Panthers vs Bears 2005 NFC Divisional (Full Game)

[Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] here come the Bears [Music] it is divisional playoff weekend around the NFL in this FC matchup the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears [Applause] now welcome to the broadcast booth everybody I'm Joe Buck Troy Aikman coming up in just a second the Carolina Panthers come flying into this game coming off their shutout victory up over the Giants in the Meadowlands on the other side you've got the Bears the number two seed in the NFC they've been riding that great defense all season long the big question for Chicago however coming into the playoffs how will rex grossman respond he has only seven career starts he's made only one start this season and Troy Aikman ances we look at this young man the question is how will he get along in this game we know one thing his teammates are 100% behind them well there's no question about that Joe and I'm not even sure that Rex Grossman really knows exactly what to expect in this ballgame but as you mentioned this team is behind him 100% he brings a great deal of confidence to this team he also brings the ability to get the ball down the field and that's something that's been lacking with this bears offense but let's not forget this team is still about running the football with Thomas Jones and playing great defense and nobody does that better than a Chicago Bear formulas really not that different for Carolina we watch them take apart the Giants they did it with their great defense the running game which is made a big rebound and then Steve Smith you know he's going to get the ball he expects again against us good defense to grab the football and that's really what this offense likes to do they like to find ways early in this ball game to get the ball into Steve Smith's hands they were able to do that the last time these two teams play however Carolina failed to score a touchdown gave up eight sacks the real key from my perspective in this game is going to be can they continue to run the football the way they have the last two weeks with the Sean Foster if they're able to do that then that's going to take a lot of pressure off of this offensive line and it's also going to allow Jake Delon to do what he does best and that's try to create some big plays off the play-action a date with the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday in the NFC Championship game is on the line they already here in Chicago buckle up off we go right after this three are in for next weekend's championship games we know the Seahawks will be in it for the NFC the AFC matchup is set Denver with a win last night over New England and Pittsburgh surviving that scare and the Jerome Bettis fumble getting past Indianapolis who wins this one is the burning question we get ready on a 42 degree day in Chicago but the wind is whipping around and four more before the start of this game let's go down to the field and Pam Oliver hey there Joe Rex Grossman is nervous he'll be the first to tell you he always gets nervous before a game but his teammates seem to have absolutely no anxiety him I barely got gross his name mohamad starting written from here to here he said that kid is nice he just gives us a great opportunity to win the outside world mate [Music] Pam the Carolina defensive backs kept a close eye on rex grossman in pregame warmup safety Mike Miller said during build study week he found that Grossman throws more to an area than a receiver he hopes to have players in that area and hope to diffuse the skies and confuse him the Panther is proud to call themselves road warriors don't look at their gate here November is a loss they said they saw it as more of a scouting trip so they know what to expect if they came back today they're here they say they feel comfortable and cozy and they got the weather to cooperate Joe the seat down here is electrifly let's go back upstairs all right Chris and Pam thank you very much well the Panthers want the toss they receive and I'm sure for the Bears and their fans that doesn't break anybody's heart it'll be the Carolina offense starting against this terrific Chicago defense glad you're with us today on Fox the Robertson from about the six this side of the field can he get to the edge wrestled out of bounds around a 40 by Mike Green a 34 yard return by Jamal Robertson good start for Carolina and for Jake Delhomme last two seasons the home compared to what he's done on the road in the quarterback rating how about what he's done in his five career postseason games ooh rating of 105.1 he is pumped up before during and after every game and his heart has got to be racing right now he talks about it to us each and every time we have a Carolina game he said he's very excited coming into games very enthusiastic and firing he does not try to do anything to calm himself down he feels that that really helps him quit throw to Smith and put it right into his hands and Tillman brings him down immediately a gain of only two however they can do it they want the ball in the hands of Steve Smith and this offensive line has been healthy all year they had their worst day Troy by far November 20 is here in Chicago when they gave up eight sacks and a big reason for that as they did not give their offensive tackles travell Wharton or Jordan gross help in that game they thought they could block these defensive ends for the Bears one on one they're not coming into the game with that thought process here today however they're going to be giving them help throughout the ball game second and eight blitz Urlacher was coming Smith gets behind the defense there's a flag down Smith makes the reception a move and he's into the end zone but a penalty flag is down back near the spot where Smith made the catch well there was definitely contact with Charles Tillman and Steve Smith and the Panthers are celebrating right now illegal contact 33 big van up in leaves decline touchdown so Steve Smith two receptions already a touchdown this one good from 58 yards when you see Charles Tillman he's walked in the backfield he's not keeping his eyes on Steve Smith Steve Smith just ran right by him I can tell you Charles Tillman is a talented guy they're gonna match him up one-on-one with Steve Smith Steve Smith is going to win that battle so against the Chicago defense a stunning start for the Carolina Panthers offense too close to Steve Smith he's into the end zone and it's seven and nothing great start for Jake the wrong you know he's going to get the ball and even against this defense he gets the ball in 58 yards later he's got a touchdown well and you see on the outside as I was saying Charles Tillman he gets caught looking into the backfield you saw Jake DeLong there look like he was going to throw a quick pass that's why Charles Tillman leveled off on the route and when he leveled off that's when Steve Smith ran by him I think there was an ad-lib there on Steve Smith's part based on the way that Jake Delhomme looked like he was getting ready to cut the ball loose and then continued on the go-round it seemed to be a pretty good adjustment by Jake Delhomme take a look here at Charles Tillman as he's looking into the back though right there is where Cologne ran the little fake pump and Steve Smith ran right by him all right so a couple of things Steve Smith now six career postseason games six touchdowns he doesn't here against the Bears defense that all season long allowed a total of 10 points in the opponent's first possession and against a team that at home allowed only 61 points all season and in a blink Caroline is upsetting to nothing and they've taken the crowd right out of the game and that's a great way to start the game remember back to the first meeting Carolina failed to score a touchdown they scored one on the first possession Rashid Davis returning kicks the rookie defensive back get out to the 20 17 Thomas Davis on the stop and he had helped Johnson Wesley here comes rex grossman who as we mentioned is made only seven career starts he started one game this season he has played six quarters and yet this offense is thrilled to have him under center [Applause] they started abroad second down intend completion right out of the rex grossman who is protected by this group and this groups done a heck of a job you think back to a year ago the number of sacks that they gave up did not protect the passive very well they've done a good job protecting Kyle Orton throughout the season they've also done a great job in and allowing Thomas Jones over 1,300 yards this year Terence Metcalf typically the starting rate guard out with a knee injury so Garza starts in that spot on second down and 10 Grossman down the middle of the field Bernard clean conference final Lucas Berrien as they're outside burner and Grossman led him too far well so much for working Grossman into this thing gradually I'm in first and second down they come out throwing the football and this is what they think Rex Grossman brings to the dance the ability to get the ball down the field and Bernard Berrian he's their speed guy he can really fly and he had an opportunity on a deep one there and Julius Peppers who did not get a sack on Kyle Orton that first matchup already putting the hit there on Grossman here's a crowd batted into the Lucas and it falls incomplete and just like that it's three-and-out just engage the intended receiver Lucas got his hand in there reason why you're not familiar with Bret's Grossman's histories we watch this play again Grossman was a first-round pick in no three he sat the first portion of that season got in at the end played well but then he blew out his knee in the second year and this year broke his ankle in August during the preseason and did not come back until the Atlanta game here is a shank by Maynard off the side of his foot and already up seven enough in Carolina will take over with great field position at the Chicago 36 what a start for the Panthers up seven and they've got it back what an opportunity this is for Carolina after just a 19 yard punt from Brad Maynard during the season the Bears on offense averaged only 16 points per game there were twenty sixth in the league in scoring Carolina already up seven have run two plays run it twice to Smith and they start with it at the Chicago 36 in smith's direction again and it's not down Alex Brown got his hands up and knocked it away let's look at this defense Brown and a goon Lee a terrific at the defensive end positions and there's a lot of focus on the interior defensive line as well this week if the tackles are going to get so much help for Carolina the linebackers Urlacher the Defensive Player of the Year but Roy there's so many who believe that Briggs had as good as seasoned as Urlacher did in fact the staff believes that Briggs had every bit the season that our locker did and you look at this defensive group there is not a weak spot on I don't know exactly how Carolina when they look at it as to how they're going to attack it here's our first one for either side - Sean Foster picks up to bring up third Nate I thought it was interesting in talking with Dan Henning and he said we have a game plan going into a game and then we have a Steve Smith plan well it's very obvious there in that first possession that the Steve Smith plan was the one he was working on both they just want to get the phone to his the mists and create big plays and certainly he was able to run by tilman there for the touchdown July [Music] it's off his hand incomplete he found a hole in that defense nobody around him but Delon threw it too high and the punt team comes onto the field for Carolina and de l'homme knows that he missed out on a great opportunity had good protection that's something that he wasn't given in that first game offensive line does a good job if he's able to get that ball down on the numbers for Ricky Proehl that would have been a big gainer I know it's early droid the dent was a big forced by the Chicago defense six [Applause] two yards now Baker Punk's it into the end zone and it's only a net of 14 yards with a change in possession Steve Smith's been busy already he's already into the end zone pumping up Ricky Proehl 7-nothing Carolina do you all realize how good the Carolina defense is I don't know what to do number three across the NFL during the regular season the giant snow shut down last week by this Panther group and now getting back to the line of scrimmage is Thomas Jones this defense has been roller we've been doing it at home and they've been doing it on the road Julia's Peppers lost his helmet during that last play you look at Julius along with Buckner Karstens and Rucker across that defensive front the linebackers are good the secondary is good there isn't a weakness in this group no there's not when you look at the Carolina defense and you compare it thin with the Chicago Bears defense they're very similar and they've got great players at all positions from Jones you have over 1,300 yards during the regular season picked up five last week against the Giants 132 total yards allowed by this defense for takeaways and the Giants barely had the football and I guess when you look at the game plan coming in shutdown the running game like they did last week and you put it on the young quarterback like they did against Eli Manning try to do it to rex grossman this [Applause] fires to the sideline and call it in three and out thought Julius Peppers downfield back in coverage well tell you right now Carolina defensively has given a lot of different looks of doing a good job of disguising when they're bringing the eighth guy up in the box and how they're running their various coverages and trying to confuse rex grossman certainly they understand that this is a young quarterback that just hasn't seen a lot of football out on the and hits another ugly fun takes a nice Chicago bounce it will inside the 35 41 yard pot hi my name is Julius Peppers I am a freakishly talented athlete you want me to rush the passer how about run the ball or get back in coverage whatever you need I can do 7-nothing Panthers two head coaches in the top two squares and then in the bottom knee battle between Urlacher in this defense Jake Doyle let the battle for field position begin 7-nothing Panthers on top at Asda foster getting to the edge deshaun Foster gets smacked by gain of seven not a big guy but lovely Smith will tell you he can hit well that's what makes the Chicago Bears defense so good watch Alex Brown the defensive end right there and the way that he's able to run it down now he gets there and is able to get in the play and then Chris Harris the rookie as you said Joe mean he's not one of these guys he's going to come down low on the running backs he hit some right up there in his upper body and a good tackler in fact all of these defenders are good tackler second down and to foster foster picks his way for a Carolina first down as he crossed the 45 and let's go down in the field with Chris Myers Joe Steve Smith was