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Heartbreak at Soldier Field

Monday, January 16, 2006

January 16, 2006 -- Two of the NFL's best defenses hooked up at Chicago's Soldier Field on Sunday and in the end the Bears came up just a little short. Bears fans tried to look past the score and find comfort in what the future may hold after the team lost 29-21 to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC divisional playoffs.

Down by 8 in the final minute of the 4th quarter the Bears failed to convert on a key 4th down play, turning over the ball and sending the Carolina Panthers to meet the Seahawks in next Sunday's NFC championship.

It took Steve Smith and the Carolina Panthers just 55 seconds to prove the Monsters of the Midway aren't so scary after all.

By the time the Chicago Bears regained their swagger, it was too late to save their season.

Smith had 12 catches for a career-high 218 yards and two long touchdowns, including a 58-yard scoring reception on the second play from scrimmage, to lead Carolina to a 29-21 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. It sends the Panthers into the NFC championship game for the second time in three years next week at Seattle.

Carolina, just the third No. 5 seed since 1990 to advance to the championship game, did it by striking early before letting its defense challenge Rex Grossman, who was starting just his second game of the season as Chicago's quarterback.

Grossman, who missed most the season with a broken ankle and had attempted just 39 passes heading into the playoffs, was decent once he settled down. He led the Bears on two second-half scoring drives to rally them out of a 16-7 halftime deficit.

Grossman was driving the Bears again late in the fourth quarter when they trailed 29-21, but he was intercepted by Ken Lucas -- Carolina's big-money offseason acquisition -- with 2:27 to play, then was incomplete to former Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad on fourth-and-1 to hand the Panthers the win.

It spoiled a resurgent season for the storied Bears, who used outstanding defense to return to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Their run included a 13-3 dominating victory over the Panthers in November, when the Bears had eight sacks and two interceptions against Jake Delhomme.

But the Panthers rebounded in the rematch, using Smith to prove this Chicago team is still a ways away from its glory days.

There was so much promise before the game with fans predicting a victory over a team the Bears had beaten back in November. But those predictions turned out to be empty wishes, as the Bears exciting season ended in a loss.

The Panthers avenged their 13-3 loss to Chicago earlier this season by shutting down one of the NFL's best defenses, leaving many Bears fans stunned and confused. But some local fans expressed optimism for a Chicago team that started the year at 1-3.

"They made great strides this season," said attorney Vito Masciopinto. "I think there is a good core of players there that are going to be solid for next year ... I look forward to better things next year, obviously"

Fueling much of that optimism is a decent performance by quarterback Rex Grossman who went 17-for-41 for 192 yards in only his second start of the season. Grossman spent most of the year recovering from a broken ankle.

"The good news is obviously Grossman can play. So, there's hope for the next go-around," said Chicago area sales planner Chuck Lamkin. "The Bears have a window in the next four or five years when they can actually do something."

Grossman led the Bears on two second-half scoring drives to rally them from a 16-7 halftime deficit. But the game unofficially ended for many fans when Grossman was intercepted by Ken Lucas with 2:27 to play. The Bears would have only one more possession after that.

"It was kind of like falling down a hill," said 31-year-old carpenter Keith Jarosz, who attended the game at Soldier Field. "You're rolling down and down and then you just finally hit the bottom."

The Bears' top-ranked defense managed just one sack on Sunday and allowed more yards than they had in any game this season. Panthers receiver Steve Smith brought down 12 catches for a career-high 218 yards, the fourth-highest yardage total in playoff history. He also scored twice.

Dan Glick, 41, of Aspen, Colo., attended the game with his 77-year-old father, Marv. Both men said they were disappointed with how the Bears' notoriously stingy defense played on Sunday.

"Who would've thought that they would lose a game where they scored 21 points?" Dan Glick said.

Marv Glick, of Northbrook, called the game "a step forward" after three losing seasons and said Grossman showed promise.

"He did very well," Marv Glick said. "There were just a lot of dropped balls, which has plagued them all season. We have a lot of receivers with stone hands."

After the game some fans, who didn't want to let the memorable season end quietly in the night, stuck around in the parking lot for one last tailgate party.

"I got to drown my sorrows in food now," said Jerry Jendersak, Bears Fan.

"It was a tough one to swallow. I'm a little disappointed," said Rich Ziemek, Bears Fan.

Despite the loss, Bears fans are hoping the team will come back stronger for next season.

Most fans had little to say after the game. Their mood was somber as they shuffled out of Soldier Field for the ride home. But some fans, who didn't want to let the memorable season end quietly in the night, stuck around in the parking lot for one last tailgate party.

"I got to drown my sorrows in food now," said Jerry Jendersak, Bears Fan.

"It was a tough one to swallow. I'm a little disappointed," said Rich Ziemek, Bears Fan.

Despite the loss, Bears fans are hoping the team will come back stronger for next season.

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