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Saturday, Aug. 5 8:00pm ET
Longshot QB Hartsell leads Bears to victory | |||||
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BOX SCORE
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- After working three years in sales for a pharmaceutical company and putting on a couple of pounds, something inside Mark Hartsell told him to give football one more try. So far, it's going better than anyone expected. Hartsell made a strong bid to catch on with the Bears by hitting 8 of 11 passes for 90 yards and guiding Chicago to 10 third-quarter points in a 20-8 preseason win over the New York Giants on Saturday night. "It was a lot of fun," said Hartsell, who had not played in a NFL game since being cut by the Washington Redskins in training camp in 1997. "It was a taste that I had missed, a taste that I can't wait for (until) the next preseason game." Hartsell, who got extra playing time because of an injury to quarterback Jim Miller in the second quarter, gave the Bears a 10-8 lead with a go-ahead 3-yard touchdown pass to Macey Brooks, a score set up by linebacker Rosevelt Colvin's interception near midfield. The former Boston College star also set up a 43-yard field goal by Paul Edinger by hitting two passes for 19 yards and running twice for 14. "He did a good job, I'm happy for him," coach Dick Jauron said after the Bears won a preseason opener on the road for the first time since 1991. "I'm happy for him. He worked hard." With Cade McNown, Miller and Shane Matthews on the roster, Hartsell still faces an uphill battle to make the team. He's not worried about it, though."I'm just trying to go out and play football and have fun," Hartsell said. Fourth-stringer Clint Dolezel added a 17-yard touchdown pass to former Giant Scott Dragos, and Jaret Holmes had a 24-yard field goal on Bears' scores set up by long returns against the Giants' special teams. Brad Daluiso kicked field goals of 37 and 30 yards, and defensive tackle Christian Peter added a safety for New York. It was hard to find any satisfied Giants."We wanted to come out and win, that's the most important thing in the preseason," halfback Tiki Barber said. "We want to get a winning attitude and a winning personality. We had some positives, but we have to improve." With the teams scheduled to meet in the third week of the regular season, neither showed much in a contest that had surprisingly few penalties. The one serious injury appeared to be a severely sprained knee by New York tight end Pete Mitchell in the second quarter. The extent of his injury won't be known until Sunday, coach Jim Fassel said. Giants quarterback Kerry Collins looked good, completing 15 of 18 passes for 117 yards as New York's revamped offensive line gave him plenty of time to throw. Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne gained 48 yards on 17 carries in his debut. McNown was 3-for-5 for 42 yards, playing only three series. Despite outgaining the Bears 215-70, the Giants held only an 8-3 lead at halftime, and two of those points came on Peter's safety with 6:02 left in the half. Not only did the play give New York a 5-3 lead, it also sent Miller to the bench with a sprained elbow on his first play and got Hartsell into the game early. A 23-yard pass from Jason Garrett to Joe Jurevicius and a 17-yard run by Ron Dixon -- the Giants' third-round draft choice -- on a double reverse set up Daluiso's 30-yard field goal after the ensuing free kick. Daluiso, who missed the final 10 games last season because of a knee injury, gave New York a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter with a 37-yard field goal. It capped a 12-play, 52-yard drive that featured Collins' passes of 13 yards to Amani Toomer, 20 to Ike Hilliard, and four runs by Dayne for 16 yards. Eddie Kennison returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards, setting up Holmes' field goal. A 50-yard punt return by R.W. McQuarters set up Dragos' TD. | ALSO SEE NFL Scoreboard Chicago Clubhouse NY Giants Clubhouse | |||||