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Grossman fills in for injured Orton as Bears rally

Nov 2, 2008 - 11:41 PM By Scot Marcotte PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The heavily-favored Chicago Bears got lulled into an early sense of security, were temporarily blindsided by the winless Detroit Lions but pulled out yet another fourth-quarter comeback victory behind an unlikely hero.

Filling in for the injured Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the second half as Chicago sealed a 27-23 win over lowly Detroit on Sunday.

The quarterback that led Chicago to Super Bowl XLI , Grossman was pressed into action when Orton suffered a serious right ankle injury in the closing moments of the second half.

"You always want to play, but never under those circumstances," Grossman said. "I had the whole halftime to think to myself about my game plan. After the first series, I started to feel pretty good about getting out there and getting my feet wet."

With the Bears trailing 23-13 at the half, Grossman shook off some rust to rally the team, tossing a 6-yard TD pass to Rashied Davis midway through the third quarter and sneaking in from a yard out to record the go-ahead score with 5:36 remaining.

"Fortunately, Rex has experience," Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "He's been in the system for four years. He's done a great job in all the meetings being prepared, so he's got mental reps. He's seen everything, he knew the game plan, he just didn't get the physical reps. He did a good job."

It was the third time this season that the Bears (5-3) pulled out a victory after trailing going into the fourth quarter.

Early on, Chicago appeared as if it would roll to an easy win over hapless Detroit (0-8), which became the only winless team with Cincinnati's 21-19 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday.

Orton led the Bears to scores on each of their first two drives, pulling ahead 10-0 when the quarterback rushed five yards for his first touchdown of the season with 4:32 left in the opening quarter.

However, the Chicago offense sputtered and Detroit found a way to take over.

"We started fast, but we had a lull in the middle," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "Offense, defense, special teams, we weren't able to get a lot done."

Dan Orlovsky began the Lions' onslaught, completing 14 first-half passes for 140 yards and two scores. His first TD strike - a 17-yard score to Calvin Johnson - came only 13 seconds after rookie running back Kevin Smith ran for a 1-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.

Bears kick returner Devin Hester fumbled the kickoff after the score by Smith, with Detroit's Alex Smith recovering the ball on the Chicago 17.

"I feel like it was a good play by him," Hester said. "I felt like I had the ball close to my body and he reached out and made a good play on it."

On the next play, Orlovsky found Johnson for a 13-10 lead.

Johnson finished with 94 yards on eight receptions, just missing a fourth 100-yard game of the season. The Lions have found a No. 1 receiver in the second-year man out of Georgia Tech.

"We know what he can do with it once he has the ball," Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. "It also opened up Shaun McDonald."

Orlovsky extended the lead to 10 points on the next possession, finding McDonald for a 14-yard TD with 6:48 remaining before halftime.

After both teams managed a field goal, the Bears suffered a major hit when Orton had to carted off the field after being sacked rolling to his right with 28 seconds left before intermission.

That forced the appearance of Grossman, who had lost his job to Orton late last season due to his ineffective play.

After struggling with his initial drive of the second half, Grossman was able to find Davis on a crossing route right into front of the end zone, cutting Chicago deficit to 23-20.

The momentum continued in Chicago's favor when safety Craig Steltz intercepted Orlovsky in the end zone to keep the game within a field goal.

"He pumped fake one way and hoped we would bite, not realizing who was breaking and who would be there," Steltz said.

"I'm still learning how to make plays in this league and probably should not have attempted that pass in hindsight," Orlovsky said.

The momentum was short lived as Grossman returned the favor, as a deflected pass was grabbed by defensive lineman Dewayne White to put the Lions in great field position at the Bears 36. Detroit, however, failed to score, giving Chicago another chance.

The Bears responded with a seven-play, 55-yard drive, taking the lead for good on the 1-yard plunge by Grossman

"That was a big play," said Grossman, who spiked the ball in exuberantly after reaching the end zone. "We needed to get a touchdown and not a field goal. It was a fun play."

Rookie running back Matt Forte came up big on the decisive drive, running for 40 yards. He finished with a season-high 126 on 22 carries.

"When I was running the ball, the holes were wide open," Forte said. "It starts up front. The O-line opened up some great holes."

Early in the game, Detroit kicker Jason Hanson slipped on the wet turf and had his first extra-point attempt blocked. That proved costly in the end as the Lions had to go for a touchdown instead of a field goal late in the game. They fell short when Johnson couldn't come down with an pass from Orlovsky in the end zone as time expired.

"I just slipped when attempting to make the extra point," Hanson said. "Given the field conditions, any kicks today were big."

Grossman finished just 9-of-19 for 58 yards. Orton was 8-of-14 for 108 yards before his injury.

With the uncertainty on Orton's injury, Grossman's ability to lead a comeback gives the Bears hope for the rest of the season.

"Rex came in today and led us to a big win," Smith said. "I'm still hopeful that Kyle will come back soon."

Orlovsky went 28-of-47 for 292 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted twice in his third career start.

"He started very fast and did a nice job," Marinelli said. "The defense needs to hold and we need to move the ball better, offensively, when it counts."