Divisional Playoff Game
Bears @ Buccaneers
The Bears put up 56 points on Philadelphia last week and are looking to do the same to the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has other plans.
The Bears start with the ball, but they don't keep it for long. Chicago punts.
It takes the Buccaneers only 1 play to get points on the board. WR Vincent Jackson is facing CB Charles "Peanut" Tillman on the outside. Tillman tries to jam Jackson at the line, Jackson shakes him and gets behind him. That's all QB Josh Freeman needs. Freeman hits Jackson and he's gone.
CHI 0 TB 7 in the 1st
The Bears respond with a 78yd TD run by Matt Forte.
CHI 7 TB 7 in the 1st
CB Charles Tillman lines up opposite Vincent Jackson and you can tell, he's shaken from the last play. When the ball is snapped, he gives Jackson a big cushion. QB Freeman sees this and hits Jackson with a bullet pass. Jackson spins away from Tillman and then it is off to the races. TD Tampa Bay!
CHI 7 TB 14 in the 1st
The Bears can't get anything going on offense and have to punt.
The Buccaneers go right back to work. They try the run game, but the Bears are gunning for Martin. That means back to the air attack. Tillman tries to jam Vincent Jackson, he fails miserably. Jackson pushes him down and he's off. Freeman hits the completely uncovered Jackson. Vincent Jackson already has over 100yds and 3 TDs.
CHI 7 TB 21 in the 2nd
The Bears start to move the ball, but QB Jay Cutler gets sacked by MLB David Harris killing the drive. Chicago punts.
Once the Buccaneers have the ball they turn to HB Doug Martin. Martin is stuffed for losses on the first two plays. QB Freeman goes back for the pass on 3rd and 16 and its Deja Vu. Jackson has gotten behind Tillman and it looks like clear sailing to the endzone. Freeman hits Jackson and the Buccaneers are in control of this one.
CHI 7 TB 28 at the half
Tampa starts with the ball, but can't convert. They punt.
Chicago starts to put things together and they finish the drive with a 21yd TD to TE Kellen Davis.
CHI 14 TB 28 in the 3rd
Tampa responds with a TD of their own. Who gets it? Who else, WR Vincent Jackson! Jackson is working his way to a playoff record.
CHI 14 TB 35 in the 3rd
The Bears have some success, but when it comes to a 4th down conversion, they come up a yard short.
The Buccaneers get the ball back and try to run time off the clock. HB Doug Martin gets stuffed on a 2nd down, leaving the Buccaneers needing to pass to get the 1st down. QB Freeman drops back and sees what he's seen all day, WR Jackson has got CB Tillman beat like a red headed stepchild. Jackson hauls it in and takes it to the house, for his 6th TD!
CHI 14 TB 42 in the 4th
With less than a minute left in the game, the Bears decide to send HB Matt Forte up the middle repeatedly. Clearly Lovie Smith knew he was out of this one and didn't really want to try to make the margin less embarrassing.
CHI 14 TB 42 Final
Statistics
TB QB Josh Freeman 10/11 for 321yds 6 TDs
CHI QB Jay Cutler 3/9 for 98yds TD
TB HB Doug Martin 16 runs for 91yds
CHI HB Matt Forte 11 runs for 109yds TD
TB WR Vincent Jackson 8 catches for 299yds 6 TDs
CHI HB Matt Forte 3 catches for 13yds
CHI WR Brandon Marshall 2 catches for 27yds
TB HB Doug Martin 1 catch for 8yds
TB SS Devin McCourty 5 tackles, 2 TFL, Sack
TB OLB Lavonte David 5 tackles, 3 TFL, Sack
CHI FS Husain Abdullah 4 tackles
TB MLB David Harris 4 tackles, 2 TFL, Sack
CHI MLB Brian Urlacher 3 tackles
Matt Miller- Buccaneers have to feel invincible after watching V. Jackson light up the scoreboard with 6 TDs.
Susannah Collins- Chicago's Super Bowl ambitions just got snuffed out. Tough loss.
Chris Mortensen- Hard to beat perfection, which is what Josh Freeman was this week in his playoff game.
Robert Flores- Fantasy owners, be sure to say thanks to Josh Freeman-- or curse his name if you had to go H2H against him.
Playoff Perfection- To have a perfect passer rating in the playoffs is quite a feat, and Josh Freeman accomplished it this week.
Get Out The Record Books- Vincent Jackson showed all the right stuff this week and picked up 6 touchdowns in a massive playoff win for the Buccaneers.
A Devastating Loss- A truly devastating loss for the Bears, a team that battled so hard even to get to this point.