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DET

7

0-2
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CHI

34

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DET 0 0 7 0 7
CHI 10 14 7 3 34
Soldier Field, Chicago
18y

Grossman's career game (289 yards, 4 TDs) lifts Bears

CHICAGO (AP) -- Desmond Clark heard the boos that spiraled toward
Rex Grossman just a few weeks ago and didn't get it.

It was over when ...
Bernard Berrian caught a 41-yard touchdown pass 36 seconds into the second quarter, giving the Bears a 17-0 lead. Chicago extended its lead to 31-7 at the end of the third quarter and tacked on a field goal in the fourth for the final margin.
Game ball goes to ...
Rex Grossman, who had a career-best performance for the second week in a row, completing 20 of 27 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
Scouts Inc.'s take ...
Lions WR Roy Williams should stop making guarantees and focus on making plays. For a second consecutive week against an NFC North division opponent, the Bears dominated. Chicago controlled all phases of the game.

Chicago's defense took over early, causing a Jon Kitna fumble inside the Lions' 5-yard line. Grossman led an explosive Bears offense with the best game of his career. If there is an area of concern for Chicago, it's the running game. Chicago will play in Minnesota next week, and the Vikings should be the biggest challenge of the young season as the Bears play their third division rival in a row.

Now, the quarterback who was hailed at the end of last season is earning praise again after a difficult preseason.

Grossman had his best game as a pro, and the Chicago Bears' defense silenced Detroit's Roy Williams and the Lions 34-7. Grossman set career highs with 289 yards and four touchdown passes Sunday.

"They've been on him so hard the last few weeks," said Clark, who caught five passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. "You sit back and you're like, 'Damn, just a few months he was [hailed] and now you're booing him.' I like what he's doing. I hope he can keep it up."

Plagued by injuries since being drafted in the first round in 2003, Grossman is healthy and producing. He completed 20 of 27 passes with no interceptions and set a career-high in yards for the second straight week after throwing for 262 in a 26-0 season-opening win at Green Bay.

John Gilmore caught two short touchdown passes, including a 3-yarder just under five minutes into the game. Bernard Berrian had five receptions for 89 yards, with a lunging 41-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.

"We've always known we had a good offense," Grossman said. "It's just a matter of executing when there are plays to be made. In the first couple of games we definitely have."

A defense that handed the Packers' Brett Favre the first shutout of his career held the Lions to 245 yards and recovered three fumbles. Detroit (0-2) committed 14 penalties for 104 yards, seven for 58 yards in the first quarter alone. And a hands-to-the-face call against Jamar Fletcher in the third quarter wiped out an interception that Boss Bailey returned about 25 yards to the end zone.

Williams caught six passes for 71 yards after guaranteeing a win over the Bears. He was booed loudly after catching his first pass.

Jon Kitna wound up 23-of-30 for 230 yards and was sacked six times.

Williams said Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher brought up the guarantee.

Elias Says
The Bears set an all-time team record by scoring 50 points to start the season before allowing any points. That's saying something for a franchise that dates back to the origin of the NFL in 1920 -- and that's how long the record has stood. The Decatur Staleys, predecessors of the Bears, scored 45 points in 1920 before being scored upon.

• For more Elias Says, click here

"He just said, 'You're going to guarantee next week as well?' and I said, 'Yeah, sure will. As long as we do what we're supposed to do.' They did nothing special. They're a good defense, they run to the football, they get pressure on the quarterback."

Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris dismissed Williams' guarantee, saying, "A lot of talk comes from a lack of confidence in what you can do. ... My rookie year here [2004], we used to talk a lot and we weren't that good."

They talked quite a bit before their playoff game against Carolina last year and lost.

Chicago (2-0) wasted no time pouncing on Detroit.

The Lions' first possession ended on the third play when Tank Johnson sacked Kitna and jarred the ball loose. Urlacher recovered at the Detroit 3, and Grossman connected with Gilmore for a touchdown.

Detroit's second possession started with a 29-yard run by Kevin Jones that put the ball on the Bears 41, but Alex Brown stripped him on the next play and recovered the fumble. That led to a 32-yard field goal by Robbie Gould.

The lead grew to 17-0 in the opening minute of the second quarter when Grossman found a lunging Berrian at the goal line. Berrian juggled the ball and tucked it in as he hit the ground, but the Lions did not challenge it.

For that matter, they didn't challenge the Bears.

Chicago's defense kept the pressure on all day, and the offensive line held its ground.

A Lions team that did not reach the end zone in a 9-6 loss to Seattle finally broke through when Kitna ran in from the 1 early in the third quarter.

It was little consolation for a team dealing with issues on and off the field. Defensive line coach Joe Cullen was arrested twice in a two-week span because police say he drove nude and on suspicion of drunken driving. He was with the team after missing the opener.

"Let's be honest," Kitna said. "The Bears' defense is a good defense, but, that being said, I thought it was a lot more of us than it was them. ... We caused ourselves problems."

Game notes
Bears linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo started for Hunter Hillenmeyer, who sat out with a concussion. Chicago was also missing backup left defensive end Israel Idonije (ankle). ... The Lions' Rick DeMulling started at left guard for Ross Verba, who sat out with a hamstring injury. Detroit linebacker Alex Lewis suffered a ligament injury to his knee on the game's opening possession. Strong safeties Jon McGraw and Kenoy Kennedy suffered a concussion and foot injury, respectively.

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