Flutie Awakens Offense and Fuels Quarterback Controversy for Bears

Doug Flutie and Mike Tomczak are now in a battle for the Chicago Bears’ No. 1 quarterback job, and Coach Mike Ditka says that’s the way he wants it.

“I planned it, and I knew exactly what I was going to do,” Ditka said Sunday after the Bears routed Tampa Bay, 48-14.

“We’ll use both of them next week, too.”

Ditka gave Flutie his first big chance in the second quarter, and the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner from Boston College directed the Bears to three quick touchdowns.

Flutie handed off to Thomas Sanders for a 9-yard touchdown, ran 4 yards for a touchdown and passed for 27 yards to Walter Payton for another score.

Prior to the pass to Payton, Flutie completed his first NFL pass, a 52-yard play to Willie Gault.

“I completed only two passes, but it felt good to go out there and be successful,” said Flutie, who had five incompletions.

“I’m not worried about whether I am going to start. I want to improve and get better,” Flutie said. “Sure, I was excited getting in and getting that TD pass. But I don’t care what my role is, I want to be sharp.”

Said Ditka: “Doug did all right, and so did Mike. Everything worked out well. We had two quarterbacks, and each of them ran for a touchdown and passed for a touchdown.”

Tomczak played well while alternating with Flutie, and completed 7 of 11 passes for 108 yards. He ran eight yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and passed eight yards to Gault for another touchdown when he returned in the third quarter.

“I haven’t lost a game that I have started yet,” said Tomczak, who is 6-0 in starts while filling in for the injured Jim McMahon, who is out for the season.

Tomczak refused to concede there is a battle going on for the quarterback job.

“I like to think I’m No 1,” he said. “I earned the job, and I’ve earned the team’s respect. There will always be competition for a job at this professional level. I came back from adversity and we won a football game.”

Tomczak threw an interception in the first quarter before scoring his touchdown and there was an aborted fumble at the Tampa Bay goal line in the second quarter.

The next time the Bears had possession, Flutie came into the game, giving the impression that Ditka had yanked Tomczak.

“Everything worked out,” Ditka said. “Mike bounced back from a rough start. What’s the difference who is going to start at quarterback next week? That’s not important right now.”

The Bears’ offense had been held to three touchdowns in its three previous games. It was Chicago’s defense that had allowed the Bears to continue winning. As usual, Chicago’s defense played well Sunday, forcing two interceptions, three fumbles and recording three sacks.

“I don’t know if it was because we were nervous or what,” Tampa Bay Coach Leeman Bennett said of his team’s turnovers. “I didn’t see a whole lot of good things out there. The Bears are good.”

One of the key performers for the Bears, as usual, was Payton.

Payton rushed 20 times for 78 yards and ran 4 yards for a touchdown--his 105th by rushing--to put him one behind the record held by Jim Brown.

Payton, the NFL’s all-time rushing leader, also went past the 16,000-yard mark. He caught 3 passes for 98 yards.

Tampa Bay scored its first touchdown on a freak play early in the fourth quarter.

Chicago’s Todd Bell intercepted a Steve Young pass and lateraled to Mike Richardson. Richardson also attempted a lateral, but Vince Heflin intercepted it and dashed 48 yards for a touchdown. Young wound up 16 of 32 for 234 yards.

The Buccaneers added a touchdown midway in the final period on a 14-yard pass from Young to Calvin Magee.

The Bears responded with Lew Barnes’ 85-yard touchdown run on the ensuing kickoff.

The victory was the fifth straight for the Bears (12-2), who moved within one game of clinching the home field for their Jan. 3-4 playoff game. The loss was the fifth straight for the Buccaneers (2-12).

Tampa Bay has now lost eight straight to the Bears.