one of the first players out on the field he told me he was angry that in their meeting in November he had 14 catches in that game but the bear players kept saying he didn't do much because we kept him out of the end zone he said I whipped him then and I'll whoop him today and then he said hey I go get an IV it's going to be one of those days so this was two hours before the game he already got apron tackle on up here Chris Steve Smith continually just thinks that he doesn't get it much respect back there's a lot of players in this game today they don't think they get respect toss to foster he's going nowhere Alex brought out of the middle of it a loss of two do you feel like you get the respect you deserve only from you Joe you watch Alex Brown here and I mean this guy is not the biggest defensive end in the world but he can move and he's so agile and athletic and you see that he just wrote that block by Mangum right down in to make the tackle as well as deshaun Foster has run the ball here in the last two games he's going to have his work cut out for him running it against this group it's a defensive front that's very active they run a lot of stunts a lot of twists and they don't give a lot running lanes for these running backs into the hands of Smith again it'll bring up 39 Hillenmeyer on the stop there's a lot of traffic out there when Steve Smith pops up waiting for the ball well one thing that Steve Smith can be guaranteed of is that when he catches that quick screen he's going to have about five black jerseys running at him because they run sideline to sideline Lance bridge Brian Urlacher it's a very fast growing group one thing we've seen already from Carolina there no they don't want Jeff DeLong holding onto the ball and taking sacks he's gotten the ball out very quick already the third time we've seen him run that quick stream to Steve Smith what there's nothing check the law he's trying to pick up the first down and he has brought down it looks like about half a yard short of a first down it's fourth down Tillman forced him out and it'll be fourth down and half a yard well it was looking for Steve Smith Steve Smith was going to run the corner route and then he pulled up I don't know that he thought that Jake Delon was actually going to be throwing him the ball but it looked like yeah Brad Hoover gets in there and puts a block on Lance Briggs gentleman doesn't put a real good hit on Jake DeLong's fortunate that he didn't pick up the first down there Jake DeLong is going to have to burn a timeout as the play clock winds down as of the moment the Panthers look like on fourth down with a ball of the Chicago 45 and a half yard to go they're going to go for it timeout Carolina take a break fourth down when we come back interesting sequence prior to the break Steve Smith was watching the play clock wind down with the offense out of the field he calls the timeout Delon is upset he was willing to take a delay of game penalty he didn't want to burn the timeout and then John Fox puts his arm around Steve Smith what's he going to say to Steve Smith yeah not much does that been Brad Hoover he mighta reacted a little differently Baker drills the punt wind holds it up and it's down inside the 10 by Dante Wesley Baker a very good punt of 40 yards so now with Chicago there we were going to break and the offense was out on the field for Carolina in that situation you can't go for it on fourth down against this defense not make it and give Grossman that little head start you know as much as you want to go for it as a coach you thinking we can pick that up if this games about defense in field position which it certainly is then you can't take those kinds of chances and certainly against a young quarterback like rex grossman they've played well against him so far you got a punt pin them back and then just play good defense funny we talked to miss in mohammadi Center offense this season without growth [Applause] the past month and off Vista jumps cuts it back Thomas Jones at first down out of the 19 yard line Thomas Jones he really has been their best offensive player all season long watch the offensive line John Tate reuben brown they're gonna collapse at left side and thomas jones going to come in behind it just a heck of a job there there was nobody out there you can see the crease that Thomas Jones had to work off of grace now who picks his way for a couple you know we've already seen Ron Turner the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears team I mean they are certainly not going to get away from the running game but it's obvious they wanted to allow Rex Grossman to kind of work his way into this by throwing the football and just kind of get the jitters out early in his game he has yet to complete a pass but I've got to believe at least the fact they've let him throw it the deads help handoff to jobs nicely played by this Carolina defense Dan Morgan the middle linebacker there to make the stop a gain of three and it's third down for Chicago down in five and so many times you get into playoff football every third down becomes so critical because obviously it gives you another set of downs but then it also allows you to re-establish field position when that's what you're trying to accomplish the Blitz from Caroline the Grossman throws off his back foot a flag is down and there was contact Lukas and Bernard Berrian and it looks like that's going to be against Carolina if it is it's an automatic first down looks like they're going to get Ken Lucas pass interference 23 pieces [Music] here the teammates rex grossman talked about his play as a quarterback they call him a gunslinger he was under pressure there from rocker threw it up and there's the pass interference call against Kent Lucas well it's a heck of a job it was an out nut by Bernard Berrian they completely turned Mike Rucker loose on the outside of busting protection there but rex grossman knowing that he was going to get Bernard Berrian up the sideline was able to just get it out there that's a pretty good illustration there as to what got Armstrong flex from Carolina fares pick it up - - Muhammad had it go off his hands incomplete Thomas Jones had talked about him just a moment ago and his ability to run the football in the season that he's had but he's been equally as good in his ability in pass protection he picks up the Blitz thereby Mike mentor which gives Grossman time now on the other end of it Musa Mohammed I mean here's a guy who spent his first nine years with the Carolina Panthers had an opportunity there to come down with the catch but to do it these guys around Rex to be able to make those plays and help him out today [Applause] second and ten Thomas jobs over the right side makes the third down a little more manageable picks up five we listen to Pam at the start of the game talk about how nervous rex grossman was going to be when he entered this game and he told us half butterflies before every game but knowing what this game means knowing the opportunities that he has before him I would have to believe that now that there were late into the first quarter and he's had an opportunity to throw the football he's got hit and gotten knocked around a little bit I've got to believe that he's starting to settle in like most quarterbacks wool 35 [Applause] it's Jones and Jones knockdown of me depends on the spot it looks like a good spot for Chicago in a first down it is first Denton bears on that completion a beautifully thrown ball from Rex Grossman in a well designed play and this is one of the things that the Chicago Bears actually do a pretty good job they're gonna run loose and Muhammad here and then you've got Thomas Jones just running an angle route and you see the linebacker who goes up the field and they put it right on Thomas Jones first completion of this game for Grossman [Applause] and it drops incomplete Wallace got his hands up Manesh out at that ball coming down could not haul it in second and ten you know so many these defensive plugins we certainly saw enough of it yesterday in those ballgames but when they cannot get to the quarterback they've gotten very good in recent years of been going up and getting their hands up and trying to bend falls down we saw a lot of it yesterday and then we saw our walls here today quick throw the gauge it is knocked out of me play attention Thunder peppers back the other way touchdown care gamble knocked it out of the arms of gage and now we'll see if it's going to be challenged by Chicago I don't know how you can't challenge that and it looked to me Jo like he never quite that possession of it and now gage is trying to catch it did he have it secured and is there going to be a footage there that shows that he did not have so that they can overturn it but say they came up they put the hit on him and Julius Peppers because he's hustling to the ball ain't gonna then recover it and run it in the challenge flag is on the field thrown by Lonnie Smith that angle there it looked like it was a reception it was gamble it was Chris Gamble who has had another strong season seven interceptions a touchdown we'll take one more look at it take a break and come back with the call so much riding on this ball the challenge by Chicago as it stands now a catch fumble and a touchdown Carolina [Music] while Coleman is still under the hood he's the one who will make the determination as to whether there's enough evidence to overturn the call on the field which is a catch a forced fumble by gamble gage was the one who put it on the ground and then Julius Peppers returned at 37 yards for a touchdown the Bears are challenging the call saying that it should be incomplete that is its third and 10 for Chicago at their own 47 yard line well certainly everything that we've seen shows that it was a reception and it was a fumble after reviewing the play the receivers right knee was down [Applause] we'll leave Chicago's ball third and 11 at the 46 not charge time they end up losing a yard on the play they could have lost the game on that call you get the feeling that this is a Chicago team they're starting to move the ball starting to get their legs underneath them offensively and then this potential turnover but because the knee was down according to wall Coleman down by contact so no fumble boy I was close to I mean his knee did touch the ground it wasn't dead with long food in their opinion he had possession when the knee did touch the ground however third down Andy and it's still seven to nothing Carolina mark that play Julius Peppers came across that Miller boo neutral zone infraction 90 defense five-yard penalty still third down so it's 36 that's going to be a heck of a matchup all day long there with Julius Peppers I thought when the last time these two teams played courts Julius Peppers had the high ankle sprain he also had the broken hand but it just didn't look like he was really wrapped up the way that he's capable playing Fred Miller the offensive tackle he was playing with a broken jaw but that's certainly a great matchup here today on third down and six and other flicks and that's gauge off his hands and down to the ground and complete the punt team comes on for the Bears you know we're seeing right now these corners Ken Lucas he gets so physical with gage coming off the ball you see him immediately jamming and just enough he's got safety help with mineral to the top which allows him to do it and not worry about gage getting a free release off of him but it jams him up and distracts the route and they're not able to get the completion [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and Carolina will end up with very good field position touching it and it's only a 13-yard punch seven up in Carolina they get the football back seven and up in Carolina out in front they have the ball at their all 36 the bears and what they've done it home their last six games points allowed three to Minnesota six the Baltimore's nine by San Francisco three seven and three and four the year was the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978 the fewest points allowed for the entire season and it doesn't take long watching them to see why it is that they're so good I mean they're very well coached their scheme is solid and they really have great players on first down DeLong has time over the middle overshoots Culver time for Jake Delhomme to throw it that Tim held on to it a little longer than he has so far in this first quarter but he missed Gary Colburn tell you so far Joe Jake DeLong's been given pretty good time to throw the football I think he's probably even a little bit surprised when you think back to that last game when he got sacked eight times not only was he sacked that many times but most of the time he was under heavy pressure but so far in this game this offensive lines been a heck of a job so far no sex allowed at second in town when asses clock by Kocher why tell me yards shy of a first down we talk about this protection again we're seeing Jake Delon get back and get the ball out he's not holding on to it too much but you see the head that they've got they got Nick goings out there helping Jordan grouse and right now Charles Chapman when you have something bad happen to you early in the we saw the sneeze Smith go right by after the touchdown right now if you tell skittish and playing a little something third down the walk handle foster picks it up for Carolina and gets it into Chicago territory hated one got six fosters a guy that coming into this season had the reputation now he is working his way toward an offseason where he will be a free agent he's made himself a lot of money over the past month well I think he's erased any doubts that anyone in this organization might have had about him here over the last couple of weeks and he's also as regards a guy like running between the tackles but he certainly did a good job on that last on first down faster brought down by Briggs to his Carolina offense was really embarrassed by the way that they just got manhandled the last time that these two teams played and I think Dan Henning said it best that hey we're not certain how we're going to play but one thing that we know is that these guys have a great deal of fun and they're gonna put forth a much better effort than what they did in that first game second down the date toss to foster he got hit by you know Brian Urlacher didn't have a lot of fit plays this season as far as interceptions and fumbles and such but he had led the league in tackles for losses and here's what he's a downhill linebacker and he navigates his way through the backside defensive walking because he's so fast and so quick he's able to get on these running backs before they even know that he's there he's a big guy and he's fast and he's tough and to me he's the type of middle linebacker that every team would love to have third down the Nile let's pick it up go deep the smith barniz up for grabs and her wrestle for it Tillman and Smith who's going to pull it out to the offense goes to Steve Smith and