6:17 PM - Strongside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa will miss tonight's game with knee soreness. It's my understanding that he probably would have been able to play had this been a normal week with a Sunday game. Tinoisamoa will be replaced by Nick Roach, who started 15 of 16 games played last season, when he tied for the team lead with 10 tackles-for-loss.
6:19 PM - In addition to Pisa Tinoisamoa, other Bears inactives tonight are cornerback Joshua Moore, running back Kahlil Bell, guard/center Edwin Williams, tight end Desmond Clark, and defensive ends Barry Turner and Corey Wootton. Caleb Hanie is the emergency third quarterback.
6:21 PM - It's official: Third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen will start for the Dolphins. Although Thigpen went 1-10 in the only starts of his NFL career with the Chiefs in 2008, he performed fairly well, throwing for 2,608 yards with 18 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and 76.0 passer rating, and running for three TDs as well.
6:26 PM - Quarterbacks Chad Pennington (shoulder) and Chad Henne (knee) aren't the only Dolphins players sidelined with injuries. Center Joe Berger (knee) and free safety Chris Clemons (hamstring) will also miss tonight's game. They'll be replaced by Cory Proctor and Reshad Jones, respectively.
7:11 PM - I just returned from the field. It's warm and humid here in Miami (technically, the stadium is located in Miami Gardens), and that's especially true down on the field. The temperature right now is 75 degrees with 77 percent humidity. The Bears have a few large fans situated behind their bench to keep players cool.
7:14 PM - There are a ton of Bears fans here, maybe more than I've ever seen at a road game (and that's saying a lot). I remember a 2006 contest in Arizona when Cardinals players were looking up in the stands in amazement after getting booed when they jogged onto the field for pre-game warm-ups. One of the fans here tonight, by the way, is White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.
7:21 PM - Non-football post: Best pre-game meal of the season in Dolphins press box, with chicken parmesan, Caesar salad and hot fudge sundae. Nice!
7:24 PM - Speaking to reporters before the game, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo praised coach Lovie Smith, saying: "We've seen the same thing we've seen every year from Lovie. He's always been a great leader for us. ... The guy has really done an outstanding job of keeping the team together, and I think that is critical for a head coach in this league. You can't minimize that and he doesn't get enough credit for that."
7:28 PM - The Bears won the coin toss and deferred, meaning the Dolphins will receive the opening kickoff. The Bears are 4-3 when they win the coin toss and 2-0 when they lose it.
7:29 PM - I know not everyone can watch tonight's game. If you have a question for me, please post it in the Facebook box on the right side of the GameDay page and I'll try to answer a few during a break in the action.
7:33 PM - Nolan Carroll returns the opening kickoff 40 yards to the Bears 47, sprinting around left end before being shoved out of bounds by Zackary Bowman. That was a rare breakdown by Bears special teams unit.
7:34 PM - Henry Melton sacks Tyler Thigpen on third-and-15, forcing a Miami punt. That's Melton's second sack in two days: The NFL credited him with a sack of Brett Favre in last Sunday's win over the Vikings after reviewing the tape of the play.
7:35 PM - Devin Hester fair-catches the Miami punt at the Bears 12. Don't expect the Dolphins to give Hester many chances to return punts tonight!
7:36 PM - Matt Forte swallowed by two Dolphins defenders on Bears' first play from scrimmage, losing two yards.
7:38 PM - Matt Forte picks up four yards on draw play on third-and-12, and the Bears will punt.
7:42 PM - With his first punt tonight, Brad Maynard moved into third place in NFL history with 1,227 career punts. He trails only Jeff Feagles (1,713) and Sean Landeta (1,401). Maynard told me before the game that NFL Network announcer Bob Papa congratulated him about the impending accomplishment, and Maynard had no idea where he ranked on the list.
7:46 PM - Dolphins center Cory Proctor exits with an injury. He was running downfield on a short pass play and fell to the ground without being touched. Proctor, who was filling in for regular center Joe Berger, has been replaced by Richie Incognito.
7:47 PM - Devin Hester returns a punt 24 yards to the Bears' 39. He caught the ball and weaved to the right on the same part of the field as his 92-yard return touchdown on the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI.
7:49 PM - Matt Forte bounces outside for a gain of 21 yards. Nice block downfield by Devin Aromashodu.
7:52 PM - With great protection, Jay Cutler hits Johnny Knox for gain of 11 on third-and-seven, resulting in a first down at the Miami 26.
7:56 PM - Robbie Gould's 46-yard field goal gives the Bears a 3-0 lead with 3:48 left in the first quarter. The kick came after Cameron Wake beat J'Marcus Webb off the edge and sacked Jay Cutler, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Bears left guard Chris Williams.
7:57 PM - Robbie Gould boots kickoff six yards deep in the end zone for a touchback.
7:58 PM - Marcus Harrison blocks a Tyler Thigpen pass into the air and Nick Roach nearly intercepts it. That's a play I'm sure Roach will say that he should have made.
8:00 PM - Blatant block in the back by Brandon Marshall against Lance Briggs nullifies a Tyler Thigpen run that picked up a first down.
8:02 PM - Charles Tillman intercepts a Tyler Thigpen pass that was deflected by Julius Peppers. Tillman is now tied for sixth place in franchise history with 25 career interceptions. The Bears take over at the Miami 46.
8:04 PM - Jay Cutler and Devin Hester nearly connect on a 46-yard TD pass, but Hester juggles and can't hang onto underthrown pass in the end zone.
