This promised to be one of those "preseason game #3 is a huge game".deals, and it didn't let us down.

The Cardinals entered Soldiers Field reeling from a dismal effort 5 days earlier in Nashville, not sure who its starting QB would be and wondering who had hid its offense. At a point in the season where teams look to consolidate their rosters and get them to "gel", Coach Whisenhunt, instead, decided to shake things up - starting Derek Anderson instead of Matt Leinart and moving a few promising youngsters to the first unit. The national and local media had a field day with the Anderson-for-Leinart move. In retrospect, I think what he wanted to do was to better understand what he had in the way of talent before heading into real battle, and the only way to accomplish this was to move a few promising backups into starting roles to see what it would give us.

Although the early media buzz centered around "QB dual inconclusive", I think the Game #3 experiment went as well as we could expect:

• Both Anderson and Leinart (though by no means perfect) moved the offense, and each threw a TD pass.

• Greg Toler seized the moment - picking off one pass and playing with consistency - and emerged as the clear cut starter opposite DRC

• The defense in general played with passion, energy and guts and, at least judging by the Cardinal radio call, appeared to have the Bear offense constantly back on its heels.

• Steven Williams delivered once again, and (according to the Cardinal radio analysts) may have moved up the depth chart all the way to #2 or #3. (Whatever the case, he looks like he's a lock to make the Final 53; and keep an eye on Max Komar too).

• Our two bookends (Levi Brown and Brandon Keith) were predictably taken to school by Peppers and Anderson. Hopefully they will learn and improve.

After Watching on TV
One thing picked up on TV that I missed listening to SIRIUS - Leinart's TD pass came right after he was sacked. He simply scraped himself off the turf and hit Breaston right down the middle. Anyone who thinks Matt can't be tough or resliant should think again. Other than that, there was very little additional that the Cardinal radio crew didn't capture - especially since the TV feed was the Bears' home feed (though to their credit, they were pretty objective and credible. Still, most of their analysis and interviews centered on Bear players.

Game Recap

• 1st Quarter
  Chicago received and Cutler was able to move from his own 28 to the Cardinal 45 before DRC picked off an underthrown Cutler pass. Anderson took over on the Cardinal 39 and picked up a quick 11 yards on a throw to Spach. But after 3 plays went nowhere,Cards were forced to punt. Graham dropped it inside the Chicago 15. Dan Williams was instrumental in stopping two consecutive Chicago running plays, and on 3rd down, Michael Adams shot through and sacked Cultler. Cards returned Maynard's punt to the Cardinal 43. Wright gained 9 powerful yards on the next play from scrimmage, but Wiz then dialed up a double reverse that ended up with Breaston losing 3 yards. Hightower then missed a catchable pass, and Graham punted (this time putting the ball on the Bear 12).

• Bears mounted a pretty good drive, moving from their own 12 to the 13. But Martz got cutesy - Hester fumbled a direct-snap and lost 3. DRC broke up a pass to Knox. Haggans and Dockett collaberated on a sack. Gould's chip-shot FG attempt was blocked by Cambpell. Hightower had one carry for +0 as the quarter ended.

• 2nd Quarter
  Anderson engineered a ten play touchdown drive, featuring three terrific catche by Stephen Williams - for 16 yards, 11 yards and  the  27-yard scoring pass on a skinny post. Beanie Wells did a nice job picking up the blitz on the final play of the drive. Cards 7 - Bears 0.

• Bears returned the KO to their own 27. A 34 yard run by Chester Taylor (Campbell could have gotten him in the Bear backfield) helped put Chicago in FG position. But Gould's 48-yard attempt was NG.  (Ah yes! The football gods are smiling. After a 16-yard completion to Williams, the Cardinal offense sputtered. 2 so-so Beanie runs, a false-start flag on Spach and then Beanie dropped a screen (thrown with too much zip). Once again, Graham dropped his punt inside the 12. On the following series, Campbell sacked Cutler for minus-6 and Toler picked off a Cutler pass at the Bear 49.

• 2:09 til halftime. Leinart in for Anderson (Wiz wanted to see how he'd handle a 2-minute drill). Matt did well (the radio guys felt he looked "in command"). He pecked away, completing 4 of 5 throws for +7, +5, +7 and +8. On the 7th play of the drive, he hit Beanie Wells - who rambled to the Bear 9-yard line; but Wells had the ball stripped away by Manning. Bears' ball. Cutler took a final knee to end the half. (3- 7 "free points" given to the Bears by Beanie. Unacceptable!)