Carolina wrestling for it with Tillman and the call has already been made the Carolina gets it down inside the five [Applause] you watch Steve Smith he gestures and tries to let jake the law happen they brought pressure on the other side and again he goes what if I Charles tell me and he just wanted it more than Tillman did Charles Tillman was in a much better position to make that play than what Steve Smith was but Steve Smith went up and he just wanted it a little bit more that's twice now they had gentlemen on Smith when he's gone been running down the field and both times Steve Smith has made the play that brings up first down and goal the ball at the three deshaun Foster will get there Briggs let's go back to that completion to Steve Smith to put him over 100 yards already but Charles Tillman I mean he's it he's got a size advantage on Smith he went up high trying to get it but Smith was able to wrestle with it looked like both of them simultaneously caught the ball and then that goes to the offense I said it earlier Charles Tillman cannot run with Steve Smith I'm a little surprised that they've continued to play him with Charles Tillman one-on-one 46 yard completion now it's second and goal DeLong is in trouble and it's incomplete Smith was his intended target he felt down and eventually Michael gains is overthrown in the back of the endzone its third goal let's teach that this time they got Nathan basher on them and they're going to run him hunter Hillenmeyer underneath that I don't know that even if he hadn't to fall him down if he would have been given an opportunity good job by Jake DeLong getting the ball around and not taking a sound Julius Peppers is in the offensive huddle and he will line up wide to the left of the offensive formation the footing on that field is terrible showed with Smith on that mr.foster he's brought down by Harris and this defense flexes its muscles down inside the five that's how the first quarter comes to a close fourth down when we come back seven and up in Carolina a first corner is in the books coordinates ah Steve Smith go over 100 yards for the day has a touchdown right out of the gate on the second play from scrimmage and after a stop on the 1st and goal inside the five here's Casey settin up in Carolina three four three last weekend at the Meadowlands and is good from 20 here against Chicago the business town came on third and goal from that man Tommy Harris really good play by Tommy Harris Mike wall here is going to block down and Tommy Harris is coming through they're expecting Nick goings to make the block but watch what happens Nick goings is going to come down low and that's asking a lot of him to try to take on Tommy Harris Tommy Harris is there and deshaun Foster just had no chance Tommy Harris will be heading to his first Pro Bowl February and he will be joined by his teammates Lance Briggs Brian Urlacher on the defense Mike Brown and Nathan fashion but I tell you what along that defensive line I mean of course with with Alex Brown at defensive end along with the goon Lee egg and those two guys certainly led the charge this year with 16 sacks combined amongst them but the interior pass rush of Tommy Harris Ian Scott tank Johnson and the job that they've done because so many times if the pressure is only coming from the outside and you're not getting an inside push a quarterback has room to step up but Tommy Harris he has really developed now in his second season you mentioned Joe making a trip down to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl so the Bears will get it back Rex Grossman accompany down down ten to nothing three seconds gone in the second quarter [Applause] outside the five Vegas crosses the 30 the Bears lost his helmet during the play and a 23 yard return from Davis well Troy Aikman you will be happy because tonight on Fox you and the rest of the country the wait is over televisions biggest event of the new years finally here two nights for hours the 24 to night premiere begins immediately after this game except on the west coast right here on Fox viewer discretion is advised I think my wife's more excited about it than one on first down Grossman fires in the pass incomplete [Applause] the sin Mohammed the intended receiver and gamble Hannah grab and a fistful of Jersey when Mohammed came out of his grave now they're trying to run the deeper curl and moose and Muhammad pushes up he got away with a little bit of a straight arm as well and there was a little bit of a grab there by gamble but still if Grossman had been able to put that ball where it should have been thrown it still would have been an easy completion penalty flags and whistles prior to the snap false start 63 offense five-yard penalty still second down Roberto Garcia let's check in with Pam hey Joe very interesting watching Rex Grossman when he comes off the field to get the idea he doesn't want to get a lot of information crammed in his head quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson tries to go through the pictures with press when he'll look at him for a minute then we'll just get up and watch the game you got the idea that too much stuff second down at 15 Grossman trying to set up a screen off the chest of Thomas Jones it's something Troy that the Bears didn't do a lot up during the regular season with trying to break tendencies they came into this game looking to put a few screens in and that was their first attempt at it incomplete yeah and it's also to help slow this pass rush down that's Wade Wilson the the quarterback coach spent a lot of time with rex grossman during the week but these are the types of things the players around them whether it's moose and Muhammad Thomas Jones not every ball is going to be perfect particularly when you're talking about a guy who just hasn't played much and these guys got to make some of those tough catches for Thursday 15 Grossman is going to air it it's the intended receiver and it's incomplete Gamble was out there that got help from Minter rise up--for down sorry Joe right now it just looks like rex grossman is just a little bit overwhelmed and that's not entirely surprising but you know these are the things that you can't do he just threw this one up for grabs into double coverage really and he's very fortunate that that ball wasn't intercepted because it certainly should have been that's the kind of stuff that when you've got a defense as good as the Chicago Bears head trying to force it makes em for oculus play it's not worth the rest good punt by maynard to the delight of his crowd and Smith somehow stays on his feet and then he's dragged down ion bidet Joe is there on the stop along with Leon Joe frustration on the part of Minter who almost came away with an interception carolina wit the football and attends it leave beautiful day on lake michigan Thomas Davis the rookie with a veteran move on patton battling the long snapper for the chicago bears kicking some dirt onto his hands it didn't affect the snap a good punt from Maynard and Panthers had their worst starting field position of the day still not bad at their own 20 a faster on the stuff Lance Briggs cleaned up no gain on the play we recap what's happened to this point second play from scrimmage the completion the touchdown to Steve Smith who's already over 100 yards to the day the near fumble return for a touchdown ruling the knee of just engage was down and then Smith showing it's not just speed it's strength fighting for the ball and taking it away from Tillman to set up the field boilage 10 nothing Panthers second and 10 for Carolina he's got his receiver drew Carter starting to say it rookies a second-year player but he's getting his first taste of real NFL action here at the end of this 2005 season into the playoffs and that's good for 14 yards in a first down and the reason he's Justin out his opportunity is because when they release rod Gardner it opened up the spot for him and then get on to the field and he was a practice guy that was beating people all the time during the week and they just felt like they needed to get him in the games and see what he can do [Applause] has great speed to climb down the sidelines and he's forced out of bounds by Charles Tillman and let's see where they mark him [Applause] well they've run the quick screen again this time they come to Drew Carter and Charles Tillman he's just having a tough day so far doesn't come up and make the tackle and as you said Joe Drew Carter's the fastest player on a team I'm surprised at the end of this play that the official who was right there looking at it doesn't throw the flag because he's well out of bounds when Charles Tillman comes in on him afterwards they marked him out at the 29 that step there by the left foot on the 29 yard c'mon so take some of the yardage away completion and ronon deshaun Foster bangs it down inside the 25 Kaelyn Wilde was stopped after a gain of six and Carolina's Troy is doing to the Chicago Bears what they did to the New York Giants last weekend that's exactly right and Dan Henning right now at least for this Carolina offense you got to give him a lot of credit for for the offensive game plan that he has devised they've got Steve Smith and bald early and now they're starting to get the ball out to some other people certainly a group partner and Carey Koch the big plays that we saw of him in recent years but they needed a big play from him now and he was able to do it they're going to Nick goings down the middle against this cover to defense and Brian Urlacher gets enough yet and because of his height he's able to go up and make a play he was a strong safety in college and so he's not unaccustomed to being able to make those kinds of receptions what a catch and want to play at the right Miss Jones hits the hole hard and picks up three yards over the left side back to the interception I mean Jake Delhomme he had Nick goings going down the middle if he had been able to get a little bit more air under that there was a lot of room there to try to fit it in but he didn't get it up high enough and Brian Urlacher played a great job or did a great job making the play there I'm not so sure Jake Delon even saw and returned it 17 yards after the interception at second at seventh place John Rocker forces about and a lawsuit in the play of three yards back to the original line of scrimmage right now we're seeing Carolina and they're willing to bring pressure on Reggie this time it's will Davis Bowman he's going to be coming inside they run a little bit of a twist there with Brandon short and he puts the hit on rex grossman and no Mike Rucker we've seen Julius Peppers running from his defensive end position out to the sidelines that time we saw Mike Rucker certainly we've talked about the speed of Chicago's defense well Carolina's defense is just as fast third in town fire flip zip and in complaint first it was nearly picked off the fingertips of Thomas Jones well the first time they break will Witherspoon and this time they're going to bring Dan Morgan and does a good job and someone Olin Kreutz a Reuben Brown they've got to be able to squeeze that recognize that the linebacker blitz is coming you can give free run at the quarterback right over the middle of the ball rutger almost came down with an interception [Applause] as grossly just threw it off once in a while [Applause] it's a [Applause] [Music] crowd is on Maynard letting out their frustration for what has transpired in this first half on the punter Carolina will take over at their own 40 and the defense for John Fox is flying around Mike Turco Vaca former nose guard at Michigan as the defensive coordinator working hand-in-hand with John Fox using that great defensive line the speeded linebacker the secondary rex grossman [Applause] whoever is out across the 45 knocked down very close to the 47 let's go down to Pam Oliver hey there Joe bear is giving up some pretty big defensive plays downfield they didn't have some help there for a while because safety Mike Brown he had been back in the locker room he had to get his injured half three taped and his return his question boat meantime left in a Diwali agulu a has gone into the locker room he had since come back out he had to get a retake on his hamstring he's well ginger right now John he's in at left hand on second down at three deshaun Foster [Applause] foster brought down right at midfield it depends on the spot as to whether it's a first down that's not a good sign for a guy who and it is a first down for Carolina and then run by Foster Barney Smith called him the spiritual leader of our team the guy who missed the last four games of the regular season with that calf injury and he doesn't look through the hole no he doesn't and and when he missed those last four games this run defense really suffered he wouldn't think that a safety would happen but they really like to get him down involved in the eighth guy in the box and they're gonna miss him Panthers right deshaun Foster spins forward to the Chicago 45 hit by Todd Johnson who has taken over its safety that's one of the few times that we've seen two sean foster try to bounce it to the outside and really create any positive yard it's so far when he's been able to pick up good yardage in this game it's been when he's run between the tackles and has just gotten north and south like to try to bounce everything he's gotten better not always trying to do that in recent weeks second down and five toss to the Sean Foster lost the football and somehow is able to get it back unbelievable with that ball just bouncing off this grass if you want to call it grass it's more dirt than grass right back into his stomach with Chris Harris draped all over them well you talked about it yeah I mean right now a lot of things falling in place for the Carolina Panthers short of the ruling where they didn't get the touchdown on the alleged fumble but there by the Sean Foster able to get the right bounce and then recover his own fumble now it's goings in at tailback first down Panthers at the Chicago 28 guns spins his way to the 25 picked up three they don't lose a whole lot when Nick goings takes over his running back he had his best game of the season last week at the Giants of course last year he led the team in rushing because of the injuries to Steven Davis and then to deshaun Foster he's really great changeup he's shown that throughout the season certainly showed in the nation last week and his ability to make people miss a tough guy very versatile athlete four straight runs from Carolina's second and seven at the Chicago 25 already up 10 nothing complete to Smith and put it back in Steve Smith's hands and he is wrestled down by Hillenmeyer gain of five a two yard shot at first day where they just keep coming back to that play and Carolina runs it probably better than anybody in the National Football League normally you try to run that play and it's something that Jake the loan would just see because of Chicago brings an eighth guy and overload against the run you come in as well it's