Bears get first shutout in four years, 16-0 over Dolphins

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MIAMI—It’s been almost 25 years since the Miami Dolphins(along with a poor game plan by Buddy Ryan)prevented the 1985 Bears from having a perfect season. But the 2010 Bears and Dolphins,who do not come close to resembling the 1985 versions,went at it about 16 miles from the now torn down Orange Bowl and the Bears defense completely shut down Miami while doing just enough for a 16-0 win to take a 1/2 game lead on Green Bay in the NFC North pending the Packers game Sunday at Minnesota. Robbie Gould nailed three field goals and Matt Forte put the game away with a two yard TD run in the third quarter as the Bears won their third straight.

Miami won the toss and received and started at the Bears 47 after a 46 return by Nate Carroll.After getting a first down, Henry Melton killed the drive by sacking Tyler Thigpen and Devin Hester fair caught Brandon Fields punt at his 11. The Bears quickly and quietly went three and out and Brad Maynard punted off the right side of his foot but it rolled out of bounds at the Miami 41.An offensive holding on first down killed the Dolphins series before it started.Hester returned the punt 46 yards to his own 40.On the drive, Forte got 21 to the Miami 40.Cutler hit Greg Olsen for 7 and Johnny Knox for 11 to the 26.He was Thigpen sacked by Cameron Wake,lost the ball,but Chris Williams fell on it.Gould kicked a 46 yard field goal to give the Bears first blood.This time Gould’s kickoff was downed in the end zone.After Thigpen ran for an apparent first down,an illegal block in the back called that back.Then Peanut Tillman picked off Thigpen’s next pass which Julius Peppers had deflected and the Bears took over at the Miami 46 after a five yard return.On a third and nine,Cutler found Earl Bennett in the near flat for 13 and a first down at the Miami 32.Next, Knox caught a nine yarder and Chester Taylor on the last play of the quarter,lost two yards. Hester kept the drive going with a diving grab at the Dolphins 19.A holding call on second down forced Cutler to run on third and he scrambled for 16 and got a first and goal at the nine.Taylor got to the five with a couple of neat moved up the middle,but then was hit for a one yard loss by Tony McDaniel.Cut then threw one away from Bennett and Gould kicked a 24 yard field goal.This time Carroll returned Gould’s kickoff to his 26.Brandon Marshall caught a pass from Thigpen but threw the ball at a Bears player on the sideline and got called for taunting.But Thigpen then threw a 24 yard pass to Brian Hartline.Rickey Williams lost three on first down.Then Thigpen overthrew Marshall.Thigpen then picked up six before Melton dropped him,forcing a Fields punt which Hester fair caught at his own six.On a third and five,Cutler connected for 14 yards with Hester to the 25.On another third down,Cutler hit Knox for a dozen yards to the Bears 43.This time he hit Olsen on first down for 11 to the Miami 46.On a draw play,Forte went off right tackle for 11 and got to the Dolphins 35.Taylor slipped and lost a yard on first down as the clock ticked to the two minuet warning.After a holing penalty on J’Marcus Webb,Cutler threw one up for grab which Bennie Sapp picked off at his own 33 with 1:46 left.Thigpen went right for Marshall and got 18 yards at Miami’s 49.Marshall was also shaken up with a hamstring pull on the play but walked off on his own.On third down,Lance Briggs tried for a diving interception but replay showed it hit the ground,so Fields punted to Hester who fair caught it at his 14.Forte carried for nine,Cutler threw one into the ground and Cutler took a knee as the clock ran out with the Bears taking a 6-0 lead into the locker room.

The Bears started the second half at their own 30,and Cutler went right to Knox for 16 yds at the 46.Forte then ran around right end for nine,and then went up the middle for seven and another first down at the Miami 38.But then he was stuffed for a two yard loss.Cutler then threw into triple coverage,but luckily the ball fell to the ground.Cutler then ran around the right side for eight,but on fourth down, Gould came in a nailed a 50 yard field goal to make it 9-0 Bears just 3:13 into the second half.Gould’s kickoff again reached the end zone for a touch back.The Dolphins drive was halted when Thigpen was caked for a twelve yard loss by Israel Idonije and Fields punted to Hester to downed it at the Bears 39.Forte again started running the ball effectively and with the help of Taylor they moved to the Miami 38 for a first down.Then after a near interception the Bears got bailed out by an illegal contact and got a first down at the 33.Olsen made a nice diving grab for 12 more at the 20.Olsen then got a first and goal by catching a 10 yd grab to the 8. Forte ran for two,and then got four to the two yard line.On third and goal, and then Forte got the game’s first touchdown, scoring untouched from the two with 1:57 left in the third quarter to make it 16-0 and sending many locals out onto Florda’s Turnpike and I-95. As the fourth quarter began, Miami picked up one first down but punted and the Bears started at their 22.

NOTES—White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen was in attendance…..The crowd was 68,752…..This was the Bears third win against only one regular season loss in this stadium which opened in 1987(for a Bears 10-3 Pre-Season win).The Bears never won a Regular Season game in the Orange Bowl….The Bears last shutouts were both in 2006 at Green Bay 26-0 and at the NY Jets 10-0…..Miami was shutout for the first time in nine years.

LES