For the third week running, the Bears are merely killing time while most of the city focuses on the White Sox.

Also for the third week running, the Bears' opponent faces almost as severe offensive struggles as the Bears. I can't put it much better than Big Cat did on the message board last week:

"Lovely - next week is Baltimore in The Game That Sets Offensive Football Back A Century. Anyone got an over/under on the combined number of punts between the Bears and the Ravens?"

I don't have a number on that, Big Cat, but I think the total punts over/under is fast approaching the points O/U of 30½ (set ridiculously high, in my opinion).

Also, the punts O/U might be hurt by the fact that possession may change via interception more than by punt.

The Bears are helped considerably by the absence of safety Ed Reed. On the Bears' side, Brad Maynard is questionable, which could be bad in a game that's almost certain to be a battle of field position.

Football at 3:15. Comment board on the right.

I was going to say This just in: Paul Edinger kicks a Vikings team-record 56-yard field goal at the gun to beat the Packers 23-20, but it looks like the folks on the board beat me. The Lions also won, so the Bears need a win to remain in (cough) first place in the NL West—uh, NFC North.

FIRST QUARTER

Jerry Azumah returns the kick to the 25 or so. The 25 it is, and Thomas Jones picks up a pair off guard right. The announcers mispronounce Brian Urlacher's name (should be Ur-LACK-er, not Ur-LOCK-er). Orton to Mark Bradley on the right side to bring up 3rd and short. And of course, rather than giving it to Jones, they go for 20-odd yards to Mark Bradley and Orton sails him. Ron Turner really has not put him in a position to succeed. Punt goes to the 34, downed.

Urlacher drops Jamal Lewis for a loss of one. Tommie Harris jumps into the neutral zone and the ever-ripped Ed Hochuli makes the call. Anthony Wright's second-down attempt is batted at the line, then Wright hits Todd Heap short of the sticks and Nathan Vasher drops him there and the Ravens punt. It's downed at the 20 and the play-by-play guy says, "Get used to this. Punting."

Orton airs it out to Bradley and overshoots him by about five or 10 yards. Orton hits Bradley for eight. The Bears are passing on 3rd and 2, but a false start called on Bobby Wade kills it before it gets going. WHY DON'T THEY RUN ON 3RD AND SHORT?!?!?!?! Now they have to pass on 3rd and 7. Deion Sanders in on the nickel package and Orton throws it away with nowhere to pass. Maynard to punt. It goes to the 35, returned to the 42.

Jamal Lewis fumbles the handoff and the Ravens recover for a loss of one. Lewis loses another one. This is killing my fantasy team, fortunately, Keenan McCardell and Antonio Gates had good days for San Diego. Wright flushed and throws it away, and the Ravens will punt. That's four punts in 5:40 of action. Bobby Wade fields it inside the 20 and breaks the first tackle, getting a 17-yard return to the 32.

Orton makes a great throw to Desmond Clark in double coverage to the Ravens' 42. Pass was right in stride and Clark just shrugged off a nasty hit and kept going another three yards. Play action doesn't fool the Ravens because the Bears have only run once. Make that twice as Jones gets three yards on 2nd and 10. Holding makes it 2nd and 20. So officially, the Bears have still only run once. Rain falling on Soldier Field. It is chilly and windy in Chicago, solid Bear weather. Orton hits Bernard Berrian for eight yards. Whoever caught my Grossman gaffe, sorry about that, the announcers were talking about Grossman at the time. Orton hits Bradley for another six yards and then Maynard pins the Ravens on the 4. Punt just rolled out at the corner.

The Bears don't make much of it as Wright immediately hits Todd Heap up to the 26. Heap is the only reason the Ravens have had any passing game at all the past few years. He's very good and very overlooked. Wright passes to his other tight end for four, then Lewis picks up four more up the middle. Lewis up the middle for one and the Ravens will punt, six total in the game now. Wade fields at the 15 and returns to the 21. Three times as many punts in this game as first downs.

The Bears run on first down (miracle of miracles) and Jones has nothing up the middle, so he bounces it out left for 15 yards to the 36. Orton passes poorly to Gabe Reid, and it falls incomplete, but a helmet-to-helmet roughing the passer call gives the Bears first down on the Ravens' 49. Jones up the middle for two. Orton sails Muhsin Muhammad on a long ball. Orton to Wade is incomplete but a defensive hold gives the Bears as many first downs by penalty as they have by their own talent. Ball on the Ravens' 42. Jones on the carry and he gains 14 on a counter. Faked a power left and he cut it back right. Jones up the middle for three. Orton hits Clark who jukes a would-be tackler to get across the first-down line and the Bears are on the Ravens' 12. Jones up the middle for three. That's three more than most of the Bears' first-down passes have gotten. With 25 seconds to go in the quarter, the Ravens call a timeout to talk it over. First commercial break of the game. The Bears run the identical play that got them their touchdown in Cleveland, and it yields the same result. Orton fakes the handoff, bootlegs left and hits a wide open Marc Edwards (the fullback) on the left side and Edwards just walks in for the touchdown. Gould hits the PAT.

Bears 7, Ravens 0, :19 left in the 1st quarter

Ohio Joe hit it on the head, if Desmond Clark can stay healthy this year, he's been the missing piece the past few years. Kickoff goes to the 5, returned to the 30 or so. No commercials for the first 14:35 of the quarter, and we've had three breaks in the last :25, and we still have time to go in the quarter. Lewis gets a pair and that'll be the quarter and another commercial break.

Bears 7, Ravens 0

SECOND QUARTER