a Steve Smith but these plays are called in what they've done today third and two Jindal on don't throw away fourth down looking for a quick throw it wasn't there pressured by a ghoul AAA in a 38 yard field goal attempt coming up from John Casey well I'm sure Chicago defensively is a little concerned with how well Carolina has moved the football already here in this first half over 230 yards of total offense but one thing that they have done well which they've done well all season is tighten up when teams have gotten down in the red zone Kaycee 19 of 21 in his career during the postseason make it 20 of 22 and he's hot again it's 13 to nothing the Panthers leading here in Chicago the question is with Carolina up 13 to nothing what are they going to be able to put together offensively talking about Chicago here the rest of this first half or in the second half because they have done just about zero on offense I think they got to get back to what it is that got him here whether Rex Grossman is the quarterback or not right now they have thrown the ball on a two-to-one ratio compared to them running the football and that's not how they got here they got KC kicks it away sheet Davis stumbled [Applause] the state takes it across the 30 out to the 33 church you on the stop Benny Church you 31-yard returned by Rasheed Davis Chicago has the ball five possessions for the Bears they have had for three and outs and the one nine play drive that resulted in a punt see how they go about trying to attack this Carolina defense really a state on their role that they have developed since the Atlanta game the final weekend of the regular season Adrian Peterson takes over fires its tempted and complete more the same from rex grossman the bears start this drive with the throne here's the day for Grossman and it's not all on rex grossman but this offense has been totally dominated by the Carolina defense oh you've no question about it in fact I know it's not all on rex grossman this guy is not played played a lot of football but I think right now Ron Turner the offensive coordinator I think you guys say okay he's struggling let's go back to trying to run the football Adrian Peterson flying is down as Peter said he gets it up close to the 35 picked up two peppers on the stop the old defensive line called for brenson Buckner and a first down for Chicago let's check in with Chris Myers Joe one of the few mistakes by that defense but after each of the last few series the defensive backs on the Carolina bench would walk over and high-five the defensive line coming in they felt they could keep rex grossman in check and you can hear some of the chatter in between from the defense said hey last week it was Eli today it's Rex the kids in trouble and the kids period have been in trouble so far this postseason guys they're first starts [Applause] first down quick strike to carry on into Carolina territory to their 43 a gain of 17 well that's really the type of throw that Grossman Meade and watch how soft Chris Gamble here is and it's an easy completion looked like Julius Peppers was expected to be able to get underneath that wrap but Rex Grossman just needed an opportunity to try to make some easy completions and certainly that's what Ron Turner the offensive coordinators trying to do for August play the day for the Chicago offense back to the year first down inside the twine [Applause] back-to-back completions from rex grossman 17 and out 24 yards to Mohammed that's a heck of a job Muhsin Mohammed is able to get into the hole the defense clearly was expecting Ron and you can see the cavern right there in the middle of the field and rex grossman lays it out there to him had he have been able to get this ball up and let Mohammed catch it on the run he might have had a chance to outrun Marlin with free to the edge first gallop from the Carolina 19 [Applause] period the Markham just shy of the six its first and goal and Rex Grossman's hands on three planes in a row and they've done a heck of a job and I'll tell you though Joe they've got to be a little careful I mean this is a good defensive team that's excellent in pass coverage and you can't continually drop back and expect to make a living doing it Thomas Jones has run the ball well in this first half he's had his opportunities now Bernard Berrian is a guy who's really come on here over the last few ballgames and if they can get him going then they can create some big plays like they did there it's a timeout Chicago its first and goal is Smith with the play clock winding down in his young quarterback under center panicked a little bit and called timeout talked about the young quarterbacks making their debuts and how they have struggled certainly did last weekend Chris Sims I you could make the case since played well in the defeat at home against Washington left which did not up into England and then poor Carson Palmer with that first throw the completion the knee injury on the hit by chemo Vaughn all well my question would be where does rex grossman fit into that exactly I mean here young but yet he's in his third year he's made his eighth NFL start here today but yet this year he's only played six quarters and so as young as those guys are even though it was their first playoff game all of them have had much more playing time than what Rex Grossman has and if they're young then Rex Grossman he's just a baby thirty-nine passes all season long he's thrown a teen in this first half first and God Peterson has brought down back at the nine by Brandon short it's interesting I know this is the drive where they're featuring Adrian Peterson but they're knocking on the door and their best back Thomas Jones of 1300 yard season is over on the bench watching Peterson run the ball but they really like Adrian Peterson when he's gotten his opportunities he's really done well and so obviously Thomas Jones is their best bath but this staff has tremendous confidence in his ability evidently second and goal by sometime hits Peterson out of the backfield nowhere to go Morgan was out there for Carolina a gain of three in its third gold they're trying to run the head double slants to her - two wrecks Grossman's backside and that's where he wanted to go with the football they do a good job here of picking it up Rhett's was only off Berrien was able to get by Ricky Manny four straight completions it's third Bowl pants complaint trying to fight his [Applause] and there's crowd already the Bears to go forth I'll tell you what this is a heck of a tackle by Mike minner and looked like gage is going to have no problem getting it into the end zone but Mike Miller is right there to meet him and then you've got the help it looked like Ken Lukas then is the one who kept them from getting all the way in and I would be surprised here if Lovie Smith doesn't go for it we are at the two-minute warning it's fourth and goal and the early indication is the Bears will go for it down 13 to nothing mentor wrapping up gays forcing fourth and goal the play when we come back there's the distance separating the football from the goal line an opportunity here for the Bears to get back in it down 13 to nothing for the bowl Peterson reaches out touched it [Applause] just enough movement along that offensive line and they're able to get the ball to Peterson and he just breaks the plane there you see the side judge come in and make the call for the touchdown he's cut short of the goal line but the extension there is what broke the twine [Applause] Peterson reaching around mic mentor and he goes and it's a six point game with a minute 57 left in this first half I know going to break we talked about whether you would go for it or not do you think it's the right call in the end that obviously is because they got the touchdown well I think that there are a lot of coaches out there that would disagree with that but I think in this situation when you talk that you're down 13 nothing and you've got your offense finally down that close to scoring you're playing at home I think you've got to believe in your team and have confidence and show that offensive line that you can get the necessary yard and get it in right now at 13 7 obviously going in at halftime feeling a lot better about your ballclub then you would have a 13-3 if that is the score going in at halftime but then at 57 remaining now you're Chicago your offense just showed something Grossman made at one point four straight completions gotten down into the redzone that eventually into the end zone and grossman finally caught fire there on that drive you've already got that great defense they're back in this game there's no question and with rex grossman that's the type of drive that he needed and he was able to string together some completions some big plays get the ball down the field that's what the coaches felt that he would bring to this team offensively the colloid black they were finally able to complete some of the and then they moved the football in the way in which they did I just think they've got to be careful and not rely too heavily on each side with two [Applause] robertson the football copy two returns in 11 yards I on video their top tackler on special teams there for Chicago and back to the fourth and goal I got met in the hole there by Brinson Buckner and he have been able to hit him a little bit higher he may not have been able to get it in but I just started with a heck of a drive-by Chicago one that they desperately needed here before the half and one that should calm down Rex Grossman and have him feeling pretty good coming out here in the second half six point game [Applause] DeLonge under pressure throws and completes it somehow to foster who goes down the they're finally able to get some pressure on Jake DeLong now the question becomes if you're Carolina how aggressive do we want to be here in trying to move the football they're clearly going to the no huddle and trying to get into a position hit points here then at the end of the half be a false start Boston five yards seventy-six I'm mark Emily Phil second name Visa halftime report coming up JB Terry Howie and Jimmy will have first-half analysis from this game plus the Steelers upset over the Colts we'll have a preview of tonight's premiere of 24 now is your Chicago defensively depending on what happens on this play you might start thinking about taking timeouts on defense to try to get the ball but and they will depending on what's happened what happens here this crowd now screams some noise that should give these defensive ends an advantage getting pressure on Jake play to Sean Foster wrapped up brought down by Tommy Harris but it looked like Chicago came across early in Carolina we'll get the five yards right back outside 93 big fan five-yard penalty still second in a gun lay I who created some headlines on Monday when he said the Panthers don't deserve the credit they were given as preseason Superbowl favorites I've read that quote 60 times I don't even understand it but it somehow upset Carolina at least certain players that talked died down and now we're just watching two good talented football teams banging heads nobody's even thinking about all that second and seven tank Johnson and now the timeout will be taken by Chicago well it's decision time for Carolina do they try to run the ball again which I think that they will and force Chicago to then burn their last timeout but then Chicago will have an opportunity to maybe move the ball and get another opportunity to come away with some points a good job there by tank Johnson and Tommy Harris have wrapping up the Sean Foster and not letting him go anywhere those are the guys on the interior part of the defensive line which was a focus coming in for Carolina because you knew they were going to help on the edges but the question was could take Johnson Tommy Harris Boone and others get there and lately they've shown up I think Lovie Smith said at best he said whoever has the one-on-one matchups they're the ones who have to win if they're going to double on outside guys Tommy Harris and tank Johnson they have to win on the inside and for the most part they've done a pretty good job 39 the point goes dog finds Steve sniff by Smith for a first down flatten down they let the play continue so you have to believe that's against the defense yeah because they let the play go but what I'm so sad they fan at Billy's declined play results in a first down Jake Delhomme had an opportunity he had a free play and he had a deep receiver down the middle of the field so he could have taken his shot and seeing what happens but he elected not to make that throw and then he came underneath to Steve Smith Carolina with two timeouts left and now they're thinking they'd change they have a first down a minute six remaining they're at their own 41 what a half the Steve Smith that was more working against Alex grunting and you can see Walt Coleman say he's got it on the quarterback they're gonna call Jake the lawn full start 17 too much movement they called it on Jake the lone say I certainly did not seek to repel more food now if you're one of these offensive tackles and you got out on the other side of you I mean it's tough business you got to be able to get out of there pretty quick it's a left hand and left arm right there flashing down that made brown come across and they called it against Jake the law it was a good call first in 15 the pocket steps up and fires hip Steve Smith he's got a first down inside the Chicago 45 and a timeout is called by Carolina along even after that completion still arguing team timeout is he a beauty or what [Laughter] he was trying to get away in Hasselbeck next weekend in Seattle what a game he had yesterday meeting Washington and it's either the Chicago Bears the Carolina Panthers going to visit the top seed in the NFC Seattle on Sunday there was really a great job by Matt Hasselbeck he just refused to let that team lose that game and I know as a quarterback he certainly enjoyed having Sean Alexander behind him running the football the way that he did all season but when you lose that guy I got to tell you makes you feel good as a quarterback when then the pressures on you to be able to go out there and lead your team and he did a great job showing a lot of people yesterday the type of quarterback he's been all season the Panthers feel comfortable with a footing on the field going toward this end to set Kasey on for about a 47-yard field goal that's the edge of his range so they had to get it to the 30 or just inside they're gone for more than that and completely covered well by Tillman who knocked it away I tell you what they got away with one there it looked like Carter certainly had a staph it was going to be able to haul this one in and Chris Harris it looked like he was expecting maybe a little bit of help from Chris Harris Charles Tillman is going to come in and he got ahold of his shoulders long before the ball got there I tell you I send it a little bit earlier Charles Tillman they've been going after him a little