Sports

Grade the Bears in Game 5 Loss to Saints

Alshon Jeffery sets team record in receiving yards in losing effort.

Written by Dennis Robaugh.

More than 400 Patch users voted in Patch's Bears-Saints poll, with two out of three predicting a New Orleans Saints victory — and 35 percent believing the Saints would win by more than two touchdowns.

Well, until late in the game, it looked like many Bears fans called this one right. The Bears were trailing 26-10 with just a few minutes left in the fourth quarter when Jay Cutler heaved a 58-yard pass to Alshon Jeffery, followed by a 2-yard touchdown toss to Brandon Marshall and a two-point conversion to close the gap to 26-18.

Before that, however, the offense sputtered and the defense was on the field for 36 minutes. Coach Marc Trestman took the blame for the offense's slow start.

One bright spot on offense — Jeffery broke the team's single-game receiving record, posting 218 yards on 10 catches. The record was held by Harlon Hill, who gained 214 yards on Oct. 31, 1954 in a 31-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers, according to the team.

With a 21-yard catch on the final play of the game, the second-year pro broke the mark of 214 yards that was set by Harlon Hill on Oct. 31, 1954 in a 31-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bears have a short week to prepare for Thursday night's nationally televised game on the NFL Network against the winless New York Giants. 


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