Despite a late rally by Caleb Hanie and the offense, the Chicago Bears were unable to overcome a 12-point fourth quarter deficit, as they fell 25-20 to the Oakland Raiders. With the defeat, the Bears saw their five-game winning streak come to an end and remained tied with the Detroit Lions for second in the NFC North.
In the absence of the injured Jay Cutler, the Bears offense was forced to rely on Hanie to overcome a second half deficit. Hanie delivered an admirable performance, completing 18/36 for two TD's. However, Hanie also threw three interceptions, including a costly pick at the end of the first half in the red zone. Johnny Knox proved to be the main weapon through the air for Chicago, as he had four catches for 145 yards and a TD.
While the Raiders offense had success moving the ball down the field, Chicago limited Oakland to only one touchdown, which came on a Michael Bush run late in the fourth quarter. Sebastian Janikowski delivered a perfect performance in the kicking game, converting all six of his field goal attempts. Carson Palmer completed 21/37 for 301 yards in the win.
The Bears will hope to bounce back from this loss when they host the Kansas City Chiefs next week. Oakland will travel across the country to face the Miami Dolphins next week.
For more on this game, check out the Bears blog Windy City Gridiron and Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride. Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more Chicago sports scores and updates.