bit here in this first half and and he has struggled we asked Jake Delhomme which corner he didn't answer he in the first half the answers tell them gone it basher at all underneath [Applause] just shy of the 30 Urlacher oh the stop there under 40 seconds left in this half a 14 yard catch and run by Nick goings that's the play Brian Urlacher was talking about that's been very frustrating for them defensively when they've got people covered up in the intermediate zones a quarterback coming under knee to those check downs right on the edge of Casey's field goal range that's tomorrow steps up and throws caught by 12 brawl is inside the 20 has enough for a first down and with seven seconds remaining down back the Panthers will take a timeout and bring Casey onto the field they brought pressure Chicago did and they did a good job of picking it up and Jake Delon I mean he's not a real big scrambler but yet he slides very well within the pocket looks like they might have had him there but he steps up and there's able to make the throw and what a heck of a drive this has been for Carolina now you look at Jake the lowman and over the last several years certainly going back to two years ago when he took his team to the Super Bowl and we've had a chance to follow him since that time and it just seems to really elevate his game there at the end of the first half or certainly when the games on the line at the end of the second half a little bit demoralizing for this Chicago team that your offense is able to go down the field and get a touchdown only to give up points potentially here right before the half that is up to KC will attempt the 37-yard field goal two for two today and so far five for five this postseason Casey drills it to make it 16 to 7 at the half Chicago finally got on the scoreboard and then the Panthers went back down the field and they picked up three before the end of the first half here in Chicago it's a nine-point Carolina Lane Visa halftime show coming up after this break [Music] [Music] [Music] start the second half right now in Chicago the Bears will start the second half for the football try to build on that momentum whatever they picked up at the end of that first half when they move the ball down the field got the touchdown on the other side Troy Aikman offensively you have to be so impressed with how the Carolina Panthers have been able to move the ball against the Chicago defense no one's been able to move the football Joe the way the Carolina has against the Chicago defense 290 yards of offense in the first half that's more than the Bears had been given up as an average for an entire ball game they've done it by being balanced they're continuing to run the football Jake is getting the ball out quick and this offensive line doing a great job of keeping people off of them take a look at what the Bears have been able to do and putting pressure on Jake DeLong in that first half they haven't sacked him yet eight times on November 20th week 11 that buried him five times knocked him down so they've shown up the protection against this very good bears defensive front this is Peterson taking in a haha Adrian with ice research across the 30 good field position for the Bears after a 17 yard return let's go down to Callie Smith with one big concern and halftime but is concerned most defenses seemed to have and that is Steve Smith he says that's been our biggest problem we're giving up way too many plays big plays to that guy I asked about Health for Charles Tillman he says we have been giving him help but his problem is that he has not been keeping the ball in front of him when injury no Mike Brown is out for the rest of this game that calf injury that spiritual leader the safety missed the last four regular season games Grossman finished the first half with five straight completions they start the second half here with Jones on the carry and Thomas picks up three Morgan and Witherspoon on the tackle let's take a look at the first half stats rushing yard it's just total yardage dominated again by the Carolina Panthers we were looking at these same numbers last weekend at the Meadowlands it looks a lot like those doesn't it Joe and I don't know that you can say enough about what the offense has done certainly the defense for Carolina has been very dominant in this first half as well but the offensive line doing a good job and not giving him the sacks that they did in that first meeting 2nd down and 7 and Jones will try to get to the edge gets a block from Berrien and Jones down the sideline into Carolina territory Morgan is slow to get up at the end of the play but Bernard Berrian with little brother Julius Jones watching big brother Thomas reels off a 24 yard carry and that's really what they hadn't had to get going for an arburian does a good job just distracting Ken Lucas enough to allow Thomas Jones to get out on the edge and you know we talked about it in the first half even though rex grossman threw the ball well there at the end of the second quarter this team's built the round running the football you can't get away from it the 24-yard carry from Thomas Jones as he sticks his head down and pokes at a net for for short on the stop and let's go down to Chris Myers Joe Troy the coach Fox was happy with his offensive line performance and will run the ball more in the second half you'll see more of Nick goings he thought it was an advantage for his defense the Grossman was throwing so much this what Roy was talking about if you live by the past the Panthers thought it was to their advantage he always issues a challenge to his team before they head out he said we're thirty minutes of football away from Seattle finish what you started the telogen Morgan was banged up on that 24 yard run by Thomas Jones still in the Sun hood looks ready to come back this was a dangerous pass to muhammad gamble was there to make the hit for carolina and that brings up third down a very dangerous throw there by rex grossman and these are the throws that you don't make if you've got experience in the league Jason the key goes outside and then you can see gamble cluing in inside to rex grossman the entire time now for ex Grossman had led Muhammad on that throw Chris Gamble was there for the interception [Applause] stare down six [Applause] a blitz from Carolina Grossman flyers hi what a catch back barrier to reach to grab it and he has a first down for Chicago it's not just speed with Berrien he just showed off good hands well and he did a good job of staying with the raft as Bernard Berrian is going to be coming across he has to loop here before he runs to the crosser because of the presser there by Julius Peppers and the ball gets on him awfully quick as soon as he came out of that break all of a sudden you've got the ball on you a good catch with his hands Ricky Manning the guy who covered just inside the 25-yard line flagship [Applause] away from peppers [Applause] [Music] once you break the pocket you are out of the pocket and even though there was no receiver in that area and now penalty flag is down way back in the secondary right around the 3 yard line the officials get together and early indication is it's against Carolina illegal contact 30 defense five-yard penalty automatic first Mike mentor he's here and he's on moose and Mohammed and there's going to be contact the flat came out late and at that time Rex Grossman was looking around though that's where they that's where the contact was made and that's when the flag was thrown Rex Grossman who was moving around it was their opinion yet left the pocket jobs don't really cook about a push by that defensive line for Carolina they got upfield and forced Jones out of bound to gain of only two I like the balance right now that they're showing I mean they're creating some some plays with the passing game but then they're mixing in the run something that they did not do much up there in the first half I mean this is a Carolina defense just like any good defense that if you get one-dimensional which they did for the most part if then becomes that much easier for them to slow you down second and eight bears have not been scared to let roasted kale gotta catch first and goal that's Berrien again I don't know that - I don't know that I've ever seen a bigger hit than that one right there by Mike menarche in Lucas here on Bernard Berrian and he's running what's called the quick post and Mike minner puts a hit on him as soon as the ball enters his hands and Bernard Berrian is able to hang on to it and he's having himself a heck of a game more involved in this game that the point this year bursted gone the touchdown [Applause] they just run Desmond Clark to the corner wilt Witherspoon who gets tripped up he wasn't in a very good position to make the play anyway but once he fell down it was just a matter of Clark being able to get underneath the throw [Applause] and just as eight career NFL star rex grossman starting the second half with his team down by nine leads his club down the field a two-point game it's on in Chicago everybody couldn't wait to ask well who do you like in the game this weekend and I thought so much dependant on now rex grossman was going to play and nobody knew how he would respond and how he would react his last two drives have been fantastic the Bears have put it in his hands his club down the field it's a two-point game [Applause] robertson drumettes Jamal Robertson nice return for Caroline [Applause] Carolina now has the football Grossman floated it up Desmond Clark waiting for it and with that the Bears are pumped as they trail by two rex grossman grew up in Bloomington Indiana when Steve Young has gotten hot Lana tries to answer and Buster's brought down by Hillenmeyer a gain of four and special teams can get a clump fired up now to Sean Foster I believe is down at the end of that play Brendan I am bidets gyro stayed with the play brought down Robertson on that last kick returned but the bigger news is after that last carry by - Sean Foster on the tackle by Hill and Meyer you see the right leg being rolled up on by Hill and Meyer and Foster is down the Panthers have been able to move the ball today on this bears defense but now it looks like they'll have to try and do it without deshaun Foster we're looking at his right ankle over on the sideline the pass complete to Steve Smith we gets a hit from Chris Harris Mitch forward and has brought down just shy of midfield with a Carolina first in they just haven't been able to slow down that wide receiver screen they've keep getting it out there to Smith but they haven't been able to slow it down right now the Sean Foster and it looked Joe liked he were got rolled up there along the right leg it seemed that they were checking his right ankle we appears to be in a lot of pain and a guy who's had to deal with it's laughable injury last year today as a rookie went on first down DeLonge looks for smith than he finds him Smith dives down inside the 45 to the 40 for Urlacher on the stop a gain of seven and they're making it look easy just dog comes up mostess method Smith does his thing in the open field this is such an important drive right now for the Chicago defense I mean the last time they're in the first half that their offense was able to go down and get a touchdown Carolina went right down the field and got points in their own and now we're seeing that again that Chicago opens up the second half gets a touchdown and here Carolina on the moon a blintz with nowhere to go Johnson was out there finisher and a loss of two on the play its third down they bring the pressure that side and so right here and they just couldn't get them to the outside they get the ball to goings and this really looked like they may be able to get on the edge but Nathan bags are there to turn it back inside and Urlacher and tank Johnson so now a big third down for Carolina third and five and this is where Chicago good throughout the season number two in the National Football League have not been good today stopping Carolina on third down over the middle hits thrown and the farmer bear has a Carolina first down and bloodiest sin will be his final season of a 16-year career pole has enough for a first down you know it's amazing Jones here we came into the game talking about pressure and neither quarterback has yet to get sacked and Carolina has done a good job of getting the ball out when they go to their deeper throws they give the tackle some help but with that wide receiver screen it allows Jake to get the ball out and now that last play is five steps and four DeLonge loss of football got it back off the hands of goings and incomplete the bar on DeSean foster let's go down to the sideline and Chris Myers Joe it sets an injured ankle is returned as questionable he leaned over and excruciating pain covering the visor on his home but first player over was injured running back Stephen Davis to tell him to hang in there they've taken him in for observations remember he came in with a turf toe injury and we battled a shoulder injury but unlikely to return on this kick Chris thanks there's stephen davis who played 12 games and had 12 rushing touchdowns for the panthers well they can still run the football effectively with nick bones and we talked about it in the first half he's an accomplished runner and not much is going to change second and ten jellal over the middle Mangum and down to the ground he was wide open and dropped it I tell you we've seen a lot of balls get batted up in the air off of receivers hands balls deflected and so far Chicago has not been able to make the catch - in order to get the interception or get somebody around the football with 806 left in this third quarter it's third down and ten down he goes ball came out well Coleman has already signaled to Carolina's keeps the football when it's fourth down and it's travell workman who comes away with it the goon Lee ain't knocked it out so Boone Lee a knocks it out because he's one-on-one with Jordan gross Nick Nick goings was there in a position to provide a chip before going out into his round he did not and that's why boulier was able to get around gross and then make the point so at under eight minutes to go in the third quarter coming into this game talking about all the defense in the sacks that is the first sack of this game for either Tim Bunton let's go over his head it's touched by Thomas Davis down inside the ten the market at the seventh going off to feel Jake Delhomme palms to the sky what's going on what's going on is Carolina leads by two of the bears have the ball a date in Seattle for the NFC Championship game next Sunday is on the line two-point lead for Carolina starting at their own 7 the bears open with a throw to the satellite watching rex grossman and something that caught your attention Troy was the glove but he wears in his throwing it yeah in fact started talking to him about and he said that going into mini camps last March it was cool here in Chicago he went with the glove to keep his hand warm and like the way