Holmes’ Two Touchdown Receptions Help Cardinals Defeat Bears, 20-16

Wide receiver Don Holmes grabbed two touchdown passes, including a “Hail Mary” toss by Neil Lomax on the final play of the first half Monday night, to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 20-16 NFL exhibition victory over the Chicago Bears.

After the Cardinals had blocked a field goal attempt, Lomax, with three seconds left in the half, lofted a pass into the end zone, where Holmes grabbed it for a 38-yard touchdown play. The ball had bounced off two Bear defenders before Holmes caught it.

That touchdown gave St. Louis a 13-2 halftime lead.

The first time the Cardinals gained possession in the second half, they drove 70 yards in 7 plays for a touchdown as Cliff Stoudt passed to Holmes for a 31-yard touchdown play.

The outcome left both the Bears and Cardinals with 2-1 exhibition records and with Chicago’s Mike Ditka still seeking his first coaching victory over the Cardinals. Ditka is 0-6 in exhibition play against the Cardinals and 0-2 in regular-season competition.

Lomax, playing only in the first half, also threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Troy Johnson in the first quarter. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 128 yards.

Mike Tomczak made his third straight start at quarterback for the Bears in the absence of injured Jim McMahon. He played the first half and completed 15 of 23 passes for 132 yards but failed to get the team on the board.