#nflcolts

The Midwest Division of the World American-Football League has been waiting a long time for someone to rise up and challenge the Chicago Bears. Chicago has won the division every year of its existence, went undefeated throughout the regular season last season, and going into Soldier Field on Monday Night were heavy favorites to beat the 4-4 Indianapolis Colts. But Indy rose to the challenge, poked the Bear...beat the Bear..and lived to tell the tale.

In the end, Chicago was out schemed by the Colts. It has been apparent that teams have played the Bears hoping to counteract their weaknesses, trying to win the shootouts, or match points with the most potent offense in the league headed by the WAFL's best receiver in Patrick Jennings and most accurate quarterback in Rob McMullen. The Colts had a different gameplan it seemed, they came to neutralize Chicago's weapons..and in the end they all but eliminated them.

One big weapon the Bears have is Soldier Field itself, and the Colts immediately went to work on that. Hayden Farren took the opening kick return all the way to the house for Indianapolis, sucking the life right out of the frigid fans in the wintery Windy City, and exposing the weaknesses in a special teams that had problems going back to two seasons ago when the Jacksonville Jaguars took a punt return and a kick return back for touchdowns, and forced a fumble on special teams in the World Bowl. McMullen and the Bears appeared hurried on their first drive, with the Chicago QB openly staring down Jennings on three straight plays. Colts cornerback Jim Timmins made him pay on third down, jumping Jennings' rout for a pick 6, and just like that, it was 14-0 Colts.

On the next possession, the Bears slowed it down, finally mounting a nice drive in the blistering snow on the back of runningback Addonis Joseph, who had a decent showing with 108yds on the day. Just before the end of the first frame, Joseph popped into the endzone to get Chicago on the board. The Colts would answer with a field goal. Down now 17-7, the Bears appeared to abandon the running game and tried to force the ball through the air again. This time McMullen was picked by Braxton Gary on third down. At this point, the snow really began to fall, and Indy had to rely on their runningback Ford Matthews. Matthews brought the Colts into field goal range, but the kick was missed in the driving wind and snow and the Bears got decent field position.

They went back to the run, and a nice solid drive put them back into the endzone right before halftime. It was 17-14 at the break, with the Bears getting the ball first in the second half. Colts kicker Vinny Addams botched the opening kickoff of the second half, practically beaming Bears MLB Earl O'Brian in the front line of the coverage kick. O'Brian rumbled down field and got the benefit of a Braxton Gary slip on the snow to dive into the endzone. The Bears had their first lead of the game on a touchdown. It would prove to be the last time they had the lead, and their last touchdown of the night.

Blizzard like conditions would sour any offense for the rest of the third quarter, with the Colts managing a field goal to tie the game with ten minutes left in the period. After the fourth quarter began, the weather began to improve, and visibility cleared, allowing the Colts offense to go to work. Where the Bears offense would sputter, the Colts would shine.

The Colts defense shut down superstar QB Rob McMullen, who completed 35 of 59 passes for 332 yds, 2 touchdown. McMullen's 4 Interceptions tied a career high earned as a rookie with the Baltimore Ravens and gave the Bears captian a 58 QB rating. McMullen has great legs and is known to be a danger on the ground as well, second to only Jags QB Aaron Summers in rushing yards this season. The Colts defense shut down that has well, holding McMullen to only 2 rushing attempts for a measly 20 yards.

“It felt like a dream,” McMullen would say after the game. “You know those dreams you have where you are going somewhere and you just can never get there...yeah..it was just like that.”

It didn't help that Indy was all over McMullen's favorite target Patrick Jennings, who faced double coverage most of the night and finished the game with 1 reception for a pathetic 4 yards.

“This is the worst loss I've had since I've been here. Definitely my worst game as a pro. Even my rookie season in Jacksonville, I can't think of a worse game than this.”

On the flipside, the Colts QB Quincy Brady went 23-35 for 241 yds and 2 touchdowns, his mistake-free brand of football gave him a 104.5 QB rating. He spread the love around too, Wide receiever Zane Michaels had 4 receptions for 58 yards and toucdown, Rex Austin had 5 receptions for 50 yards, and Gonzo Alexis had 5 receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown.

“He's not the flashiest guy in the world,” Colts coach Zachary Boger would say in the postgame press conference. “He just doesn't make mistakes...he doesn't lose the game for us.”

He did much more than just not lose, leading the Colts on two backbreaking touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. Chicago could only counter with long field goals. The final score was Indianapolis 34, Chicago 27.

Chicago still has a deathgrip on the division, but now face a brutal part of their schedule, going to the Pacific leading Vancouver Breakers, then to Green Bay where it is always tough to play, and then to Indianapolis to rematch the Colts in their building.

“In the end..you're gonna have games like this,” Bears coach Buck McCalister said. “You're not going to win them all..hell...I'd rather lose them now than in other situations we've lost.” The Bears skipper is referring to the three straight World Championships the Bears have lost. They are very much a team eager to finally get their hands on the hardware.

“These fans have been through a lot,” McCalister said, “All those years with Tommy Thompson almost getting there, and then to finally get there and lose, and then to lose three straight times...we wonder..if not now, than when? But we have to keep fighting..we'll rebound from this and keep going, and I expect to play this team at least two more times..once in the regular season in Indy, and once more in the Midwest Division Championship..and both times, I expect to win.”