that he threw the ball with the glove in the way it felt with the ball in his hands he worked with it throughout practice was afraid to use it in a game because it was so cold his first game against Atlanta he had to wear it and he's been wearing it ever since prior to the snap [Applause] it's against Chicago - half the distance to the goal still second now you're seeing more and more of these quarterbacks try wearing the glove and you know what the balls that come in you never sure what the consistency is going to be of those and especially when you're playing in inclement weather what you're inclined to do at times here in Chicago the fact that he's been able to find the glove who's comfortable with really gives him confidence regardless of what the weather is and he'll be effective second and 13 the Bears hand to Jones and he takes his seat Lucas on the stop the gain of only two and it's third and long rex grossman started this game glove and all three out of 15 for two yards since then 8 for 10 for 92 yards and a touchdown he's played very well here at the end of the second half or at the end of the second quarter and then here to start this third quarter this is a dangerous situation here for a young trying to pick up the first down on third or do you play it somewhat conservatively in time the answer is the latter conservatively and want to play by witherspoon a free agent to be getting better and better every week a loss of four and its fourth down Maynard is going to have to punt out of the back of his endzone and I tell you will Witherspoon is going to make a great addition for some club if he's not able to get re-signed here to Carolina he has really had a heck of a season and before whenever Dan Morgan would get injured he would go play middle linebacker this year when Morgan would miss games he got to stay at the weak side and I think it's helped him half the year that he's had [Applause] Maynard it's a line drive punch Smith will stay away from it it takes a good Chicago box all things consider the Bears are taken to the Carolina 44 from the back of his endzone maynard hits a 54-yard punt Panthers back on offense up by two Grossman back to the bench Kyle Orton the rookie who did such a good job taking over and compiling a 10 and 5 record as the quarterback and started for the Bears this season did everything that the Bears asked of him and I think exceeded expectations across the board well obviously he's disappointed he's not playing in this game but he did acknowledge that he did not play well down the stretch and it was unfortunate for him but he understood the decision that they made to go with Grossman five and a half to go third quarter Carolina up by two underneath its goals and goings got to the forty nine and a half but there's a penalty flag down in the secondary and it's a hold against Chicago so it'll be five yards in a first down holding 33 defense five-yard penalty automatic first half against Charles Tillman and and he's out there on Steve Smith and Steve Smith starts to the outside comes back in and then around and he grabbed enough but once he's engaged in him after five yards you got to let go Vasher the other corner is going to the Pro Bowl had eight interceptions two against alone to the Panthers and we've allowed Smith has been across from Tilghman most of the day and autistic goings and off the edge it's Briggs on the tackle recap of how we have arrived at 16 to 14 Steve Smith eight catches 157 yards a touchdown set up the field goal Bears defense has not played like they expected to coming in and Rex Grossman has gotten hot in the end of the first half and to start the third quarter took the kickoff down the field into the end zone for a touchdown throw to Desmond Clark 1614 Carolina second and seven into the arms of snack and want to talk about faster for the first time all given Smith is brought down by the first guy who puts his hands on them this time it's Nathan Vassar yeah it really was the first time that had been able to stop the play and watch bachelor comes up and works around Michael Gaines who was trying to kick him out and then makes the tackle on Steve Smith and it bashers not able to make that play Carolina had some blockers out in front and it looked like it could have been another big play instead a loss of two it's 39 dawn with time steps up and find Smith first down Carolina its Steve Smith again at the Chicago 29 he is unbelievable well they're trying to double um with Chris Harris and then with a corner but this is where they're susceptible when you run the square in that's the hole in the cover to defense and so he gets inside a basher and you see the hole and he gets in front of Chris Harris and the balls in his hands before Chris Harris is there to make a play that's the one weakness of that cover two zone and Steve Smith has now gotten in there on that route a couple of times today under pressure or not you can't play drops it off to Robert sitters brought down by a googly-eye and a big loss on the play a loss of his hand on that completion to Jamal Robertson but he'd have been better off as knocked in that one definitely for me they love they lost yardage on the play of course it's easy for me to say from up here when you're out there on the field the balls coming to your reaction is to catch it but Brian Urlacher had a great opportunity to make the play on Jake Delhomme and just couldn't get him to the ground and now Chicago has to call a timeout couple of injuries and they start to pile up on each side line let's go down to Pam Oliver hey there Joe you read my mind the list of walking wounded getting longer for Chicago by the minute wide receiver Bernard Berrian join Gerry azuma in the locker room Burien was being treated for a hip injury he has since come back out on the field Gerry azuma has remained though in the locker room he has been looked at for a stinger back to you and a zoom as a guy I know he's being looked at for a stinger but azuma had hip surgery during the offseason and he just has never been the same it's taken him away from the kick return game and it slowed him down on defense been able to fill in well with Tillman and Vasher with help from Davis but a Zuma's injured with a second and 20 facing Carolina leading by 2 and 213 to go in the third quarter I know it's amazing Joe about this game so far is I don't know the people really understand is how dominant the Chicago defense has been all season long has been able to move the football against them I'm in the last area of this team that you thought you'd be questioning in this game would be the defense and yet they have given up a lot of yards here tonight great work by the Carolina offensive line at second down entwine DeLong is going to shoot for Smith field Smith adds another Thompson fell down and Smith was left alone [Applause] Smith quieting this crowd Thompson took a seat and Steve Smith adds to his career day here in Chicago again he got Chris Thompson and he's looking into the backfield and and then gets tripped up there's no safety coming over the top and so Chris Thompson just did not expect you Steve Smith to be on the go routes two touchdowns now to Steve Smith with corners falling down that time Chris Thompson the previous time tall that one just inseminate the right upright to make it 23:14 it's again a nine-point game and des loam had time the offensive line for Carolina has done a fantastic job to give des long time well they really have and in that situation second and forever as the defensive back how can you not guard against the deep ball I me almost have to expect that they're going to be running the ball or throwing the ball at least twenty yards or maybe take a shot down the field and that's what Carolina did but the entire time that Steve Smith was running the route Chris Thompson was pulling into the backfield and was not in a position to run with Steve Smith who's one of the fastest players in the National Football League well I'll pose this question maybe there's an obvious answer to it but how on second down and 20 with Steve Smith having the game he's having how does he end up across from Chris Thompson I wish I had the answer for that joke he's a second-year player out of Nicholls State pickup from Jacksonville but this is a defense that has relied on great corner work from Tillman Fisher but it's Chris Thompson who blows the coverage falling down covering Steve Smith you know one thing these bears corners they do not flip or at least they have not that much of that this year that better change day that Steve Smith has happened here's Rasheed Davis nice return by Davis out across the 30 near the 34 yard line Gretchen banane zero is right in the middle of it for Chicago Fox Sports is proud to be the new home of the BCS which is coming off of the highest ratings in its history beginning in January Fox will be home to the sugar orange and Fiesta Bulls as well as the new BCS Championship game BCS moves to Fox beginning in January 2007 Steve Smith with 215 total yards on the day I guess they won't be saying that his yards didn't mean much in this one no he had 169 the first time these two teams met [Applause] lended barian turning to Jerry Rice Bernard Berrian are the one-handed catch and a throw behind him let's go down to Chris Myers Joe just an update medically from behind the Carolina bench to Sean Foster with that high ankle sprain is what they're officially calling it after big part of the way is out he will not return and defensively some players that are staying in Kendall Moorhead has tweaked his left ankle of defensive tackle Dan Morgan has reactivated a separated shoulder at Julie's peppers needing extra oxygen but they're all in there Grossman looks in Muhammad's direction for the first time throws over him 20 it's third down and one the biggest threat that the Bears have had today on the outside is Bernard Berrian and after that last catch he limped off to the sidelines we heard Pam report that he's bothered by a hip injury I think that Jerry Rice was his favorite player and that's why he wears number 80 well they a good answer your question but he's had a big role in this game loosen the Mohammed on the other hand he's been been pretty quiet here today wonder if Barry in four days Thomas Jobs fighting for the first down did he get it it looks like you did looks like they're going to give enough forward progress and they are for a first down for Chicago as they trail here by 9 points now it's just a tough position to be in for this Chicago offense when you're able to go down the field and get points and so far the defense just has really not been able to slow Carolina down too much and the pressure since the 1st of this game has really been on the Chicago offense Brandon short linebacker the strong side linebacker is down on his back for Carolina so time is called and they stretch out that right leg Brandon short for the Chicago Bears if you go back to the 1985 season they won Super Bowl 20 over New England since then they've been 2 and 5 and home playoff games they don't have a playoff win here at home since 1991 Lovie Smith in his second year the coach of the year is now in a position where he's hoping that his offense can keep up with Carolina and what's kind of turning into a shootout here in Chicago and I guess then it's a good thing that Rex Grossman is the guy because he's that type of player and you know talking about the quarterbacks in Chicago no Kyle Orton as a rookie really did a heck of a job and I know that he didn't put up big numbers and he ran the gameplan the way he was asked to and it would be wrong for anybody not to give him his due for what he had done and I know that he would have loved to have been the guy out here playing but I of the year [Applause] Grossman is going to have to eat it as he's brought down by Julian Karstens who had a big game last week against the Giants comes up with a sack here and a loss of seven that's the first Carolina sack of the day you know Jordan Karstens he's been a heck of a player when his Carolina team now for a couple of years of a free agent acquisition who got his opportunity a year ago and Chris Jenkins went down and then Chris of course got hurt again this year you know I'm not so sure that they're gonna find a place for him even when Chris Jenkins comes back because he's been a vital part of this defensive front clock winding down on this third quarter at second and 17 [Applause] completion from gross one away for this third quarter to end we point toward the fourth quarter and Grossman completes one for twenty four yards one more quarter to go [Music] Fox station [Music] the kids in this game to be sure but plenty of offense and now it's Chicago tried to move down the field trailing by nine they have a first down after that completion of 24 yards to just engage [Applause] wind whippin around even here the microphones as Thomas Jones makes a nice move gets it down inside the 32 picked up six Morgan on the tackle for Carolina it's a good job by this offensive line for Chicago because Carolina certainly knows that they're going to bring up the eighth guy here's the safety Mike mentor and that's exactly where they're running the football but the cutback blame there as you can see and if you're the Chicago Bears you've made a living all running the football against eight-man front that does not keep them from attempting to run the football second down and four are they run of the gambler Jones and John sticks his nose in there and picks em another Chicago first down let's go back to the sidelines and Pam Oliver hey there Joe after Carolina scored that last touchdown frustration started to build on the part of the defense with lucky Smith called that in and over and very calmly told them to settle down he encouraged the group just to handle their individual business and not to point fingers meanwhile safety Chris Harris seemed to just need a little pick-me-up because the trainer's kept shoveling bananas down his throat but he washed it down to some Gatorade Joe when I tell you what that's what lovely Smith is so good I mean talking with him he's he's even killed all the time [Applause] Slim's it from afar first in gold bears now that was a heck of a catch rex grossman throws it out there Chris gambled down that's only the second catch Troy today from his sin Mohammed well he made this one count Joe because rex grossman lays it out on the sidelines and the extension there in order for moose and Mohammed to pull that one in it looked like Chris Gamble landed on the top of Mohammed but a heck of a play there by Musa Mohammed and rex grossman get it out there on the sidelines for him with a beautiful catch for the former panther first and goal Chicago down by 9 [Music] beautiful windy night here in this great city the number three in the number two defense in the league on display tonight they've been 572 total yards of offense [Applause] 37 points right now they're saying the Gamble's got to come out and he does Gamble's still out on the field we went to