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PRO FOOTBALL : Worthy Start for Kramer, Bears, 21-9

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From Associated Press

Erik Kramer likes his view from the field a lot better than the one he used to have from the bench.

On Sunday, it showed.

In his first opening-day game appearance, Kramer threw two touchdown passes to tight end Chris Gedney, including a 37-yard pass play with 5:35 left, and the Chicago Bears beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21-9.

In his years with the Lions, Kramer was a frustrated third-stringer even though he led the Lions to the NFC Central title in two of the last three seasons. With the Bears, he’s the leader.

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“He coaches us in the huddle and lets us know what is going on with the defense rather than just callings plays,” Gedney said after catching the first two touchdown passes of his career. “He tells us what a defensive back might do on certain plays.”

Kramer completed 18 of 25 passes for 212 yards.

The Bears scored on their first possession, bogged down in the middle of the game but were able to put the Buccaneers away with Kramer’s late scoring pass to Gedney.

“I don’t know what happened in the past,” said Kramer, who was signed away from Detroit as a free agent for a three-year, $8.1 million deal.

“We’re going to try to keep people off balance. I don’t know if we got too predictable or what in the second half.”

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