Wade provides much-needed spark.(Sports)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), October, 2005 | by LeGere, Bob

Byline: Bob LeGere Daily Herald Sports Writer Bobby Wade gambled - and the Bears won big. The offense was struggling mightily, having managed a total of 38 yards with 3:32 left in the first half, and the Bears were trailing the Vikings 3-0. So Wade risked fielding a punt at his own 2-yard line, even though that's usually a no-no.

In most situations, returners are supposed to allow the ball bounce into the end zone for a touchback and let the offense start at the 20. But Wade brought it back 49 yards to set up the Bears' first touchdown, which was all the scoring they ended up needing in a 28- 3 victory. "We needed a spark and it came," Wade said. "That was the spark that we needed." Wade entered the game leading the NFL with a 12.4-yard average,...