Chicago Bears come close, fall to Denver Broncos 17-15

The Chicago Bears entered Sunday’s contest versus the Denver Broncos without their top two wide receivers, again, as Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal were sidelined with different injuries.

Osweiler threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns. On fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line with 10 minutes, 10 seconds left in a game the Broncos led 17-9, Fox made a decision to go for it against the NFL’s No. 1 defense rather than take a field goal that would have come in handy in the end.

Sunday’s win was a Kubiak dream: control the ball (33:13 to 26:47, 43 percent on third downs), run the ball (170 yards), pass efficiently (74.1 completion percentage), don’t turn the ball over (zero), and let the defense do the heavy lifting (33 percent third downs, two takeaways). “If we were better at short yardage today, we maybe could have closed the game”.

Offense can’t capitalize: The Bears were 0-for-3 scoring touchdowns in the red zone, including a situation when they had three chances from the 4-yard line. Anderson said. “Everybody did their job better today, and that’s all we can be happy about”. A win in this game might have put them in the hunt for the postseason.

“The play’s never over when Cutler’s back there”, Bears running back Jeremy Langford said.

Remember the Gatorade commercial with Peyton Manning, Yao Ming and Derek Jeter in it. They all went to a kid named Jimmy’s house to get him so they can play their respective sports with him. The Broncos waited on the team plane, for four-plus hours, thanks to a sudden snowstorm that turned the Windy City into a wild, winter wonderland.

“There are more guys to say “Hi” to after the game”.

“I don’t think it was anything about proving (myself), it’s just a team victory”. The Ravens have lost seven games by a total of 32 points, but this close one went their way. After permitting an opening-drive touchdown for the third straight week, the unit held the Broncos to three points on their next seven possessions. “The first drive has killed us”, Prosinski said. Defensively, the Broncos yield 182.8 yards in passing and 94.6 yards in rushing. Gould followed with field goals of 46 and 37 yards to cut the deficit to 7-6 before Brandon McManus’ 24-yard field goal widened the margin to 10-6 as time expired in the first half.

Jay Cutler and Co. responded to the Broncos’ fourth-quarter TD by marching downfield more than 70 yards on two plays, thanks in large part to a 15-yard personal foul by Denver safety T.J. Ward for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cutler after an 18-yard scramble. And while all of those games could’ve gone either way, the Bears feel like they let a big opportunity slip away Sunday at Soldier Field.

For his first three seasons with the Broncos, after missing an entire National Football League season and undergoing massive neck surgery, Manning defied logic by seemingly playing better than he ever had before. “That’s kind of been the story all year”.

“There’s been a few games that we’ve lost in the fourth quarter and we’ve felt like we’ve been right there”, said Cutler. “Our margin for error isn’t that great”.

If you’re in need of a reliable tight end, Davis would be a good waiver-wire pickup. “I’m just excited he got an opportunity and I’m happy for him”.