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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHICAGO (AP) -- The cold didn't beat the Tampa Bay Bucs. Two key
interceptions by the Chicago Bears did.
"I wouldn't want to taint their victory with anything about the
weather," Bucs coach Tony Dungy said Sunday. "In the past when
we've played them, they've turned the ball over against us. They
took care of the ball, and that was the difference."
|  | | Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott left the game in the second quarter with a sprained left knee. |
Tony Parrish returned a second-quarter interception for a
touchdown and rookie Brian Urlacher stopped a late Tampa drive by
picking off a pass from Shaun King as the Bears ended a six-game
losing streak to the Bucs with a 13-10 victory.
"Now we know we can win," said Urlacher, the Bears'
first-round draft pick. "We're starting to figure out where we are
supposed to be and how we are going to help each other. We feel
that it's building."
The loss left Tampa Bay 0-18 when the temperature at kickoff is
less than 40 degrees. Sunday's game began at 37 degrees with a wind
chill of 16 from a gusty 24-mph wind.
"They played in the same environment we played in. We don't
make any excuses," King said. "I threw two bad passes. That cost
us the game."
Parrish stole a pass intended for Dave Moore and scooted 38
yards into the end zone after Urlacher knocked 340-pound Bucs
tackle Jerry Wunsch off his feet with a crunching block. The TD,
with 48 seconds left in the half, gave the Bears a 10-3 halftime
lead.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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Question on the Bucs: Why can't the Bucs win in cold weather?
Donahoe: With today's loss, Tampa Bay's record in cold weather goes
to 0-18 (when the temperature is 40 degrees or lower at kickoff). There's no other way to explain this except that it's become a
psychological barrier the Bucs can't overcome. Tampa Bay has a good football
team but did not make the plays today when they needed to. But give the
Bears credit for playing a strong, physical game against the Bucs' offense.
Today's result was not so much the weather, but a Bears' team that was fired
up and came to play.
Question on the Bears: Is Brian Urlacher worthy of the Pro
Bowl?
Donahoe: It's difficult for rookies to make the Pro Bowl, but
Urlacher is certainly making a case for it. Since the Bears moved him to
middle linebacker, he has excelled. He is one of the top rookie sackers in
the league and has well over 100 tackles on the season. Today, he made a key
interception of a Shaun King
pass late in the game to seal the win. Whether he makes the Pro Bowl is a
question mark, but he's certainly making a strong case for rookie of the
year -- with potential Pro Bowls in the future.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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It was Chicago's first touchdown in 16 quarters against the
Bucs, who won an earlier meeting this season 41-0.
"They still haven't scored a touchdown on our defense. They did
take the interception in, though," Bucs defensive tackle Warren
Sapp said. "We had three turnovers and they had one. That's the
difference."
The victory came in quarterback Shane Matthews' first start of
the season for the Bears. Pressed into duty because of injuries to
Cade McNown and Jim Miller, Matthews completed 20 of 34 passes for
165 yards.
Tampa Bay (6-5) lost fullback Mike Alstott to a sprained knee in
the second quarter and safety John Lynch to a dislocated shoulder
in the first period.
Paul Edinger's 48-yard field goal with 10:02 left gave the Bears
a 13-10 lead. It was set up when Clyde Simmons recovered a fumble
by Warrick Dunn at the Chicago 36.
Three plays earlier, Tampa Bay faked a punt from its 17 and
Rabin Abdullah took off on a 19-yard run. King scrambled for 16 and
Dunn had a 6-yard carry before losing the ball on the next play
after gaining 8 yards.
King, whose second-half scrambling was a major part of the
offense, later drove Tampa Bay from its 20 to the Bears 40 before
Urlacher intercepted and made a 19-yard return with two minutes
left. The Bears (3-8) then ran out the clock.
"I was trying to throw it over Urlacher and it came out of my
hand funny and went right to him," King said. "I can't throw that
one and have it do that. That really put a dagger in us."
Urlacher was surprised to see the ball coming at him.
"I really couldn't believe he threw it. I just turned around
and the ball was right there," he said.
Bears defensive tackle Mike Wells said Urlacher, the team's
leading tackler, gets better every week.
"He'll say, `I made a play because of what you guys did,"'
Wells said. "But most of the time, he'll do it by himself."'
King's highlight-film 9-yard TD run tied the game at 10 in the
third quarter. He dropped back to pass, sidestepped the rush and
then took off to the outside, where he shook off a tackle and
dashed into the end zone. He finished with 72 yards rushing.
With 6:33 to go in the first half, Alstott took a handoff and
was brought down by a number of Bears in what resembled a rugby
scrum. After the play, Alstott stayed on the ground writhing in
pain for several minutes before he was helped off the field.
Game notes
Keyshawn Johnson had just two catches for 13 yards. ...
Bears center Olin Kreutz sprained his right knee in the first half.
James Allen, who gained 67 yards on 20 carries, had to leave the
game in the fourth quarter after cutting his hand but was not
seriously injured. ... King now has thrown 10 interceptions,
compared to 15 TD passes, this season. ... There were 17,802
no-shows, less than a week after the Bears and the city of Chicago
unveiled a plan for a refurbishing Soldier Field.
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ALSO SEE
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
Chicago Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Brian Urlacher talks with ESPN's Scott Walker about the Bears' win over the Bucs.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Warren Sapp says the Bears did not impress him on Sunday.
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Tony Dungy says the Bucs have to win the rest of their games for a chance at the playoffs.
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