JJ Nitro

MIAMI – The Bears literally sprinted out of the gate in Super Bowl XLI. But they hit a rough patch that was as messy as the rain-soaked field at Dolphin Stadium Sunday and it was all downhill from there.  

Chicago’s offense couldn’t stay on the field and its defense couldn’t get off of it, leading to a disparity in several statistical categories including the only one that really matters.

Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI 92 yards for a touchdown.

deficit into a 22-14 lead in cruising to a 29-17 victory in Super Bowl XLI.

“You do realize (the Bears had a good season), but it’s true what they say: This is the worst one to lose,” said center Olin Kreutz in a dejected locker room. “This one hurts a lot.”

The Bears started Sunday night’s game in electrifying fashion as Devin Hester became the first player in Super Bowl history to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, dashing 92 yards.

Chris Harris then intercepted a Peyton Manning pass intended for Marvin Harrison down the right sideline on Indianapolis’ first possession, but the Bears offense went three-and-out.

Unfortunately, it was a sign of things to come. After Rex Grossman’s 4-yard TD pass to Muhsin Muhammad gave the Bears a 14-6 lead with 4:34 left in the first quarter, Chicago mustered just 30 yards and one first down while committing two turnovers on its final five drives of the half.

“We couldn’t get anything going,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “We never got in rhythm, never got in sync. We never got any drives going. We were never able to sustain anything. We wanted to sustain some drives and mix

the run and the pass and just run our offense and we never really got in sync to do that.”

While the Bears were stuck in neutral, the Colts shifted into overdrive. Indianapolis marched inside the Chicago 20-yard line on five of six possessions in the second and third quarters.

The Bears defense stiffened in the red zone, however, permitting just one touchdown on Dominic Rhodes’ 1-yard run and forcing Indianapolis to settle for three field goals. But Adam Vinatieri missed a 36-yard try on the final play of the half as the Colts failed to extend their 16-14 lead.

After Vinatieri’s 24-yard field goal on the opening possession of the third quarter made it 19-14, the Colts had run 59 plays to just 19 for the Bears. Indianapolis also held decisive advantages at that point in total yards (313-95), first downs (18-3) and time of possession (27:30-10:04).

Manning was masterful at times in winning his first Super Bowl, completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards with 1 TD, 1 interception and an 81.8 passer rating. He was named the game’s MVP.

Grossman, meanwhile, connected on 20 of 28 passes for 165 yards with 1 TD, 2 interceptions and a 68.3 passer rating. He also lost a fumble on an exchange from Kreutz.

On Indianapolis’ second possession of the game, Manning took advantage of a blown coverage and tossed a 53-yard TD pass to a wide open Reggie Wayne. But holder Hunter Smith botched the hold and the Bears still led 7-6 with 6:50 left in the first quarter.

Determined to keep the ball out of Hester’s hands, Vinatieri squibbed the ensuing kickoff. Gabe Reid scooped it up but fumbled when he was hit by Robert Mathis, and Dylan Gandy recovered at the Chicago 34.

But the Bears defense got the ball back on the very next play as Alex Brown drilled running back Joseph Addai as he was taking a handoff from Manning. Mark Anderson returned the fumble 2 yards to the Chicago 43.

On the next play, Jone

s dashed up the middle for 52 yards to the Indianapolis 5, setting up Grossman’s 4-yard TD strike to Muhammad on third-and-goal.

But that was about it for the Bears offense. Cedric Benson fumbled on the second play of the next possession when he was drilled by safety Bob Sanders, and defensive end Dwight Freeney recovered at the Chicago 43.

Benson exited late in the first half with a left knee injury and did not return. Jones rushed for 112 yards on 15 carries, but 52 of those yards came on one play. After the game, Jones couldn’t explain the offense’s inability to sustain drives.

“I don’t even really have an explanation,” he said. “It’s just one of those things where we just weren’t converting. We were getting in a situation where we had plays called that we ran every day in practice. But for some reason it just wasn’t happening. It’s weird. I don’t have an answer for it.”

Robbie Gould’s 44-yard field goal drew the Bears to within 22-17 with 1:14 left in the third period, but Grossman followed with interceptions on Chicago’s next two possessions.

The Bears quarterback pump-faked and then threw off of his back foot to Muhammad. But Kelvin Hayden picked off the underthrown pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown, tiptoeing down the sideline to extend Indianapolis’ lead to 29-17.

“I was giving Moose a chance to go up and get a fade route and the corner made a good play on it,” Grossman said. “He saw the ball and went after it. In hindsight, I wish I would have thrown it away. But I was giving Moose a chance to go out and battle for it.

“The timing of it wasn’t right. I should have waited until Moose had his eyes around so that he could see the ball in the air.”

Grossman later tried to go deep to Bernard Berrian, who had a step on two defenders. But the pass was underthrown and a leaping Sanders picked it off, sealing the Colts’ victory.

The Bears defense was gashed on the ground by Rhodes (21 carries for 113 yards and 1 TD) and Addai (19-77), who combined to rush for 128 of their 190 yards in the second half.

“The whole year our thing has been to finish and that’s exactly what we didn’t do,” said linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer. “We still had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter and we didn’t do it.”

The steady rain throughout the game made the ball and the field slick, but the Bears weren’t using the weather as an excuse.