This was an unbelievable game in the most unlikely of scenarios.
I’ll set the mood for everybody who didn’t see the entire game. The Cardinals were dominating the Bears on both sides of the ball the entire contest. Arizona’s defense was playing out of their minds – the unit was intercepting, sacking, and stripping Chicago QB Rex Grossman left and right all night long to the tune of six turnovers. At one point in the third quarter, the Cards build a 23-3 lead and are shocking the Bears on Monday night.
Then, like a friggen pixy dust-spreader, Chicago calls on lady luck for a quarter and a half to help the Bears pull off one of the biggest comebacks I’ve ever witnessed:
– With the game at 23-3 Arizona, QB Matt Leinart (who had an other wise excellent game) fumbles the ball on Arizona’s six-yard line with 50 seconds left in the third quarter. Bears safety Mike Brown scoops up the live ball and takes it the short distance for Chicago score, which cuts the Cards lead to 23-10.
– Then with just under six minutes to play and Arizona trying to run out the clock, Brian Urlacher strips the ball from Edgerrin James. Chicago DB Charles Tillman recovers the loose ball and takes it 40 yards to cut the lead down to 23-17.
– With just over three minutes left to play in the game, Arizona can’t convert on third down and has to settle for a punt – which then gets taken back 83 yards for a touchdown by rookie Devin Hester to give Chicago its first lead of the ballgame, 24-23.
– Fear not Cardinals fans, because despite giving up a massive lead, Leinart takes Arizona all the way down the field with timely passes and short dump offs. Leinart gets the Cards down to the Bears 23 yard line before having to settle for a Neil Rackers 40 yard field goal…
And as Tony Kornheiser spreads the jinx across the entire land, he utters: “Rackers hasn’t missed from inside 50 yards all season.”
Rackers’ boot misses just left of the upright and Chicago hangs on to the victory and seals a 6-0 start.
I’ve got three takeaways from this amazing game:
1) Chicago pulled a horseshoe so far out of its ass tonight that it won’t be able to sit right for weeks.
2) To go along with #1, good teams make their own breaks, so I won’t take anything away from the Bears win tonight. Chicago earned the victory tonight, bottom line.
3) After seeing this team lose the way did tonight I don’t think the Arizona Cardinals franchise will ever break out of its morbid funk…with or without Matt Leinart.
