Special-teams leader Jim Schwantz had some advice for coach Dave Wannstedt after Sunday’s 23-20 Bears victory over the Oilers:
“I told Dave after the ballgame, `You might have to call Wilson and order about 45 to 50 balls because everybody who played special teams deserves a game ball tonight,’ ” Schwantz said.
Bears special teams were precisely that Sunday: a game-winning field goal by Jeff Jaeger, a blocked field goal to preserve the win, a pair of fumble recoveries and kick coverage that has become one of the NFL’s best. The Bears have allowed their last two opponents, the Oilers and Dallas Cowboys, a total of 1 yard on punt returns.
Kickoff-return and coverage units made especially dramatic contributions. Ray Austin forced a Tennessee fumble on the second-half kickoff that was recovered by Ricky Bell. The takeaway gave momentum and the ball to the Bears, who had been tied 10-10 just before halftime.
After the Oilers tied the Bears 20-20 late in the fourth quarter, Glyn Milburn broke a kickoff return for 47 yards to the Chicago 45. From there the offense drove to set up Jeff Jaeger’s winning field goal.
“It was designed to go in the middle, and that’s where it first started,” Milburn said. “I’m just reading the blocks that the guys made. We knew that they had speed on the outside and bigger, linebacker-type guys on the inside, so when they crashed down, there was an opening on the outside.”
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Milburn suffered the returner’s humiliation of being tackled by the kicker, which earned him a brief exile from his fellow special teamers. “They told me to go dress in the shower, and you see I’m the last guy getting dressed,” Milburn said.
Fullback Ty Hallock was credited with the first fumble recovery in his five NFL seasons, pouncing on a muffed punt in the fourth quarter to prevent the Oilers from gaining field position at their 44 trailing by only a touchdown.
“I could see that (returner Mike Archie) had made a fair-catch signal but was kind of bouncing around, so you knew there was a great opportunity,” Hallock said. “I knew to get on my horse and keep covering. The tendency is, when you see a guy waving his hand like that, to slow down and think the play’s over with. It’s not.”
On the run: The Bears ran 41 times Sunday, giving them 39 consecutive wins dating back to 1984 in games when they rush 40 or more times. They are 55-2 over the last 15 seasons when they run at least 40 times.
Fullbacks Robert Chancey and Ty Hallock scored their first touchdowns as Bears and first rushing touchdowns of their careers. Hallock’s came through a gaping hole opened by center Casey Wiegmann and left guard Todd Perry.
“I love my Grandma Tucker very much, but she could have run that ball in,” Hallock said. “I was more nervous because I recognized the blitz they were coming with and I thought I might get hit in the mouth. So I was more worried about getting the ball and hanging on to it.”
Enforcer: It may cost him some money, but right tackle James Williams was not about to let his quarterback take a hit. Officials whistled the Bears for delay of game, but Tennessee linebacker Joe Bowden came through the line and flattened Erik Kramer. Williams immediately dove on Bowden and began pummeling him, while Todd Perry and another Oiler exchanged unpleasantries.
“I wasn’t penalized, although I’m sure I’ll get a fine from the league,” Williams said. “But I’m not going to sit there and let a man jump all over my quarterback. You do something like that, you have to pay for it. Erik takes care of me; I’m taking care of him.”
Kramer was initially at the bottom of the Williams-Bowden bout, but “that was nice to see,” he said. “It’s good to have somebody that big watching your back.
“You need things like that to happen to help bring your team together. Having him step up, it proves to everyone that we’re all battling for each other despite the record, despite what else is going on out there, all we have is each other.”
Sack men: Defensive tackle Jim Flanigan was initially credited with a sack of Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair that looked to all like it belonged to fellow tackle Paul Grasmanis. The battle for the sack may be more heated than the pursuit of McNair.
“Gras got him, but I’m going to fight for half of it because I grabbed him as he was falling down,” Flanigan said, laughing.
No way, according to Grasmanis. “I’m not going to let him have it,” Grasmanis said. “It’s my first this year, it came at a good time and I’m fighting for it.”
Defensive tackle Mike Wells nearly matched his four-year career sack total with a takedown of McNair in the first quarter. Wells, used primarily in run situations, had one sack last year with Detroit and a half-sack in 1995 with the Lions.
Running QBs: McNair (58) became the third quarterback this season to rush for more than 40 yards against the Bears (Charlie Batch, Detroit, 58; Mark Brunell, Jacksonville, 43).
Bad move: Defensive end Carl Reeves earned his first solo career sack, running McNair out of bounds late in the fourth quarter. But he turned the 1-yard loss into a 15-yard Oilers gain with an out-of-bounds hit on McNair that left the Bears sputtering.
“Carl’s one of the few guys in that locker room who’s got his degree,” coach Dave Wannstedt joked. “He’s supposed to be one of the smart ones.”
Hurting: Defensive end Shawn Lee, who missed four weeks with a broken hand suffered in the preseason, left Sunday’s game at halftime after reinjuring his hand. Wide receiver Curtis Conway, bothered by a strained groin in recent weeks, was limping noticeably leaving the stadium, but would only say that his leg was sore.