break and there was a time out because he was injured they stopped the clock he got attention he's got to sit out of work nobody's told him because he's standing over there unaware of what these officials are discussing Chris you're gonna have to leave now Carolina could call a timeout if they desperately want him in the game on this verse to go up but he's got to come off the field trying to get away with one and you can hear one of the officials in that little huddle saw it realized the team timeout for number 20 who's injured has to be out of the game for one play so now Manning comes in guess that tells you what Fox thanks as far as his importance as to whether or not it's worth burning the timeout is sent Manning it an Evo has four playoff interceptions in his career all that action back in 2003 when the Panthers ended up in the Super Bowl Jones looks like he wants to throw now he's just hoping to get back to the line of scrimmage and in the end he dances for a game of two yards he was gonna throw it it wasn't there and wisely he pulled it down it was a heck of a job by Thomas Jones so many times he's running backs get the ball and they work on this in practice and they don't really because they're not used to playing quarterback and throwing the football they don't really ever look to see if the guys covered or not they just throw the ball now rex grossman he took off running to his left hoping that thomas jones would see him but he was an ineligible receiver because he took the snap from underneath the center second and goal to get to the edge dives penalty flags on the play Jones didn't get there anyway [Applause] the line judge hasn't marked out at the one but there are two penalty flags down on the field and Julius Peppers is injured Paige is trying to argue it should be a touchdown that looked from our vantage point like Jones lost the football for a moment on his way out of bounds let's just take another look well there's the flag that's why the flags out there Jones did lose the football did he break the plane I don't think he had broken the plane when the ball came out he tried reaching the ball now depending on what happens with all these penalties that would be a touchback for him letting the ball go a little bit like what happened last night in the Denver New England game and that's exactly what they're discussing right now the ball came out of the hand of Thomas Jones there's a facemask before he made his dive for the end zone and it looked like before he got to the plane yeah he definitely lost the ball it crossed the inside of the pylon but again a flag down for a facemask on Carolina and they're still looking at peppers in fact if I'm not mistaken others to granting the facemask on the decent we also have a touchdown will epitomize the 15 yards Italy on the key ball I think we have shown enough replays that if Carolina wants to challenge it they'll have a legitimate shot well as soon as into her as soon as it was ruled a touchdown Joe lovie smith they immediately grant his field goal team out there to try to get this ball snapped because I've got to believe John Fox is going to challenge this he has he just threw the red flag challenging the ruling on the field of a touchdown it's a personal foul variety on the facemask carolina challenges that call and I think from every angle there's no doubt the ball is out of the hand of Thomas Jones before he breaks the play and will get the call when we come back [Music] so the challenge here from Carolina there's the personal foul face mask call against Carolina it looked pretty obvious that Thomas Jones lost the football there before he broked the plane of the end zone the play was a second and goal from the 7 and on the play Julius Peppers comes down injured so during the challenge they've spent time looking at peppers all that's left right now on the playing field of peppers is his mouth guard you can see the number 90 in there so you know it's peppers but right now he's on the sidelines if he got the wind knocked out of him the wife will get the call here from Walt Coleman after reviewing the play the ball came out of the runners hand prior to reaching the goal line the result of the play would have been a touch back but due to the personal foul raffling the face mask on the defense on number 27 will penalize half the distance to the goal from the spot of the foul first in ten so because of the facemask called against McRae it supersedes Jones fumbling the ball through the end zone which would have given Carolina the ball at their own 20 because of that play right there by machree they've penalized half the distance to the goal line it'll be a first down for Chicago as they trail by 9 now what a costly facemask there by Marlin McCree because otherwise you do have the touch back but because of the face man facemask Chicago maintains possession of the ball so the ball be placed at the three-and-a-half the play started a previous play at the seventh so that's half the distance and it'll be first down for Chicago with 1227 left in this fourth quarter and what has turned into a much higher scoring affair than anybody could have anticipated coming in to this matchup between John Fox Lovie Smith Carolina's defense and the Chicago defense first and goal they handed the foot back John is Jason McCain [Applause] that's probably the last guy that Carolina would have expected to get the ball only three rushing attempts all season long and the reason he's playing is because of Brian Johnson's fractured foot they give him the football Dan Morgan in a position to make the play but Jason McKee just is able to run through that tackle and then get it into the end zone he did not have a touchdown running it or receiving it all season though only touched it seven times and ball gets it inside the left upright to make it a two-point game Jason McKee into the end zone the defense of Chicago celebrating the work of the offense Grossman and company pulled within two the Chicago offense has caught fire this latest drama being capped on the three and a half yard touchdown run by Jason poutine their first five drives 34 yards no points their last four 21 points they trail by two and Carolina's about to get it back from inside the tent good return a good field position for Carolina 29-yard returned 24 is coming up tonight the wait is over televisions biggest event of the new year is finally here two nights for hours the 24 to 9 premiere begins immediately after this game except on the west coast right here on Fox viewer discretion is advised the award-winning and highly respected drama 24 and it starts with a bang tonight I think you said it Joe we expected this to be a close game but we certainly didn't expect that there would be this many points scored within it play action from Jake DeLong looking for somewhere to go five spoonful who survives a hint from Hillenmeyer a gain of six hell admirers slow to get up both guys were a little dinged after that Jake DeLong he's trying to go down the middle to Steve Smith this time Urlacher he's able to get underneath him and that's why he had to come out to Hoover but there have been a lot of injuries in this game today we've got a number of players that are no longer on the field and seems that with it each series trainers are constantly having to come out hoover's at least able to get up big hit on the right shoulder of the hill and fire peppers is back out on the field he's looking for his mouthpiece we found it it's a good thing we've got Pam and Chris with us to document all this stuff going on down there here's Chris yeah Julius Peppers Joe you mentioned moments ago from that end zone he went right into the locker room he has just returned to the vets who with a shoulder injury questionable unlikely to return but he is back on the bench and again to Sean Foster out of this game for Carolina Yellin fire got rocked on his own hit Brad Hoover it and our camera operator could help Julius Peppers find his mouthpiece [Applause] able to get up a guy who fractured his dump semper fourth game here against Green Bay and after the layoff he's able to play today without a cast on that hand but that is a vicious hit he layed on Hoover yeah well you can see Hillenmeyer his whole right side after he made contact with over just kind of went numb and he just fell right to that side and it looks like he may have some type of bone dr. Eggman paging dr. Eggman besides we living for a place pass complete to ploy Ricky Paul with another first down for Carolina's had a career Troy filled with first down pickups and key touchdowns even in his postseason career I mean it really is unbelievable first of all you got Brian Urlacher coming in late on Jake Delhomme but you're right I mean as far as Ricky Proehl goes I mean didn't catch a lot of balls during the regular season but he just has this ability whenever they kind of need a player it's an important moment in a game that he's going to be the guy who makes the play for coming up on eleven minutes left Carolina now and against the Chicago defense first down and around Smith has some room to run Steve Smith forced out of bounds inside the 25 now Markham Attica 22 it's a 22 yard ride by Smith Dan head and went back to that Steve Smith plan you know I'm trying to get him the ball in Mike Greene right here he's got contained he comes flat he wants to be able to run it down from the backside not seeing that the reverse was coming in behind him with Steve Smith anytime you have contained particularly with a team that likes to rubber versus like Carolina does has to be disciplined and make sure he stays upfield Smith is now across from Vassar on first down they handed goings playing without the injured deshaun Foster and a nice run by goings inside the 15 to the 14 a gain of 8 today this is really unbelievable what Carolina has done to this Chicago defense they have made this defense look very average here tonight over 400 yards of total offense nobody's done anything like with Carolina has done against them here today seconded to and upto goings and guns is a First Gentleman more inside the 5 to the 4 yard line gigantic holes for these running backs to maneuver through and that time goings had enough to pick up 10 well Nick going we talked about him and and his ability to run the football this offensive line I mean look at the hole there Brad Hoover the fullback helps lead the way but you know it wouldn't matter who they had back there right now with the holes at this offensive line has they're gonna pick up some good yardage whoever got locked on and just drove him right out of the play first and goal from the force meant right into his hands and down to the one they ran that play all weekend against the Giants and they've done it consistently here against the Bears I guess the frightening thing is II to get up over the millage bull right but the only way you can really defense him as you've got to be able to get in his face but you got to have a safety that's there so that if he does get by it you've got some help but run some routes that even take advantage of to make people miss and he's done a great job of that all night Chicago seems confused defensively late substitutions front door [Applause] the bands were confused defensively from the get-go on that point they brought Johnson in they took a linebacker and Green out Tillman was late getting on the field and in the end it's Mangum left alone and he's going to the corner he chips they're on now it's brown to make it look like it's going to be run and then gentle undoes the play-action there's nobody there in the corner very difficult in play acts and when you've got a team who does run the ball the way Carolina does in order to stop that and then also be able to play play-action they see s-six the end to the point which is a bit that pollution in the heat and it's a one score affair right now Casey almost fell over after kicking up 29 after the missed extra point by Casey who missed one during the regular season look at that bottom note Carolina scored on four of their last five possessions the missed extra point and Casey just lost his footing going down on the field before this game that is mainly painted dirt his plant foot gave way and with the mixed extra point it's an eight going game Rasheed Davis about the law it's hit from behind and gets it to the top back to the extra points in John Kasich when you see that his foot slips when he starts to kick this field is sand based and so right from the beginning he was already stumbling before he even started to take his steps to make the kick [Applause] so now from there on 20 the bears and rex grossman are forced to answer eight-point lead Grossman [Applause] Jason McKee who has the last touchdown for Chicago at 2nd and 10th they're trying to run a little bit of a double move outside here on Ken Lucas and they ran the pump fake and it looked like Rex Grossman had an opportunity but for whatever reason he got off of it I know coming into this game they felt that they could take advantage of some of the aggressiveness by this Carolina corners and that was the first time they had attempted the double mode second and 10 Grossman down the middle coverage for Clarke and Clarke was covered by Witherspoon and gamble and there was just nothing there you know I am a little bit surprised in fact I'm a lot surprised even though after a rough start Rex Grossman has thrown the ball very well and they've been able to create some plays they really have not kept Thomas Jones as involved in this game plan is what I thought that they [Applause] when he's been getting his opportunities on those five yards of carry but they just continually throw the football and now they're facing thirteen long third and Santa blacks fans pick it up for the pass incomplete intended for any Berlin and it's three and out so the Carolina defense stiffens up you incompletions from rex grossman and a punt coming from Maynard they got a little bit of pressure on rex grossman but you know really he had some time he thought he thought Eddie Berlin was going to keep running and Berlin stopped and expected Grossman to hit him in the hole and that just goes from not having had a lot of work with each other in practice Maynard has been busy today his seventh pot the dangerous Steve Smith takes it from inside no let it go always rustle down the back at the 35 I'll give him forward progress to the 36 Johnson on the tackle our second half recap Grossman of the Bears went right down the field after the opening kickoff to the second half and a touchdown throw to Clarke Smith is on his way to an all-time best postseason game that play the facemask set up the touchdown run by McGee but then the Panthers answered on the touchdown flip to Mangum and it's an eight point Carolina lead they have the ball with seven and a half to go look at Steve Smith 12 catches 218 yards two touchdowns he's also run it twice for 23 yards and officed is going pushes the pile for two I think you got to go back and and at least address what it