Bears must resolve 'communication' issues

But Allen came back strong. On Campbell's touchdown pass to Joe Anderson, he took on two pass rushers at once, keeping both defensive end Adewale Ojomo and safety Tyler Sash at bay so Campbell could get the pass off.

Without Allen's block, there is no touchdown and the Bears might have lost the game.

• Despite the breakdowns, Marshall had another impressive performance. Beyond the 21-yard touchdown catch and 51 receiving yards in a little more than one half, Marshall did the little things well.

He threw a nice block on Prince Amukamara on Devin Hester's 19-yard end around. He batted down a tipped pass that might have ended up in enemy hands.

And he fought for a pass and muscled a catch in a manner rarely seen by Bears receivers in recent years. It was only a 5-yard completion, but it was the kind of play that sets a tone.

• The linebacking crew did some nice things in the absence of leader Brian Urlacher. Nick Roach was aggressive and looked comfortable in the middle, and Geno Hayes was sharp on the blitz. Current second string middle linebacker Blake Costanzo also continued to play well.

• Former first-round pick John McCargo finally joined the party at defensive tackle. It might be too late for him to beat out Nate Collins or Brian Price, but McCargo flashed on a tackle for a loss and on an inside rush that resulted in pressure.

• Defensive end Cheta Ozougwu was Mr. Irrelevant one year ago when the Texans made him the last pick in the draft, but he is becoming more relevant with each game. He showed a nice spin move to get through two blockers for a quarterback hit, and also put a shake and bake on tackle James Brewer before bursting around him for a sack.

He would be an ideal practice squad candidate, assuming he does not land on a 53-man roster.

dpompei@tribune.com

Twitter@danpompei