8:06 PM - Jay Cutler beats blitz with 13-yard completion to Earl Bennett on third-and-10, giving Bears a first down at the Miami 33. The offense is beginning to look like it's in a rhythm. The Bears face third-and-three at the 26 heading into the second quarter.
8:09 PM - Jay Cutler converts on third down again as Devin Hester makes a nice catch on a low throw on a quick slant, picking up six yards on third-and-three.
8:10 PM - Tough start for J'Marcus Webb, who just got flagged for holding after giving up a sack earlier in the game.
8:12 PM - Jay Cutler makes another play with his feet, scrambling up the field and tip-toeing along the sideline to pick up a first down at the Miami 9 with a 16-yard run on third-and-16.
8:18 PM - Robbie Gould's 24-yard field goal gives the Bears a 6-0 lead with 10:27 left in the second quarter. The kick came after Jay Cutler's fade pass to Earl Bennett in the left corner of the end zone was broken up by safety Vontae Davis on third-and-goal from the six. Let's hope the failure to get a touchdown doesn't come back and bite the Bears.
8:21 PM - Brandon Marshall flips the ball at Jay Cutler (his former Broncos teammate) after making a reception near the Bears bench and draws a 15-yard penalty for taunting.
8:25 PM - Henry Melton is having a good game. He tackled Tyler Thigpen after a six-yard gain on third-and-13, forcing a punt. Devin Hester called a fair catch at the Bears' 6.
8:29 PM - Jay Cutler picks up another third down by hitting Devin Hester streaking across the middle from left to right for 14 yards on third-and-five. There aren't a lot of defensive backs on this planet who can keep up with Hester all the way across the field like that.
8:30 PM - Jay Cutler has completed 8 of 11 passes for 67 yards.
8:33 PM - Jay Cutler beats another Miami blitz, flipping a quick 12-yard pass to Johnny Knox on third-and-four. The Bears are now 6 of 9 on third down.
8:38 PM - J'Marcus Webb gets called for second holding penalty of game trying to block Cameron Wake.
8:41 PM - Benny Sapp intercepts a Jay Cutler pass intended for Johnny Knox. But it appeared the ball hit the ground. Because there are less than two minutes left in the half, the booth called for a review of the play. I think this is going to go in the Bears' favor.
8:43 PM - Wow ... the ruling on the field was confirmed. It was a very poor decision by Jay Cutler to throw the ball, but it sure looked to me like the ground allowed Benny Sapp to catch the ball.
8:48 PM - Julius Peppers records his third sack of the season. Two plays later, Lance Briggs intercepts a Tyler Thigpen pass over the middle intended for Ricky Williams. But after a replay review, the call was overturned. The Bears have dropped three interceptions so far tonight.
8:51 PM - Jay Cutler takes a knee and the first half comes to an end with the Bears leading 6-0.
8:52 PM - Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall sustained a hamstring injury late in the first half, and his return is questionable.
9:05 PM - Dolphins keep second-half kickoff away from Devin Hester. Rashied Davis returns short kickoff 10 yards to Bears' 30.
9:10 PM - Karlos Dansby nearly intercepts a Jay Cutler pass. It appears that the Dolphins are sinking their linebackers back in coverage and taking away deep out patterns.
9:11 PM - Robbie Gould's 50-yard field goal gives the Bears a 9-0 lead on opening drive of second half. The kick came after Jay Cutler's eight-yard scramble to the 32 on third-and-12.
9:17 PM - Israel Idonije registers his team-leading sixth sack of the season, forcing the Dolphins to punt. The Bears have three sacks tonight, their second most of the season behind the five they recorded in a win over the Carolina Panthers.
9:20 PM - Bears are pounding the ball on the ground. Matt Forte has rushed for 84 yards on 15 carries. This is already Forte's second most productive game of the season after his 166-yard effort against the Panthers.
9:25 PM - Greg Olsen makes sliding 12-yard catch, giving Bears a first down at the Miami 21. Let's see if the offense can punch this one in the end zone.
9:33 PM - Matt Forte's 2-yard TD run on third-and-goal gives the Bears a 16-0 lead with 1:57 left in the third quarter. Forte dashed into the end zone through a big hole created by blocks by Frank Omiyale and Chris Williams. The TD capped a 13-play, 60-yard drive that burned 7:26 off the clock.
9:35 PM - The Bears ran the ball on 10 of their 13 plays on their first touchdown drive of the game.
9:37 PM - Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall is in street clothes and won't return to the game.
9:39 PM - The third quarter ends with the Bears leading 16-0. The Bears scored a field goal and touchdown on their only two possessions of the period.
9:42 PM - Brian Urlacher registers Bears' fourth sack of the game, forcing another Miami punt.
9:47 PM - Don't want to jinx the Bears, but if they hang on, this will be the first time they've won three games in 12 days since 1993 when they beat the Chargers and Chiefs on back-to-back Sundays and the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
9:53 PM - Julius Peppers records his second sack of the game, matching his season total. The Bears now have five sacks, equalling their season total.
10:02 PM - Julius Peppers now has three sacks in the game, and the Bears have six, a new season high.
10:05 PM - Danieal Manning oblierates receiver Davone Bess, forcing a fourth-down incompletion and the Bears take over. What a dominant performance by the Bears defense. I'm heading downstairs for post-game interviews. Thanks for following my blog. Stay logged onto ChicagoBears.com for complete game coverage!
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