D good, just not good enough
By JOANNE KORTH
Published November 28, 2005
TAMPA - In many ways, the Bucs defense succeeded in its goal to outplay the Bears' top-ranked defense. The Bucs gave up a paltry 239 yards and, for argument's sake, two field goals.
It still wasn't enough.
In a game decided by a missed field goal, Tampa Bay's defense will fret over four plays it failed to make - two would-be turnovers and two big plays in Chicago's only sustained drive - and wonder what might have been if even one had turned out differently.
"That was the story line of the day, if you ask me," coach Jon Gruden said. "We had a fumble of our own. They capitalized, and we were unable to make a couple opportunities work for us. Our defense played good, at times very good. It's unfortunate."
The Bears' only touchdown came courtesy of their defense, which stripped Bucs quarterback Chris Simms and recovered the ball at the Tampa Bay 1. Kyle Orton passed to John Gilmore on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
The Bucs nearly returned the favor.
With the Bears backed up to their 9-yard line, cornerback Ronde Barber let what should have been his 25th career interception slip through his fingers. In single coverage against Justin Gage, Barber looked more like the intended receiver than the defender.
"It's not like it was a hard ball to catch," Barber said. "Great players make those plays. I have a standard I'm trying to live up to, and if I want to be who I think I am, I can't drop that ball."
In the second quarter, defensive end Simeon Rice registered his fourth sack-fumble in three games and his sixth forced fumble of the season. But the ball, which seemed to bounce like a basketball, was recovered by Bears fullback Bryan Johnson near midfield.
"You get one of those, you never know the outcome," linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "That's how small this game is in terms of wins and losses. Our opportunity was there, we just didn't get them."
To set up what proved to be the decisive score, Chicago drove 65 yards on what appeared to be a doomed possession after a false-start penalty made it second and 16 at the Chicago 11. But running back Thomas Jones dashed 19 yards for a first down and, three plays later, took a screen pass 41 yards for a critical third-down conversion. Robbie Gould's 36-yard field goal made it 13-3.
On the run, Jones cut back against the flow of the play to find open space on the weakside. The screen was the perfect call against the Bucs defense, which brought Brooks on a linebacker blitz. Orton's pass sailed just over Brooks' fingertips.
Jones, who played for the Bucs in 2003, credited Orton's delivery.
"They blitzed and Kyle did a great job of squeezing it in there," said Jones, who finished with 72 yards rushing and 32 receiving. "It's a tough pass because there were a lot of guys there and Kyle had to throw it hard because he had to get it out of his hands."
For Brooks and the Bucs, it was one more frustration.
"I was inches away from knocking the ball down," Brooks said. "There could easily have been a tip, interception the other way. I was so close to knocking it down, but I didn't."