"You can question the credibility of the Detroit Lions. And question the credibility of the Dallas Cowboys. But the Green Bay Packers? They were universally regarded as one of the NFC's top contenders -- boasting a quarterback widely projected as an MVP candidate and a bevy of young playmakers on offense and defense -- so the Bears issued a bold statement on the NFL's grandest regular-season stage, ''Monday Night Football.'' In a game befitting of the throwback jerseys they donned, the Bears survived a slugfest at Soldier Field, taking their first and only lead with four ticks left and securing a 20-17 victory that gave them a special distinction. ''Right now, we're the only undefeated team in the NFC, so that right there proves a lot,'' Bears receiver Devin Hester said. ''We're on top right now, and we want to keep focusing on being No. 1. And if we do that, we'll have a successful season.'' Professional football's oldest rivalry lived up to the hype; the Packers and Bears were undefeated (in Week 3 or later) for the first time since 1962. But early on, despite wearing jerseys from the Monsters of the Midway era, the Bears appeared to flash back to last season, with the secondary struggling to cover, and quarterback Jay Cutler under constant duress and forcing passes into coverage. With the ball spotted at the Packers' 25, Cutler's post-pattern pass attempt to tight end Greg Olsen was intercepted by safety Derrick Martin in the end zone. He was also nearly picked off early in the second quarter by safety Nick Collins. ''I didn't play very well,'' said Cutler, who was 16-for-27 for 221 yards with one touchdown and one interception. ''I thought we were out of sync. I missed throws I should've made. ''We didn't play our best game and we won.'' Therein lies the most encouraging part for the Bears: the offense had an off night, and they still celebrated afterward. The offense can thank the defense and special teams for that. The Packers controlled the tempo and grabbed a 10-0 lead. But the Bears showed life just before halftime, after Hester returned a punt 28 yards to set up a four-play, 44-yard touchdown drive that was capped by an Olsen touchdown. Then things got really interesting in the third quarter. Defensive end Julius Peppers, who didn't register a sack but drew several penalties, blocked a 37-yard field goal by Packers kicker Mason Crosby. But on the ensuing drive, after efficiently setting up a first-and-goal from the Packers' 10, the Bears once again stalled on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line when a wide open Desmond Clark couldn't haul in a pass slightly behind him." http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/2752246,CST-SPT-bear28.article