• 3rd Quarter
  Cards undermined by a flag on Iwebema on the 2H kickoff  took over on their own 17. After picking up 31 yards on a couple of running plays and a 17-yarder to Dray, Leinart got sacked and lost 5-yards. He was then short of a first down by 2-yards on a completion to Komar. Graham's punt was returned by Hester to the Bear 14. A 9-yard sack by Watson helped the Cards hold Chicago to 3 & out..

• Check out this series: Hightower for +29. Hightower for +13. Hightower for +0. Leinart sacked (over Levi) for minus-7. But he then hits Breaston (who leaped over the goal line like Superman) for a 13-yard score. Cards 14 - Bears 0.

• LeFevour in for Cutler. He pecked for one first down but Bears punted on the 6th play of the possession. A holding penalty on Beisel pushed the Cards back to their own 15. Skelton in. A 21-yard completion to Komar and three positive runs by Beanie helped move them out to near midfield, but a 3rd down sack for minus-10 ended the Cardinal drive near the end of the quarter. Skelton's appearance, while not a disaster, wasn't all that impressive.

• 4th Quarter
  LeFevour completed 5 straight passes (against backup culprits,  Justin Miller and Rashad Johnson. Ware and Abdullah were in there too. but they were close to heroic in making sure things didn't get totally out of hand). An Abdullah stop at the Cardinal 4 set the stage for a Robbie Gould 22-yarder. Cards 14 - Bears 3.

• 10:03 left. Skelton still in. Cards started on their own 23, but a holding penalty on Bridges pushed them back to their  own 13. Other than a couple of completions by Skelton, the Cards went nowhere. An uncharacteristically rotten punt by Graham went for 24 yards to the Bear 46.

• 7:44 left to play. Card backup corners are playing way too "off" their receivers). A 17-yard completion (LeFevour to Mathews) on a screen and an 18-yard scramble set the stage for a 3-yard TD throw on a fade to Inglesius. (Oh boy! They still have time to beat us). 2-point try (LeFevour to Inglesius) failed when Ware kept Inglesius from crossing the goal line. Cards 14 - Bears 9.

• 4:37 left. Max Hall in. So is RB Alfonso Smith. Hall wakes up the crowd with a nifty 30-yard completion to the other Max (Komar). Later on in the series, he hits Onrea Jones for +28. After a couple of running plays (one for +9) and an incompletion, Hall takes 3 straight knees to end the game. Final Score: Cards 14 - Bears 9.

Bright Spots

• Stephen Williams (caught 5 of 5 for 76 yards and a TD).

• Both Anderson and Leinart led their units on long scoring drives. Each threw for a TD. Each has work to do, but they showed they could get the job done (a far cry from last Monday).

• Our first defensive unit pretty much shut down the Bear offense entirely. (4 sacks/2 picks)

• Toler (one pick) looks like our guy opposite DRC (who also had a pick).

• Calais Campbell was credited with one sack, and also racked up one QB hurry, one forced fumble and a blocked punt.

• Dan Williams made his presenced felt.

• What will the Cards do with Max Komar (All he did was catch 6 of 7 for 79 yards). Will they keep on the final 53-man roster (along with Fitz, Breaston, Doucet and Williams - and, perhaps, at the expense of Roberts, O Jones and/or Gant)? Or will we try to stash him on the PS?

• With one exception, Graham's directional punting has been surreal.

• Beanie did a good job on blitz pickup.

• Michael Adams (one sack and I recall one deluxe hit on a receiver). Probably not your cup of tea as a starter due to his short stature, but can fit in perfectly to fill certain spot roles.

• It looks to me as though Hall has secured the #3 spot.

Dark Spots

• Beanie's ball security.

• Uneven O-line play (Keith and L Brown had blocking concentration lapses..

• Shaky play by our backup CB's and S Rashad Johnson.

• What do we do with Skelton and/or Hall? Do we keep 4 QB's or do we try to sneak one or the other past waivers and onto the PS  (in the hope that no team is willing to put him on its active roster.

• 6 penalties (this figure is starting to inch its way back up the no-no list).

• Togafau may be doing it again - making a strong early impression and then playing himself out of a roster spot

80 Early Doucet  WR