Bears gush in Lucas oil roof-raiser

Chicago Tribune

(MCT)

INDIANAPOLIS-Without question Lucas Oil Stadium's retractable roof, which can close and open in 10 minutes, and its largest movable window wall in the world, open Sunday night, made it an architectural work to behold.

But for all the innovations inside the $720 million structure, the Bears always will remember it as the place they finally found the magical switch for 2008 they couldn't find for six long, frustrating weeks of preseason.

Consider it flipped.

The defense played with a purpose and passion that had been only a summer rumor and, thanks to silky rookie Matt Forte, the offense finally provided results in the running game to match Lovie Smith's rhetoric in a 29-13 upset of the Indianapolis Colts.

"I'm just glad we did turn it on because it really counts now," cornerback Charles Tillman said. "Nobody gave us a chance. We probably had three people who picked us to win this game. I'm sure all the people who bet on us in Vegas made a lot of money."

Which team playing in the Indiana capital Sunday night was a Super Bowl contender and which one was considered an underachiever on its way to a sub-.500 season?

In the stunning victory, the Bears made one of the louder statements of the opening weekend of the NFL season. Using fourth-down stops and fumble returns for touchdowns as exclamation points and key runs by Forte behind a resurgent offensive line as italic letters, it said, "We're back!"

Who knew?

The Bears insist they did and scolded naysayers for writing them off before the regular-season kickoff. On the joyful trip into the locker room, one player shouted, "Preseason don't count!" Another asked mockingly, "What are they going to write about now?"

Here's what: You know that bus the Bears always talk about getting off running? Well, it ran over the Colts on both sides of the ball.

"How does it happen? Get on the field," said Lance Briggs, who had a 21-yard TD return of a fumble stripped by Tillman. "We've been doing this for a long time. This group right here, no, we're not at all surprised."