Bears beat Eagles as Cutler throws 4 TD passes. Back alone atop NFC North

The Bears knew before kickoff that with Green Bay losing to Atlanta 20-17,they the worst they could be at the day’s end was tied for the NFC Central Division lead.How about instead holding the Division lead all alone after knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles 31-26 as Jay Cutler threw for four touchdowns-two to Earl Bennett and the Bears did not turn the ball over the entire game.

Philadelphia won the coin toss and received.They started at their 27.Two running plays and a sack of Michael by Israel Idonije and Matt Toeaina forced a Sav Rocca punt of 46 yards that went out of bounds at the Bears 34.The Bears also went three and out with Cutler getting sacked by Trent Coles and Brad Maynard punted but DeSean Jackson broke around the right side to midfield.On a third and three,Vick overthrew TE Brent Celek and David Akers kicked a 45 yard field goal to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead with 8:52 left in the quarter.After Devin Hester returned the kickoff to his own 21,the Bears moved quickly.On second down Matt Forte ran around LE for 61 yards before being knocked out at the Philly 9.After a one yard loss by Forte,Cutler dropped back and found Bennett in the end zone and the ten yard TD pass gave the Bears a 7-3 lead.The Bears got another sack on Vick and in turn a three and out Hester returned the 36 yard Rocca punt 9 yards to his own 41.After a one yard loss by Chester Taylor, Cutler his Hester with a screen in which he broke to the left side for 39 yards to the Phila 21.After Taylor picked up a yard, Cutler bootlegged and hit a wide open Johnny Knox as Joselio Hanson slipped at the five. Knox just had to catch the ball ands did to complete the 20 yard TD pass to make it 14-3. Starting at their 35, Vick hit TE Clay Harbor at the Bears 41. On third down,Vick under pressure still hit Jason Avant at the Bears 19 as the first quarter ended with the Bears up 14-3.The Eagles got to the Bears 8 for a first and goal.After two incompleted passes, Vick found Jeremy Maclin at the one and he fell into the end zone to cut the Bears lead to 14-10 just 1:42 into the second quarter. Daniel Manning returned Akers kickoff 45 yards to the Bears 47.On a third a long, Cutler was sacked by DE Brandon Graham and Maynard punted to Jackson at his 36,but Corey Graham was called for stepping out of bounds,and coming back in,so a 15 yard penalty gave the Eagles the ball at their own 41.An 18 yard run up the middle by DeSean McCoy moved the ball to the Bears 41.Then Vick hit Jackson at the Bears 20.Vick then hit Maclin at the Bears ten.After an incompleted pass,Vick called his own number and ran to the Bears 3. Julius Peppers then caught Vick for a sack back at the 18 and Akers kicked a 36 yard field goal to trim the Bears lead to 14-13 with 8:08 left in the half. The kick return by Manning this time only got to the 19.This drive was wrecked by two sacks on Cutler which forced a fourth and 24 and a Maynard punt from his end zone which Maclin fair caught at the Bears 46. The Eagles moved the chains on a third down 5 yd pass to Maclin at the Bears 34. Vick hit Avant at the Bears 22.And a screen to McCoy got the ball to the 8 for a first and goal. A short pass to Jerome Harrison made it second and goal at the four.Vick then was intercepted for the first time this season when Tommy Harris tipped the throw and Chris Harris picked it off in the end zone, and ran it back to the Bears 37.Vick had thrown 244 passes before that first pick.The Bears quickly went 63 yards in six plays.Cutler hit Hester on a screen for 13 yards to midfield.Cutler then found Bennett who broke about three tackles and got to the Philly 20.Knox caught a pass over the middle and got to the Eagles 6 for a first and goal.Two plays later,Cutler bought a few seconds and hit Bennett at the two and he ran it in for his second TD of the game and with :38 left in the half,the Bears took a 21-13 lead which was also the halftime score.

The Bears received the second half kickoff and Hester returned it 46 yards to his own 46.Three plays later the Bears scored.The setup play was a Cutler pass on the right to Hester who was pushed out at and Phil 18 for a 34 yards gain and when Nate Allen was called for a Horse Collar Tackle,the ball was moved to the Eagles 9.Cutler then found Greg Olsen for his third TD pass of the game to make it 28-13 just 1:31 into the half.The Eagles were stopped in three plays and Pocca punted the ball dead at the Bears 12.After a holding call, Forte ran 28 yards around RE to his 34.Cutler scrambled 12 yards to his 46.Passes to Bennett and Hester moved the ball to the Philly 18 for a first down.Forte ran around the right side for six before being knocked out at the 12.He then powered to the ten for a third and two situation.Brandon Manumeleuna then took a screen pass to the four for a first and goal. Chester Taylor was stuffed by Cole for a two yard loss,then got one back to leave it at third and goal from the 5.Cutler hen threw one out of bounds with Knox triple covered and Robbie Gould kicked a 23 yard field goal to cap a drive of 10:05 and increase the Bears lead to 31-13 with 1:26 remaining in the third quarter.The Eagles who did not have the ball much in the quarter got a 24 yard pass play from Vick to Maclin and got to the Bears 40.Vick then fumbled and recovered himself as the third quarter ended.The Eagles got a first down at the Bears 29.Vick then hit McCoy with a screen and he got behind two blockers and ran to the Bears 8 for a first and goal.They got to a fourth and goal at the Bears 4 and Akers kicked a 22 yard field goal as the Bears lead was 31-16 with 11:51 left in the game.The kickoff was returned by Manning to his 28,but Nick Roach was called for holding,so the Bears series started at their 18.On first down, Cutler found Knox for 34 yards on a screen to the Eagles 47. This drive ended after an incompleted pass that was intended for Hester who appeared to be interfered with and Cutler was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for reading the riot act to the officials.The Maynard punt was caught and downed at the Philly 24.A scramble by Vick and a five yard penalty on the Bears got the ball to the 39,then he hit Riley Cooper at the Bears 10.After an incomplete pass, McCoy lost 8 on a screen as Idonije got him.Vick then ran to the 18 and it was fourth and goal. Akers was called in for a 36 yard field goal making him 4-4 on the day.The Bears lead was 31-19 with 4:47 to go.Rather than on side it, Akers kicked to Hester who returned twenty to his 25.Two running plays and an incompleted try to Hester,and Maynard punted 42 yards into a fair catch at the Phila 42.The Eagles with no timeouts left moved slowly into Bears territory and had a first down at the 43.Ten McCoy caught a 12 yarder to the Bears 31.Vick threw an incompletion on first down,and then Cooper was called for offensive pass interference.It became third and nine at the Bears 30 at the two minute warning.Vick overthrew McCoy leaving a fourth and 10 Vick found Celek just out of Brian Urlacher’s reach and with 1:48 to go the Eagles got the score down to 31-16. Aker’s on-side kick was caught by Knox on the fly at the Eagles 43 with 1:47 remaining.Cutler took three kneel downs to end the game

Authorities say a man died after falling at least 20 feet from a ledge at Soldier Field while attending the Bears game. Chicago police say the man fell around 4:55 p.m. Sunday during the NFL matchup between the Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.Chicago Fire Chief Joe Roccasalva says the man landed on a small rooftop on the outside of the stadium. Witnesses told authorities the man ran to a ledge and jumped. Roccasalva says the man was in his 20s, but his name hasn’t been released.It’s the second death in a week at a major sporting arena. On Nov. 21, a 2-year-old boy fell from a luxury box at the Staples Center during a Los Angeles Lakers game

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