fumbled snap from center that defensive tackle
Steve McMichael recovered at the Tampa Bay 21, setting up Butler`s go-ahead
field goal.
The come-from-behind stuff might be getting familiar, but it`s not
getting comfortable.
“It`s not good,“ said Ditka. “But if you can do it, I think it really
helps your ball club.“
Dispositions are another matter.
“I got a little carried away today,“ said Ditka. “We can`t let down.
Maybe I shouldn`t jump on people like I do, but it`s too important to let it
slip by without mentioning it.“
“Everybody got a little aggravated,“ said Covert. “Sometimes things go that way.“