It was a Sunday that played out perfectly. The Bears rather easily dismissed Minnesota at Soldier Field and the Green Bay Packers were manhandled by the New York Giants at Snoopy in the Swamp. While it doesn’t mean much in November, the Bears are back in first place.

Thoughts on yesterday:

• I’d give Gabe Carimi a game ball. He loses his starting job midweek and responds by playing excellently in limited work early and ultimately playing half the game at guard. Ultimately I think Carimi is going to find a natural home as a tough, run-blocking guard and if Lance Louis is seriously injured that time may be sooner than later.
• Nice games, Jonathan Scott and J’Marcus Webb. I am going to look at the tape later today to see how much help these guys got throughout.
• Brandon Marshall is having a spectacular season but he sure does like to drop beautifully thrown touchdown passes, doesn’t he?
• Great job by Fox showing us the replay of Julius Peppers essentially cross-checking rookie tackle Matt Kalil to allow Shea McClellin a free route at Christian Ponder.
• Henry Melton is going to make a lot of money.
• Injuries are injuries. The team must deal with them. I’d guess Tillman and Briggs will be fine. It sure didn’t look great for Forte and Louis. I’m not sure Devin Hester couldn’t use a week or two off.
• If you didn’t know why Jay Cutler is terrific and the Bears can’t win without him, you saw on the Bears first touchdown drive of the game. Cutler completed two magnificent passes – one to Earl Bennett and another to Kellen Davis – that Jason Campbell would not have ATTEMPTED. The Bears continue to win games when #6 plays four quarters under center.
• The defensive play of this game belonged to Chris Conte. 10-3 Bears. Early second quarter. Third and six at the Bears 12 and Christian Ponder floats a perfect jump ball to Kyle Rudolph in the end zone. Conte, who was lost in no man’s land, sprints over the knocks the ball from Rudolph’s hands. That forced a field goal. That field goal was blocked. 14 plays and 79 yards later the game was essentially over.
• Dave Toub is a great coach but he’s also one of the funniest. Fake extra point?
• By the way, I have done the requisite statistical research and Adam Podlesh did in fact score the first two Jewish points in the NFL this season with his two-point sprint.
• And he punted well too.
• Eric Weems has a bit of Cortland Finnegan in him, doesn’t he? He’s the proper amount of energy and instigation.
• I think Mike Tice had perhaps his best guess as an offensive coordinator, despite the injuries up and down the offensive roster. There was a rhythm to his play calling and he continued running the ball despite a low production level outside of short yardage scenarios.
• If Devin Hester not on the field means Earl Bennett catches more passes then by all means keep Devin Hester off the field.
• Don’t look now but that was Nick Roach executing the Peanut Punch to perfection on Adrian Peterson.
• Remarkable throw and catch on the Cutler to Matt Spaeth touchdown.

We’ll leave it there. Terrific performance and a terrific rebound off Monday night. Bears now face almost the exact same opponent at Soldier Field next weekend – terrific front seven and run game. If they win that one they will solidify their playoff position.