was with these Chicago Bears we're talking about coming into this game Joe I know that Alex Brown and ogoun Lee a we're talking about how they haven't gotten the respect that they deserve and these Carolina Panthers and their defense they've gotten more respect and sometimes you got to be a little bit careful what's he have to say during the course of a week because if they thought they didn't get respect coming into this game they're certainly not going to get any after this game's over second and eight Bears come out of blitz and toss to goings running to his right [Applause] brought down about a half yard shy of a first down Todd Johnson on the stop Alfonzo Boone had his shot at goings and could not bring him down on the last thing right now that Chicago can allow Carolina to do is run the football and take time off the clock with each first down they're going to continue to take more time off the truck [Applause] having to throw on this series he's not going to throw this is a very important down here for the Chicago Bears and office to goings and he will lose yards a goodly a was in there first guy there was Mike Green but one of the few times tonight this defense has stepped up when they've had to and made a big stop there on third and one forcing a pun and now they're going to give the ball back to their off and still with plenty of time and because of the missed extra point only down eight points [Applause] five and a half to go and Baker about the punted back to the Bears and Baker hits a good one - sure for the 10th couple of big yes Carl Hank Tintin who brings him down so 513 left after that slow start rex grossman in the Bears offense picked it up go bucket 28 without Chris I would say this is this is the drive that the Bears have to put together against what is a defense that's played well coming into this day yeah I think so and I think that Chicago has to look at this as though this is going to be their last opportunity in order to score a touchdown and potentially tie this game up I still believe they've got to keep Thomas Jones involved in what they're doing here and can't rely solely on throwing the football with rex grossman as they mix it up and stay balanced on this drive I think big fleet can have some success and there's time on the clock to be that over five minutes left and they do start with Thomas Jones who's written out of bounds by will Witherspoon Jones just back to the line of scrimmage so it's second and ten he wondered if the game plan would change with Grossman at quarterback in this game instead of power they said well it really won't change we're still going to do what we do it's just going to be Grossman making the decisions in the throws it's James Paul it's changed big time I don't think they were too thrown the ball nearly this much with Powell or on the throne a 32 times now trying for the 33rd and here's one of those screens Jones Betsy's right across the ship before tea they talked about it coming in and run it twice and this time it works well watch the job Thomas Jones does reuben brown the left guard is going to get out in front he's going to get out in front on the screen but then watch out Thomas Jones helped set his block up right there he bounces back underneath that he have tried to stay up in front of reuben brown he wouldn't have been able to pick up the first down Jones comes out for a play Peterson his head first down Chicago [Applause] Chicago 49 under four minutes to go and the Bears down by with two timeouts left you commented on it there at the end of the first half at a critical point in the game Peterson was the guy running the foot which would probably be the last opportunity for Chicago Grossman's having trouble getting the play called in the huddle the Bears have to hurry up to the law eight seconds to go on the play clock second and Thamud Peterson hits the hole hard penalty flag on the fly it's thrown by the umpire Peterson was brought down about a yard and half shy of the first down indication is it's against Carolina holding $1.99 decent five yard Finley birth family that's the second time they've nailed Buckner for a defensive hole so they've caught him twice then you wonder how many times he's done it that they have been the bottom or if it was something they were looking for coming in that was a point about this just a couple of years ago holding by the defensive line something that you didn't hear called a lot prior to last year and the reason that defenders do it is to hold the offensive lineman and keep them from being able to get up and block the linebacker level Peterson is still in their first end and gressman in trouble [Music] looking for there is a tight end that's a breed he was back in the area a good thing for rex grossman because he was dead duck back there well yeah and these officials are they all were looking each other wondering okay who's gonna throw the flag because i think they all thought that it could have very easily been intentional grounding and i would agree with that because he was blond a breed was sent in the right five by that pass so it's second and ten 313 to play let's in trouble again throws incomplete and Grossman ends up on his there's a flag down field at the Carolina 20 that's way back in the secondary I know musa mohammed jumped up and was yelling that he was he was held ken Lucas would have been the guy but completely away from where Rex Grossman was going with the football you can see Witherspoon saying hey the pass was tipped with the officials now we'll get the call from Coleman prior to the past illegal contact 23 things first the key is prior to the past because it was tipped that there's the illegal contact at an automatic first down that is the sixth Troy the sixth first down that the Bears have been handed by a Carolina penalty yeah they have given them some opportunities Carolina that is with some penalties have kept drives alive because the Bears were looking at again a long down situation and then they pick up the first down here with 309 to go and all festive jungchi's back in there and Thomas picks up nothing maybe half a yard the game clock is under three to play it's going to be a situation where if the Bears score a touchdown they'll have to go for two as they trout by eight on this drive Carolina certainly is not hesitated with bringin pressure the last three plays they've brought linebackers News deshaun Foster with crutches [Applause] over the safety as he helped to break it up Lucas was on the initial coverage now tell that's the second time tonight that rents Grossman's tried fit in the ball in on double coverage and it's very difficult when you don't have anybody holding the safety he tries fitting one in there to Muhsin Muhammad Ken Lucas running up the field with him and McCree looked like he was more interested in putting a hit on Mohammed than he was to make the interception but that's a ball that's very difficult to complete in this league third down and ten look like the play clock expired Lucas Lucas with another interception stepped in front of gage Grossman threw it right to him and Lucas who had won last week at the Giants gets one here against Rex Grossman this time Ken Lucas was in what they call a trail technique and gage is running a square in it was not a well-run round on his part he rounds it off as he's trying to get inside to the middle but Ken Lucas who's trailing in the hole way is underneath that throw you know it's interesting Troy as that play should have never happened the play clock is at zero before that ball is snapped that place should have been blown dead before it ever happened instead the officiating crew missed it they led the play the interception to Lucas with two timeouts to take defensively as goings gets to the edge why is this days in bounds as he picks up the first down actually going to be marked about a yard shy of the first down he needed to get out to the 32 he got to the 31 and that'll take this game to the two-minute warning I'm not so sure they shouldn't burn the time out here Joe they'll let it wind down two minutes left a trip to Seattle on the line Carolina leading by [Music] the timeout Department Chicago has to 24 is coming up the two night season premiere two nights for hours right after this game except on the west coast your discretion is advised second down and one two minutes left Carolina trying to stamp their ticket to Seattle jo-ann's is brought down in the backfield by critics and Chicago will spend one of its two remaining timeouts [Applause] with a minute 54 to go briggs comes through and makes the play a loss of four that was a heck of a job by Lance bridge getting in there again underneath the blocking and making a huge play and slapping them in and really creating the loss there so now they're in a manageable third down at least offensively way and this is huge I mean this is the game right here for Chicago they have to stop them on this play if they're going to have any chance otherwise curl it just runs the play runs the clock out you're right there's a big play on second and then one you think okay they get a first down they're basically in a position to run the clock they lose for its 35 and if Chicago can come up with a stop on third down and get the ball back with at least a chance they actually handed to Smith Smith looking for the first down anymore [Applause] Chicago spends their final timeout and with a minute 45 to go it's fourth down Bojo and it looked like if Steve Smith had stayed outside there was nobody there you got him on the ground you got a block here he stays out here it's a first down and steady tries coming underneath the Jeff Mitchell block on Alex Brown and he just gets enough of them and then pursuit winds up getting to him but with Steve Smith and his speed that he have stayed out on the edge not only does he pick up the first down he probably picks up about 15 or 20 more yards as it is the Bears will get it back Grossman is getting prepared to go his last throw is an interception into the arms of Lucas for the Carolina has won on an earlier interception of the loan and the one area where Rex Grossman has probably not gotten much work in practice or otherwise is in the two-minute group - you're waiting to the punt mix it into between five and he goes backward brought down by West Wesley that returned by fashion [Applause] thirty-six left no timeouts if Chicago needs a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie at Soldier Field in Chicago the Carolina Panthers defensively a minute 36 away from going to their third championship game in their franchise history which dates back to 1995 while the Bears are trying to get to Seattle it'll take a heroic effort over the middle chipped and incomplete must engage the intended receiver at second and ten right now Carolina is common with a three-man rush and that means they're dropping eight and what they're trying to do is guard against the sidelines not allow them to catch the ball and get out of bounds because Chicago does not have any timeouts they don't enforce the ball to be thrown in the middle of the field and take as much time off the clock with each completion second husband would time to the second one finds his receiver Mohammed and Mohammed rolls out of bounds with a completion up to the 36 yard line first down was a good job by Musa Muhammad knowing what he had to do he's running the comeback going down low to make the catch but then getting out of bounds to stop the clock we're still plenty of time with a minute and 24 left hey Jen to get the call from Grossman before the snow pressure from Rutger Grossman steps up sticks into the ground and as he tries to slide there's a guy who's had reconstructive knee surgery jamming his knee into the ground its second down the clock continues to whine well you just wonder how many plays are at his disposal because he is so limited in playing mass is incomplete Brown wants a flag it's Thursday just engage the intended receiver Lucas on the coverage now this is the play that they've had some success went throughout the game the slam but that time because again he's got safety help over the top with Mike minner now he's able to crowd that throw a little bit more and Ken Lucas makes a good play so far today on third down on three out of 12 it's 35 two dams to get five yards she is caught but sure to the first element he's going to be a yard shot the first down and it's fourth down and just as long as Russ Grossman knows he can't talk it is fourth down you've got to throw this one to get the first to pass incomplete there are no it's on the field of it just stamp their ticket to Seattle mohamad the intended receiver it's incomplete and the Panthers take over with 41 seconds left well they try to come up and run the slant sometimes on fourth and one and a no-huddle the quarterback will just take the snap and run the quarterback sneak but we're not able to make the completion and now Carolina just takes a knee and you know rex grossman I felt Joe after the start that he played well and this defense just didn't give him the help that I think everybody expected coming into this game with them [Applause] get so ugly out of the field is now 29 seconds left and Counting there no Flags is trying to make a play over the top hoping for some sort of fumble they didn't get it the Bears tried to make the play 16 seconds left on the play clock that's it this game is over and the Carolina Panthers lament their third trip to a championship game their franchise history a history that goes back to 1995 congratulations to Jake Delhomme john fox jerry richardson of the panther organization they had enough today to get past chicago it's on to seattle 24 is coming up later we'll come back and wrap up our day right after this [Music] congratulations to the Carolina Panthers and head coach John Fox they're going back to the NFC championship game last time they were in it they wanted Philadelphia lost the Super Bowl to New England they're a dangerous team heading to the Pacific Northwest our ups leaderboard too many big plays from Steve Smith six plays of twenty or more yards five receptions one run he and alone too much for the Chicago defense and the final 29 21 Carolina this is Joe mock for Troy Aikman Pam Oliver and Chris Myers the Panthers win it they move on to Seattle the subway postgame show is coming up right now

Channel: All Highlights

Views: 33,007

Keywords: round, games, smart, panthers, plays, panthers win, 2006, 2005, sp:li=nfl, nfc, sp:ti:away=car, delhomme, bears lose, highlight, playoffs, all highlights, bears, sprint, harris, American Football, run, afc, tillman, highlights, chicago, sport, amazing, sp:vl=en-US, catch, play, sp:ti:home=chi, urlacher, huge, recap, defense, sports, touchdown, berrian, smith, division, grossman, sp:st=football, season, Football, offense, foster, divisional, post game highlights, game, fox, carolina, td, postseason, action, NFL

Id: yGVJfGQRMXw

Length: 154min 51sec (9291 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 13 2019