1997

Bills 3
Chicago 20

Attendance: 39,784

Alonzo Spellman made a tackle and was booed. Bryan Cox sacked the quarterback and was booed. Rick Mirer merely entered the game. More Boos. So much for home-field advantage. Despite getting such nasty treatment from their own fans--those who showed up, anyway-- the Chicago Bears played their best all-around game this season in beating the Buffalo Bills 20-3. "It's tough here in Chicago. If you have a winner, this is the best place in the world to play. But like anybody, no one wants to see mediocrity," said Eric Kramer, who atoned for two first-quarter interceptions by passing for 270 yards and two touchdowns. "I don't want to be a part of it and I don't blame them for not wanting to see it."

Mediocrity would have been a kind word to describe the Bills, who were ripped by coach Marv Levy after failing to get a touchdown against the NFL's most generous defense. Buffalo gained only 160 yards, looking nothing like the high-powered offensive team that made the playoffs in eight of the last nine years and reached four Super Bowls. "It's the worst we've played that I can remember," said Levy, whose team has lost four of its last five games. "Never, never, not in the 12 years I've been here" have the Bills played so poorly.

Chicago has allowed 380 points, the most in its 78-year history, but played well defensively for the second time in three games. After giving up at least 20 points in each of their first 11 games, the Bears have sandwiched two solid defensive performances--this game and a 13-7 victory over Tampa Bay--around a 55-20 Thanksgiving loss at Detroit.

Many Bears credited an impassioned Saturday night talk by coach Dave Wannstedt, who is fighting for his job. "It was one of the best speeches he's ever given," defensive tackle Jim Flanigan said. "He told us that we've got nothing to lose, that we should have fun and make plays." Kramer, one of several potential free agents, said Wannstedt told numerous players that they were "auditioning" for 1998 jobs.

The Bears were bolstered by the return of Spellman, who missed the previous nine games with a shoulder injury. During his absence, Spellman was suspended by the team for refusing to undergo recommended surgery and suspended by the NFL for failing to take a steroid test. The league action is under appeal, and Spellman said he has since passed the test, but he still was booed when his name was announced after making a second-quarter tackle. "I don't think I have to win over fans," Spellman said. "Fans look at the way you play and judge you by your character off the field. And I think I've passed all those tests."

On the following play, Cox was booed when credited with a sack; fans consider him an overpaid troublemaker. Mirer, a bust since being acquired in an off-season trade, got razzed when he trotted into the game in the fourth quarter to mop up for Kramer.

Paid attendance was 66,944 but that included 27,160 no-shows, perhaps fitting for two non-contenders playing in freezing weather at Soldier Field. It was the fans' last chance to boo the Bears this season because the two remaining games are on the road.

The Bills, averaging an AFC-low 15.7 points, couldn't take advantage of Kramer's early mistakes. Todd Collins had a miserable day, consistently missed open receivers and completing 13 of 32 passes for 138 yards. "He had a bad day but he wasn't alone," Levy said. Collins, in his first season as Jim Kelly's successor, called it "probably the most frustrating game I've played."

Kramer, meanwhile, rebounded strongly. His 23-for-33 performance included second-quarter touchdown passes of 30 yards to Ryan Wetnight and 3 yards to Ricky Proehl. Kramer also connected with Curtis Conway seven times for 115 yards. Raymont Harris rushed for 59 yards before leaving in the third quarter with a broken left leg. He finished the season with 1,033 yards, becoming the seventh back in Chicago history to reach 1,000.

Copyright ©1999 WGBB