Krieg Not Kidding, Goes Long Against the Lions

CHICAGO —  Dave Krieg heard the critics. He couldn’t throw down field. He couldn’t get the Chicago Bears into the end zone. Even his own coach suggested that Krieg’s play was restricting the offense.

Krieg responded the best way he knows how Sunday.

He came out and heaved a long pass on the very first play from scrimmage, a 49-yard completion to Michael Timpson, and finished with three touchdown passes as the Bears revived their sluggish offense and beat the Detroit Lions, 31-14.

“We tried to make a statement. That first pass helped set up the whole day and got the confidence right away,” said Krieg.

“Our statement was to win, get into the red zone, score more points. And we came out and did that. It came down to that we made plays that we didn’t make the last couple of weeks.”

The victory at rainy Soldier Field, where there were 11,080 no-shows, dampened another record day for Barry Sanders.

Sanders became the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in eight straight seasons.

Sanders carried 21 times for 107 yards.

The Bears, who’d averaged only 12.5 points in their previous four games, got 122 yards rushing from Raymont Harris, whose three-yard run in the third quarter put Chicago ahead, 31-14. Krieg, meanwhile, completed 18 of 28 passes for 219 yards and several times threw deep.

“Dave had been taking a lot of flak that we’ve not been able to throw downfield, as well as our offense not throwing the ball on first down,” said Harris. “I don’t know if that was a surprise to Detroit or the viewers on TV, but we had been planning to do that all week.”

The well-traveled Krieg took over when Erik Kramer was injured in the fourth game of the season.

“Seventeen years in the league and the guy’s still learning every week. He has not gotten discouraged,” said Bear Coach Dave Wannstedt.

“He’s a special guy.”