Saints @ Bears: run the nonbelievers outta town

By Emerald Gao
Written on January 22, 2007

I'm trying to imagine what Chicago must feel like right now, and I can't bring myself to think about the fact that I'm not there for this occasion. I'm not one to take weather omens seriously, but it's hard to argue against the snow that started drifting over the cut-up surface of Soldier Field early in the third quarter, when the Saints looked strong and the defense looked lost -- flake by flake, swept along the ground by the lake wind, steady like faith. At that moment I got homesick like nothing I've ever experienced. Just to be there, not even in the stadium, but receiving all that cold snow like some sort of gift, some sort of christening. The Saints may be America's sweethearts, but the Bears are America's workhorses, the broad shoulders, the steel columns.

Over the course of those few minutes, when the wind picked up and the snow started blowing horizontal, the game transformed into Chicago-brand football, and I wouldn't have a victory any other way.

The defense was superb for three quarters of the game. I've never seen Drew Brees so uncomposed in that first half, and although the Bears allowed them to regain momentum going into the second half, the D-line put so much pressure on him that he self-destructed. Reggie Bush's incredible touchdown was amazing to watch, but hard to accept, as was Berrian's catch when all seemed lost, and that clever little backroll into the endzone.

Jones and Benson reaped hard-earned rewards with touchdown runs, Gould set the stage early in the game, and Rex was solid when it counted. My heart was on the verge of breaking for him going into the half, but that fourth quarter was his baptism by fire, and he strolled through. Some people can't look past the veneer of inconsistency and the inexperience, but I see so much tenacity there: a fourth-year quarterback who looks newborn but plays to please the fans and his teammates -- in this game, Rex didn't simply manage the game, he sealed the game. If Urlacher is the soul that holds the team together, then Rex Grossman is the never-say-die spirit that keeps playing because he loves the thrill of it, no matter how people judge him.

Lastly, to the man who deserves all the praise and respect in this world, Lovie Smith. He could be black or white or Indonesian, but the only description that would be accurate at this point is a magnificent coach, our stoic leader and calming presence. Without him we wouldn't be here, so from us to you, sir, thank you. Thank you for believing in a quarterback when no one else would; thank you for never hiding from the fans; thank you for every minute you've spent building this team up to what it has become tonight.

The 2006 Chicago Bears: NFC Champions


photo found at CBS Sportsline

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